App helps identify concussion symptoms for parents and coaches
An interactive smartphone application has been developed for parents and coaches to identify concussion symptoms immediately after a child has taken a blow to the head or body, reported wtop.com.
"In youth sports, coaches and parents are on the frontline, and are primarily responsible for recognizing concussions and responding appropriately," said Gerard Gioia, director of the SCORE Concussion Program at Children's Medical Center, in a phone interview. Gioia, who worked with researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, stated that after an injury, parents and coaches should be armed with a resource that teaches them how to recognize a suspected concussion before or after a game.
"If something does not appear "right" with the child, after a likely blow to the head or body, the CRR application will offer an injury assessment," said Gioia. "The application asks a series of questions to help determine whether a child is displaying the warning signs of a concussion."
In an interview with SmartPlanet, Gioia explained that the CRR application also offered home symptom monitoring, which allows the parent or caregiver to record a child's symptoms through timed evaluations. The evaluations can then be e-mailed to health care professionals for review, said Gioia. Additionally, the application provides parents with a checklist of things that parents should do to support their child's recovery, said Gioia.
"For a retail price of $3.99, the Concussion Recognition and Response proceeds will benefit future concussion research," said Gioia.
Video: A demonstration of the concussion app by Gerard Gioia.
Image: Justin Smith/PAR Inc
Related link: http://tucsoncitizen.com/usa-today-sports/2011/05/25/testing-helps-change-the-game-on-youth-concussions/
This post was originally published on Smartplanet.com