1. Specialist healthcare services for concussion/mild traumatic brain injury in England: a consensus statement using modified Delphi methodology.
- Author
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Karvandi E, Helmy A, Kolias AG, Belli A, Ganau M, Gomes C, Grey M, Griffiths M, Griffiths T, Griffiths P, Holliman D, Jenkins P, Jones B, Lawrence T, McLoughlin T, McMahon C, Messahel S, Newton J, Noad R, Raymont V, Sharma K, Sylvester R, Tadmor D, Whitfield P, Wilson M, Woodberry E, Parker M, and Hutchinson PJ
- Subjects
- Child, Humans, Prognosis, Critical Pathways, England, Delphi Technique, Delivery of Health Care, Brain Concussion diagnosis, Brain Concussion therapy
- Abstract
Objective: To establish a consensus on the structure and process of healthcare services for patients with concussion in England to facilitate better healthcare quality and patient outcome., Design: This consensus study followed the modified Delphi methodology with five phases: participant identification, item development, two rounds of voting and a meeting to finalise the consensus statements. The predefined threshold for agreement was set at ≥70%., Setting: Specialist outpatient services., Participants: Members of the UK Head Injury Network were invited to participate. The network consists of clinical specialists in head injury practising in emergency medicine, neurology, neuropsychology, neurosurgery, paediatric medicine, rehabilitation medicine and sports and exercise medicine in England., Primary Outcome Measure: A consensus statement on the structure and process of specialist outpatient care for patients with concussion in England., Results: 55 items were voted on in the first round. 29 items were removed following the first voting round and 3 items were removed following the second voting round. Items were modified where appropriate. A final 18 statements reached consensus covering 3 main topics in specialist healthcare services for concussion; care pathway to structured follow-up, prognosis and measures of recovery, and provision of outpatient clinics., Conclusions: This work presents statements on how the healthcare services for patients with concussion in England could be redesigned to meet their health needs. Future work will seek to implement these into the clinical pathway., Competing Interests: Competing interests: AB serves as an expert advisor on concussion for England’s Rugby Football Union, Football Association and Premier League. He also consults and has stocks in Marker Diagnostics LTD and licenses in Salivary Biomarker of Concussion. AH served on the NICE Guideline Committee Trauma Guidelines for 2023. BJ consults for Premiership Rugby, London, and Rugby Football League, Manchester. DT consults for the Leeds Rhinos Rugby League Club and Hull City Tigers Football Club. MG serves on the advisory board for the Players Football Association. RN has undertaken work as a medicolegal expert in sports concussions. RS has served as an independent expert in legal cases in which head injury has occurred, some of these were mild head injuries. He also has received funding from the Rugby Football Association and Football Association for the Advanced Brainhealth project. TG has advised on legal cases where head injury has occurred, some of which were mild head injuries., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2023. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)
- Published
- 2023
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