How the Selection of Objective Measures Drives Time to “Recovery”: Improving RTP Decision Making at the Front End

BOC Domains of Athletic Training: Domain II - Assessment, Evaluation and Diagnosis Presentation Description: The presentation "How the Selection of Objective Measures Drives Time to 'Recovery': Improving Brain Injury RTP Decision Making at the Front End" by Dr. Len Lecci focuses on the critical role of objective measures in determining return-to-play (RTP) timelines for athletes recovering from concussions. Dr. Lecci presents comprehensive research showing how the choice of assessment tools significantly impacts RTP decisions. The session explores multiple domains that should be evaluated post-concussion, the scientific literature on RTP timelines, the importance of objective measures over self-reported symptoms, and the integration of this information in clinical practice to optimize patient outcomes. Learning Objectives: Identify multiple domains that should be assessed in post-concussion RTP evaluations. Understand the scientific literature on RTP timelines by domain and measure. Appraise the value of self-reported symptoms relative to objective, domain-specific measures. Apply and integrate this information in the RTP decision. Clinical Practice Gap Statement: Despite the established protocols for managing concussions, there remains a gap in the effective selection and application of objective measures for RTP decisions. Current practices often rely heavily on self-reported symptoms, which can lead to premature or delayed RTP, thereby increasing the risk of long-term cognitive and physical consequences. This presentation addresses the need for healthcare professionals to adopt evidence-based, objective measures that span multiple domains, ensuring more accurate and safer RTP decisions. Clinical Bottom Line Statement: Effective RTP decision-making for concussed athletes requires the integration of reliable, objective measures across multiple domains. Research indicates that reliance solely on self-reported symptoms or commonly used tests like SCAT and Impact can result in premature RTP. Objective assessments, particularly those measuring cognitive and neuromotor functions, provide a more accurate indication of recovery and can significantly enhance patient outcomes.

Dr. Len Lecci has been a professor of psychology at the University of North Carolina Wilmington since 1996. His area of expertise is assessment, and he is responsible for the assessment training sequence of all of the PhD students in the doctoral program. He is the director of clinical services at a MARS Memory-Health Network, which is a clinic focused on early detection of memory loss.  Since 2016, Dr. Lecci has been working in the area of concussion assessment. He has obtained grant funding and published numerous papers on new approaches to concussion assessment as well as papers validating new measures. Dr. Lecci has established a research consortium of universities and medical facilities to improve and evaluate objective concussion assessment tools. Dr. Lecci was recently awarded a grant to help improve the representativeness of the norms used in concussion measures and to determine whether recovery trajectories vary as a function of race or sex.

Action Medicine Consultants, LLC (BOC AP#: P12095) is approved by the Board of Certification, Inc. to provide continuing education to Athletic Trainers (ATs). This program is eligible for a maximum of 1.0 Category A hours/CEUs. ATs should claim only those hours actually spent in the educational program. GENERAL DISCLAIMER: It is the responsibility of the participant, relying on the independent expertise and knowledge of the patient, to determine the best treatment and method of application for the patient. Participants must use discretion when using the information contained within this presentation.  The presenter has provided the following regarding disclaimers: The information and content provided in this course are for informational purposes only. The presenter nor Action Medicine Consultants, LLC bears no liability for your use of this information and content. The views expressed in this course are those of the presenter(s). CONFLICTS OF INTEREST: In compliance with continuing education requirements, all presenters must disclose any financial or other associations with the manufacturers of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services, or commercial supporters as well as any use of unlabeled product(s) or product(s) under investigational use.  This presentation does not involve the unlabeled use of a product or product under investigational use.  During the presentation, the presenter provides disclosure of any relevant financial relationships or other associations.  Refund Policy:  Live (virtual or in-person) Courses - Full refunds (Minus 10% for handling fees) are given after completion of the course if cancellation request is received 14 days prior to the course date. No refunds will be given after this deadline, but fees may be applied to another current or a future course. This also applies to virtual courses if a technical issue occurred on the presenter side that prevented a full presentation from being performed. On-Demand Courses - No refunds will be given, but fees may be applied to another current or a future course if there is a technical issue in Action Medicine Consultant's delivery of the course and in which no certificate of completion was issued.