J Korean Soc Emerg Med.  2025 Feb;36(1):20-40.

Self-reported survey on the practice behaviors of emergency medical doctors regarding the diagnosis, treatment, and education upon discharge of concussion patients

• Yoon J
• Park HA
• Ahn KO
• Park JO

Abstract

Objective
A survey was conducted to analyze the concussion care practices of emergency physicians (EPs) and identify the need for educational programs based on concussion care guidelines.
Methods
The cross-sectional self-report online survey was conducted over two months in 2023 and engaged emergency medicine residents and board-certified EPs. The survey consisted of questions about the respondents’ information and 23 questions regarding diagnosis practices, discharge instructions, follow-up instructions, and recovery instruction behaviors. The respondents were tasked with categorizing their practices as “usually” (more than 75% of the time); “often” (between 25% and 75% of the time); or “rarely” (less than 25% of the time).
Results
Of the 115 participating emergency physicians, 70.4% held board certification. Most respondents (93.9%) usually explained potential emergency symptoms when discharging patients. On the other hand, the symptom scale tools for pediatric patients and screening for recovery-delay risk factors were rarely used. Only 34.8% and 33.0% of respondents usually explained the need for rest before non-contact, light aerobic activities and how to return to sports and physical activity, respectively, because of the lack of familiarity with the discharge and recovery instructions.
Conclusion
Despite their knowledge of clinical decision rules and guidelines, EPs often struggled to apply them because of time constraints. These results highlight the importance of providing education and training to EPs to enhance their knowledge and skills in concussion care management. By doing so, it is possible to improve the quality of care provided to patients who have suffered concussions and reduce the risk of complications.

Keyword

Brain concussion; Surveys and questionnaires; Practice management; Patient education as topic; Injury diagnosis