Objective To describe and compare perceptions between stakeholders (sports medicine professionals, coaches, parents, and athletic administrators) regarding their roles and responsibilities to intervene after witnessing a potential concussion.

Design Cross-sectional study.

Setting Online survey.

Participants 116 respondents (66.2% female; 38.5±12.0 years) consisting of sports medicine professionals (n=34), coaches (n=42), parents (n=29), and athletic administrators (n=11) from collegiate athletics.

Interventions A bystander intervention model survey was adapted to a sports context.

Outcome Measures The survey contained 26 items on a 7-point Likert scale, with lower scores reflecting stronger perceptions. Item domains were potential failure to intervene due to skills deficit or audience inhibition, failure to notice or identify seriousness, and responsibility through diffusion, worthiness, and relationship. Composite domain scores were compared between groups using Kruskal Wallis test (alpha=0.05).

Main Results Coaches believed more strongly than parents that they had the necessary skills (median=2.00[IQR:1.75–3.06] vs. 2.50[IQR:2.00–4.38]; p=0.048), ability to identify concussion seriousness (median=2.38[IQR:2.00–2.66] vs. 2.88[IQR:2.12–3.65]; p=0.033) and responsibility through diffusion (median=1.67[IQR:1.33–2.00] vs. 2.00[IQR:1.83–3.67]; p=0.004) and worthiness (median=2.00[IQR:1.25–2.56] vs. 2.25[IQR:1.75–3.00]; p=0.017). Athletic administrators reported higher failure to notice than coaches (median=3.50[IQR:2.50–4.00] vs. 2.50[IQR:2.00–3.00]; p=0.025). Sports medicine professionals reported stronger overall responsibility than all groups in all categories (p < 0.001).

Conclusions Concussion education for coaches, parents, and athletic administrators should emphasize concussion intervention roles and responsibilities. Parental skills training and education on significance may be beneficial, as would identification training for athletic administrators.