Concussions and Repeated Head Trauma in Contact Sport – Senate Inquiry findings
Connectivity Traumatic Brain Injury Australia (Connectivity) welcomes the findings from the Senate Inquiry into Concussions and Repeated Head Trauma in Contact Sports.
As a national, independent, not-for-profit with a sole focus on traumatic brain injury (TBI), Connectivity works to improve the outcomes of people who suffer from a TBI, including sports-related concussions.
Established in 2020, Connectivity is the nation’s leader in the creation and dissemination of comprehensive, up-to-date, research supported and evidenced-based information on concussion to the community. More than 60,000 people have accessed our website and/or learning materials in the past year.
Connectivity:
- Raises awareness of TBI in the community
- Improves outcomes for individuals that experience a TBI
- Supports people living with TBI and their families
- Connects the TBI community to research
- Promotes research into TBI and its consequences
- Supports the introduction of a TBI national standard of care.
Connectivity is supported and advised by its nationally represented Expert Committee, comprising of industry leaders with diverse expertise in concussion and traumatic brain injury covering acute care to rehabilitation.
In alignment with the Inquiry, Connectivity is already delivering a range of the Senate Recommendations to the community:
Improving Community Awareness and Education on Concussion
-Via our free, online Sport-Related Concussion Course
-Access to Sport Concussion Assessment Tools and National Sporting Codes Guidelines
-Via our free, online Concussion Short Course
-Via new, sector specific concussion learning courses soon-to-be-released
-Website content and evidence-based downloadable fact sheets on concussion, including fact sheets translated into multiple languages
-Access to national and international TBI and concussion guidelines and key position papers
-Consultation with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples for bespoke concussion education.
Concussion and Head Trauma Guidelines for GPs
-Creating an online education learning tool to upskill GPs on concussion, based on the Australian and New Zealand Concussion Guidelines currently being developed.
Connectivity recognises that whilst this report was sport specific in its focus, concussion and moderate to severe TBIs also occur outside of this context. We provide resources that are appropriate for concussion regardless of how the injury was sustained.
Connectivity is uniquely situated to provide the solutions for Government to achieve the Senate Inquiry recommendations. We are excited to continue our work in this space, for the benefit of all our communities.
You can view the Senate report and recommendations here.