Standards for Concussion Clinics
Individuals with suspected concussion should be assessed by a qualified practitioner able to make a diagnostic decision (i.e., physician, nurse practitioner, or neuropsychologist).
Concussion clinics should provide patients with comprehensive post-concussion care, including the following core functions and services: (1) diagnosis and medical treatment decisions; (2) physical treatment; (3) cognitive, function, and emotional support; (4) coordination of care; and, (5) education.
Post-concussion care and concussion clinics should have direct and ongoing access to a physician with experience in concussion management.
Concussion clinic teams should clearly define each other’s roles and professional scopes of practice.
Individuals with concussion should have access to: (1) diagnostic assessment; (2) education, resources, and follow-up; and, (3) therapies and interventions once symptoms are deemed persistent.
Concussion clinics should follow practices and use treatments that are evidence-based and/or recommended by provincial, national, or international guidelines or consensus statements.
Health care providers and concussion clinics should provide patients and family/caregiver(s) with information about concussion, trajectory of recovery, resources, health care provider experience, services offered, and referrals available.
Primary care practitioners and concussion clinic teams should follow referral indicators to refer patients to appropriate specialists, services, and allied professionals.
Every patient diagnosed with concussion should receive follow-up (usually from their primary care provider) within 1-2 weeks.
Post-concussion care delivered through a network of providers rather than a clinic should have a clear care pathway that is convenient for and responsive to the patient, and offered collaboratively by qualified and experienced health professionals (including a physician).
A person treating patients for concussion symptoms should be a regulated health care professional, licensed by a regulatory body under the regulated health professions act.
Concussion clinics should have clear internal and external communication mechanisms to improve coordination of care.
Concussion clinics should offer an interdisciplinary team with at least three (3) different health care provider disciplines when providing post-concussion care.
A concussion clinic or network of providers should track access to service, use suggested reporting and common data elements, and collect patient-level clinical, demographic, and administrative data.
Concussion clinics should be clear with patients about their ability to provide the full spectrum of care from initial management to longer term management of persistent symptoms (if required).