Patient, parent and educator perspectives on paediatric concussion

Abstract

Background Past research on paediatric concussion awareness, management, impact and outcome priorities has focused on health care professionals and sports organizations, yet little is known about patient, parent and educator perspectives. Methods To address this knowledge gap, we conducted a qualitative descriptive study using semi-structured interviews with three participant groups: patient-participants including children with acute or chronic concussion; parent-participants including caregivers of children at risk for or with history of concussion; and educator-participants including teachers and athletic coaches from three Ontario secondary schools. We designed our interview guide to elicit participants’ perspectives across four domains: concussion awareness, concussion experience, support and resources, and outcome priorities. We analyzed our resultant data using a qualitative content analysis approach. Results Nine paediatric patient-participants, 17 parent-participants, and 14 educator-participants completed the study. Participants described concussion as a serious health concern and attributed greater concussion awareness to increased media attention and concussion protocol implementation within schools/sports. While most educator-participants regarded concussion protocols positively, some feared student manipulation. Parent- and educator-participants desired consistent information and resources from reliable sources. The impact of concussion ranged from a few days to prolonged absences (from school, sports, and socializing) and necessitated accommodations in both academic and sport settings. Short-term problems (e.g., decreased peer-contact) primarily troubled patient-participants, whereas long-term problems (e.g., impaired academics, psychological stress) concerned parent and educator groups. Conclusion Patients, parents and educators worry about the consequences of paediatric concussion. Initial concussion recovery in youth should focus on a timely return to academics and on minimizing social isolation by ensuring peer-contact during recovery.