The 4th Consensus Statement on Concussion in Sport (based on the 2012 International Conference on Concussion in Sport, Zurich) is live exclusively on the BJSM site. BJSM will be the only journal carrying 12 review papers that complement the Consensus statement. Table of Contents here. The special issue of BJSM relates to Injury Prevention and Health Protection (IPHP) and the IOC supports 4 such theme issues annually.
Subsequently, many other journals will publish the Consensus statement – this is not something that should be kept ‘exclusive’; the statement will be free at all journals and it will include important ancilliary documents such as the SCAT 3, the Child SCAT, and the CRT – Concussion Recognition Tool for patients and parents. We congratulate the editors of this 4th statement – Paul McCrory, Winne Meeuwisse, and Jiri Dvorak – all members of BJSM’s senior leadership group among their other responsibilities and affiliations.
As the 4th Consensus statement is launched, we note that the 3rd such document received over 55,000 clicks – given the increasing move to mobile web platforms, the 12 member societies that support BJSM alone, and the general increasing attention to the field, this number is likely to be passed rapidly by this 4th document. Ultimately, the importance of this work is in changing management and one only needs to look at the Sidney Crosby ice hockey case and the legislation in the US to recognize that previous Consensus statements have contributed to making sport safer.
The decade of commitment among concussion researchers is one of the success stories of sports & exercise medicine. The collaboration, engagement of key stakeholders (including the IOC and FIFA), hard work of many, consistent purpose, rigorous research, combined with a focus on tools for the athlete (SCAT, CRT) provides an example for those leading the charge in other conditions in our field, and in the health professions generally. Innovation, education, implementation. That would make 3 great themes for BJSM as well!
Drs Paul McCrory and Winne Meeuwisse will launch the 4th Consensus statement in Qatar and Canada, respectively, on Tuesday 12th March. Media can contact them via:
Dr Paul McCrory (visiting Aspetar – Qatar Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine Hospital)
paulmccr@bigpond.net.au [contact today at + (974) 33 67 82 03]
Dr Willem Meeuwisse, Faculty of Kinesiology, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
Email: w.meeuwisse@ucalgary.ca
Note that Dr McCrory’s home university appointment is:
The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Heidelberg, Victoria, Australia
