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What Makes A Health Care Professional A Concussion Specialist?

There are five requirements for a concussion specialist, according to Dr. Rosemarie Scolaro Moser, a sports concussion neuropsychologist, researcher, and Director of the Sports Concussion Center of New Jersey.  

A concussion specialist is: 

  1. A licensed health care professional who provides direct patient care; 
  2. Who has at least one year of continuous, regular experience in the identification, management, and treatment of concussion/mild traumatic brain injury; 
  3. Who has completed formal didactic coursework/training in concussion/mild traumatic brain injury; 
  4. Who is knowledgeable about the latest national or international guidelines regarding the identification, management, and treatment of concussion/mild traumatic brain injury (such as issued by the International Consensus Conferences on Concussion in Sport,1the American Academy of Pediatrics,2 the American Medical Society for Sports Medicine,3 the National Athletic Trainers' Assocation,4 and the American Academy of Neurology5); and 
  5. Who regularly communicates with other concussion specialists to coordinate the health care and well-being of patients with concussion/mild traumatic brain injury.

1. McCrory P, et al. Concussion statement on concussion in sport: the 4th International Conference on Concussion in Sport held in Zurich, November 2012. Br J Sports Med 2013;47:250-258.

2. Halstead, ME, Walter, K. Clinical Report - Sport-Related Concussion in Children and Adolescents. Pediatrics 2010;126(3):597-615 (http://aappolicy.aappublications.org/cgi/content/full/pediatrics;126/3/5...).

3. Harmon K, et al. American Medical Society for Sports Medicine position statement: concussion in sport. Br J Sports Med. 2013;47:15-26.

4. Broglio SP, et al. National Athletic Trainers' Association Position Statement: Management of Sport Concussion. J Athl Train. 2014;49(1):000-000. doi: 10.4085/1062-6050-49.1.07 (epub March 10, 2014)

5. Giza C, Kutcher J, Ashwal S, et. al. Summary of evidence-based guideline update: Evaluation and management of concussion in sports: Report of the Guideline Development Subcommittee of the American Academy of Neurology. Neurology 2013 (published online ahead of print March 18, 2013): DOI:10.1212/WNL.ob013e31828d57dd (accessed March 23, 2013)