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iMedicalApps: SCAT5 Sports Concussion Assessment Tool

— The most current guideline in a web app

MedpageToday
Illustration of a stethoscope wrapped around a mobile phone.

Concussions remain a hot topic in the media, especially during football season. I recall hearing about concussions throughout medical school, residency, and especially during my time in the military, when the media focus was on traumatic brain injury and post-traumatic stress disorder.

The frenzy around concussions really took off in 2015 with the release of the Will Smith film "Concussion." The movie documents the research of on chronic traumatic encephalopathy (). Congress subsequently held on the topic, bringing together experts in the field from both the civilian and military communities to discuss prevention, assessment, and treatment.

Most providers use some variation of the Sports Concussion Assessment Tool for concussion assessment. Developed by leading concussion experts, the is a multimodal concussion assessment including the Glasgow Coma Scale, patient symptoms, neurocognitive function, and patient balance.

The app uses the most current version of the SCAT5 concussion guideline. The guideline, developed in 2017, is currently the most widely used concussion assessment and was created by consensus/expert opinion based on available evidence. References are included in the web app.

Likes

  • Uses the most current SCAT5 concussion guideline
  • Detailed directions, red flags, contact information, ability to download a PDF of SCAT5
  • Includes both on-field and office/off-field assessments

Dislikes

  • Not a native app, but rather a web app
  • No ability to save data to your device
  • "Return to play" section seems vague and incomplete

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