Understanding and Implementing Concussion Policy in Alberta

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dc.contributor.advisorZwicker, Jennifer
dc.contributor.authorWittevrongel, Krystle
dc.date.accessioned2018-06-28T22:17:02Z
dc.date.available2018-06-28T22:17:02Z
dc.date.issued2017-08-21
dc.description.abstractRates of concussion-related emergency room visits in Alberta have risen exponentially over the past decade, with visit rates highest among youth. Adolescents and youth suffering from concussions tend to have more complicated recovery than children or adults. Youth are at risk of prolonged recovery periods and other difficulties with premature Return-to-Play (RTP) or Return-to-Learn (RTL) should their physical and cognitive recovery not be adequately supported. This capstone analysis is the first study of its kind in Canada to explore the status of concussion policy and protocols in the education system in a province lacking ministry mandated policy. The current concussion policy landscape in Alberta can best be described as a patchwork of standards across individual agencies, sports organizations, and teams. There is no official policy in the education system, and policies and protocols appear to be at the discretion of individual schools. Staff survey in two different boards in the Calgary area allowed for analysis of current student and parent/guardian education, school management protocols, and staff training on concussions. The investigation indicated disparity and inconsistency within schools and boards across multiple tenets of concussion policy, with many respondents unaware of various components of their school's policy or even whether such protocols existed. 2 This study's assessment of current policy and protocols is supplemented with recommendations for inclusion for provincial policy in Alberta. As compared to legislation, policy appears to have been effective in Ontario, the only province in Canada with ministry mandated policy in addition to any semblance of concussion legislation. Alberta Education is urged to take heed from the implementation of Ontario's Policy/Program Memorandum on Concussions (PPM No. 158) and require development of, at minimum, strategies to raise awareness, prevent and identify concussions, institute management procedures for diagnosed concussions, and provide appropriate training for educators and other school staff. This assessment closes with a series of recommendations to supplement the overarching policy and its component parts.en_US
dc.identifier.citationWittevrongel, Krystle. (2017). Understanding and Implementing Concussion Policy in Alberta. (Master's thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada). Retrieved from https://prism.ucalgary.ca.en_US
dc.identifier.doihttp://dx.doi.org/10.11575/PRISM/32044
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/1880/106822
dc.publisher.departmentThe School of Public Policyen_US
dc.publisher.facultyGraduate Studiesen_US
dc.publisher.institutionUniversity of Calgaryen_US
dc.titleUnderstanding and Implementing Concussion Policy in Albertaen_US
dc.typemaster thesisen_US
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