Indiana Sports Concussion Network

Promoting awareness and proper management of sports related concussion.

Joining ISCN—Clinician Information

 

On behalf of the Indiana Sports Concussion Network, we want to extend an invitation to select clinicians (physicians, psychologists, neurologists, and neuropsychologists) to become part of this growing network devoted to better managing concussions in Indiana’s athletes.  Traditional concussion management techniques have changed within the past few years and the Indiana Sports Concussion Network recognizes the need for better education and more standardized treatment protocols.  Through the use of computer-based neurocognitive testing, clinicians are better able to determine the extent of a concussive injury, assess the amount of healing that has occurred, and make appropriate return-to-play decisions.  ISCN is a collaborative effort of many people who are involved in the athlete’s care.  We encourage you to maintain open communication with parents and certified athletic trainers, who may be better suited to monitor the athlete daily for any neurocognitive changes.  This continued surveillance of the athlete’s signs and symptoms will help make return-to-play decisions more comprehensive.

The Indiana Sports Concussion Network would like to train you to administer, read, and interpret the baseline and post-injury results of the ImPACT concussion management program.  We believe that this objective tool, along with other assessment protocol, can assist physicians to make better clinical decisions than subjective data alone.

To become part of Indiana Sports Concussion Network, we ask you to attend a physician training session with Dr. Hank Feuer, Dr. Terry Horner or Dr. Dan Kraft, sports medicine physicians and co-directors of the Indiana Sports Concussion Network.  The training will last approximately three hours.  Once you have attended this training, you will be part of a distinct group of physicians who hold the title of being ImPACT trained; this status will allow you to conduct post-concussion follow-ups using the ImPACT program and have the distinction of being part of Indiana Sports Concussion Network.  The next training session will occur in 2009.  Please stay tuned to the calendar page for more information regarding the training.

A generous grant from Clarian Health has allowed all high school athletes in Indiana to have access to baseline ImPACT tests.  As a result, there is the potential for thousands of athletes in the state to have established a baseline test, and in the event they sustain a concussion, they will be looking for an ImPACT trained physician in their area to conduct a post-injury test and follow-up evaluation.  The network of physicians is growing, but you have the opportunity to be at the forefront of this program.  We are very excited about this program and hope that you will join us in improving concussion management practices in Indiana.

 

We hope to provide access to post-concussion management services to all athletes, regardless of insurance limitations or inability to provide payment for post-injury tests.  If you know athletes in this situation, please contact us for assistance.

Ready to join us? 

Please enter your contact information in this form and send to ISCN.  If you have questions about your role in ISCN, please let us know.