The Most Current Concussion Guideline in a Web App

Concussions remain a hot topic in the media, especially during football season. I recall hearing about concussions throughout medical school, residency, and especially during my time in the military with the media surrounding TBI and PTSD. The media frenzy around concussions really took off in 2015 with the release of the Will Smith film “Concussion.” The movie documents the research of Bennet Omalu, MD, on Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE). Congress subsequently held special hearings on the topic bringing together experts in the field from both the civilian and military communities to discuss prevention, assessment, and treatment. 

Furthermore, the NFL and other athletic organizations made significant changes in their approach to concussions on and off the field. Most providers use some variation of the Sports Concussion Assessment Tool, SCAT5, for concussion assessment. Developed by leading concussion experts, the SCAT5 is a multi-modal concussion assessment including the Glasgow Coma Scale, patient symptoms, neurocognitive function, and patient balance. 

Here at iMedicalApps, we have reviewed a number of concussion assessment apps including an extensive review of the guidelines and how apps should be developed and we did a review of the best apps based on the guidelines. Our previous favorite was the excellent University of Michigan Return2Play app. Unfortunately, there still is not a SCAT5 app available. However, there is a mobile web app version of the SCAT5 now available. 

Evidence-based medicine

The app uses the most current version of the SCAT5 concussion guideline. The guideline was developed in 2017 is currently the most widely used concussion assessment. It was developed by consensus/expert opinion based on available evidence. References are included in the web app. 

What patients/providers would benefit from this App?

All providers who care for concussed athletes including students, residents, mid-levels, nurses, primary care, ER, neurology, and sports medicine physicians.

Price

o Free

Likes

  • Uses the most current SCAT5 concussion guideline
  • Detailed directions, red flags, contact information, ability to download PDF of SCAT5
  • Includes both on-field and office/off-field assessments

Dislikes

  • Not a native app, but rather a web app
  • No ability to save data to your device
  • Return to play section seems vague and incomplete

Overall

I am still shocked that in 2020, we do not yet have a definitive concussion app! Some of the previously reviewed native apps are out of date using the older SCAT3 or are difficult to use. The SCAT5 mobile web app works remarkably well and brings the most current SCAT to mobile devices everywhere for free. I hope the SCAT5 authors can work with their various organizations to create a native app at some point. Until then, I recommend adding this to your home screen. 

Overall Score

o 4.0 stars

User Interface

o 4.0 stars

Despite the limitations of the web app format, the different components of the SCAT5 are rendered well on the iPhone browser.

Multimedia Usage

o 4.0 stars

There is only so much you can do on a web app, but I am impressed at how well the SCAT5 translates to this format.         

Price

o 5 stars

Web app is free to use.

 Real-World Applicability

o 4.5 stars

This is a must-bookmark/add to home screen web app for anyone who evaluates concussed athletes/patients. I certainly wish it were a native app and included the functionality of most other native apps, but it still works. Finally, even a web app of the SCAT5 is superior to trying to print it out and do it by hand. 

Device Used For Review

o iPhone 11 Pro running iOS 14.1.        

No native app available. Available as a web app only at this time.

Disclaimer: The views expressed are those of the author(s) and do not reflect the official policy of the Department of the Army, the Department of Defense, or the U.S. Government.