Document Type
Master's Culminating Experience
Publication Date
Fall 2015
Abstract
BACKGROUND: It is the collective responsibility of coaches, referees, and parents to identify the signs and symptoms of a concussion, assess a player’s acute medical condition, and report their observations. Increasing concussion awareness and empowerment of these entities is critical to ensure that concussions are properly managed, risk is reduced, and effects are mitigated.
OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this review was to provide youth soccer organizations and relevant parties with the most relevant, factual evidence-based smartphone applications for recognizing the signs and symptoms of concussions in youth sports.
METHODS: An evidence-based standard for concussion symptoms and identification was identified from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s HEADS UP to Youth Sports website. This baseline info was used to evaluate smartphone application’s degree of complete and accurate information about the signs and symptoms of concussion. A keyword search on Apple’s ‘App Store’ was performed to identify sideline concussion evaluation applications. Seven criteria were developed to evaluate the applications for meeting security and performance standards.
RESULTS: The ‘concussion’ keyword search yielded forty-seven (47) smartphone applications for review and evaluation. These applications were screened against the seven criteria: eight met all criteria. A detailed review of each of the eight applications was performed, noting strengths and weaknesses. Four of the eight applications were deemed “recommended”.
CONCLUSION: The four applications that met the objective were recommended for download by youth sport parents, referees, coaches and players: Concussion Smart (v 1.2), Concussion Coach (v 1.0.1), Concussion Management (v 1.0), and Concussion Awareness (v 1.0.0).
Repository Citation
Hoffman, P. (2015). A Systematic Review of Smartphone Applications for Parent, Coach, and Referee Sideline Concussion Symptom Identification and Intervention in Youth Soccer. Wright State University, Dayton, Ohio.
