White et al. (2016). Australian Football League concussion guidelines: What do community players think? BMJ Open Sport & Exercise Medicine, 2(1). https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjsem-2016-000169
- Conclusion: Players generally understand that the AFL concussion guidelines protect their long-term welfare. However, their desire to play at all costs and help their team win is a common barrier to reporting concussion and adhering to guidelines. Leagues should take a lead role by mandating and enforcing the use of the guidelines and educating coaches, game day medical providers and players. The return-to-play component of the guidelines is complex and needs further consideration in the context of community sport.
Davis et al. (2020). Concussion guidelines in national and international professional and elite sports. Neurosurgery, 87(2), 418–425. https://doi.org/10.1093/neuros/nyaa057
- Conclusion: We conclude that the Berlin recommendations have been included in concussion protocols/guidelines by all the sporting bodies, with consistency in the essential components of the recommendations, whilst also allowing for sport- and regional-specific variations. Education at the elite, community, and junior levels remains an ongoing challenge, and future iterations of guidelines may consider multiple language versions, and community- and junior-level guidelines.
White et al. (2014). Knowledge about sports-related concussion: Is the message getting through to coaches and trainers? British Journal of Sports Medicine, 48(2), 119–124. https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2013-092785
- Conclusion: The key messages from published concussion management guidelines have not reached community sports coaches and sports trainers. This needs to be redressed to maximise the safety of all of those involved in community sport.
Newton et al. (2014). Intention to use sport concussion guidelines among community-level coaches and sports trainers. Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport, 17(5), 469–473. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsams.2013.10.240
- Conclusion: Programmes aimed at increasing the intended use of sport concussion guidelines should focus on enhancing self-efficacy and leveraging personal norms. Increasing coaches’ familiarity and experience in using the concussion guidelines would also be warranted, as would finding ways to overcome the perceived time and resource constraints identified among Australian football personnel.
