American Medical Society for Sports Medicine Issues Position Statement on ‘Concussion in Sports’

The American Medical Society for Sports Medicine (AMSSM) has released its latest position statement, “Concussion in Sport,” which recommends that health-care professionals apply a more individualized approach in the diagnosis and care management of sports concussion — a traumatic head injury with a reported 3.8 million occurrences per year. This is because the severity of injury and the individual’s risk factors vary from athlete to athlete.

Lead author Kimberly Harmon, MD, who serves as associate head team physician for the University of Washington and is a former AMSSM president, says there are a variety of tests physicians use to evaluate athletes with sports concussion; however, one of the most valuable factors is the physician’s close knowledge of the individual athlete.

“It’s important that whoever works most regularly with the athlete reviews his or her treatment against the athlete’s history, behavior and risk factors to understand the best person-centered care plan,” Dr. Harmon says. For more information, click here to read the full release.