Objective To Investigate GP and Emergency medicine trainee’s knowledge and application of concussion treatment and diagnostic options in the west of Ireland

Design Cross Sectional

Setting Sligo and Galway University Hospitals, Ireland

Participants 37 GP and 8 emergency medicine trainees. The doctors were all working in an Emergency department or community GP Practice

Interventions All trainees were instructed to complete a questionnaire in person without any aids or educational advice.

Outcome measures We aimed to establish baseline trainee knowledge of concussion and also their appropriate use of current diagnostic and treatment guidelines.

Main Results 13% of those asked had received formal concussion training. Only 35% used any formal concussion assessment tool, SCAT3 was the most common. 35.6% and 15.6% of trainees prescribe physical and cognitive rest respectively to all of their concussion patients. All of his has led to only 20% of those questioned providing a return to play plan to their patients following concussion diagnosis. One sample t-tests found all of these findings were statistically significant (P<0.05).

Conclusions Our results show that despite concussion’s increasing media profile worldwide, GP and emergency medicine trainee’s in the west of Ireland remain ill informed of the appropriate diagnostic and treatment protocols. It is felt that this is likely representative of trainee knowledge levels nationwide, although a larger demographic is needed to prove this. In conjunction with acquired brain injury Ireland we have created a new concussion pathway for Sligo University Hospital which includes diagnostic aids and outpatient treatment options for our locality.

Competing interests None