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. 2017 Apr 25;5(4):2325967117702606.
doi: 10.1177/2325967117702606. eCollection 2017 Apr.

Concussion Management Plan Compliance: A Study of NCAA Power 5 Conference Schools

Thomas A Buckley  1   2 , Christine M Baugh  3   4 , William P Meehan 3rd  4 , Melissa S DiFabio  2
Affiliations

Concussion Management Plan Compliance: A Study of NCAA Power 5 Conference Schools

Thomas A Buckley et al. Orthop J Sports Med. .

Abstract

Background: In response to concerns over concussions and repeated head impacts that occur during sports, the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) mandated that all member institutions enact a concussion management plan (CMP). Although institutional and health care provider self-reports have been investigated, compliance with NCAA protocol recommendations has not been examined.

Purpose: To examine the CMPs from the 65 institutions within the NCAA Power 5 conferences for compliance with the NCAA 2015 concussion guidelines.

Study design: Descriptive epidemiology study.

Methods: Each institution's publicly available CMP was obtained in 2015, reviewed, and coded for compliance with each of the required 47 components. Overall compliance rate, item-level, category-level, and institution-level compliance was assessed. Independent predictors of compliance, including each institution's athletic training staff size, academic performance, and athletic performance, were examined with quasi-binomial regression.

Results: CMPs varied substantially in length and level of detail. The overall compliance rate for all components across all institutions was 94.3% (2880/3055). Twelve components achieved 100% (65/65) compliance, and the lowest levels of compliance were clustered in "return to learn." There were 22 institutions that achieved a 100% compliance rate; the lowest institutional compliance was 59.6%. There were no significant associations between the independent predictors and institutional compliance.

Conclusion: Overall compliance with NCAA concussion management requirements was high, but there remains room for improvement. The lowest level of compliance was clustered in the return-to-learn section. There were limited details provided in the reducing head trauma component. Items with lower compliance (reducing head trauma, return to learn) tended to be outside the core competencies of the medical staff, indicating an area for improvement. Encouragingly, many institutions and specific components demonstrated full compliance.

Keywords: best practices; head trauma; health policy; mild traumatic brain injury; public health.

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Conflict of interest statement

One or more of the authors has declared the following potential conflict of interest or source of funding: T.A.B. has received research-related funding from the NCAA as part of the NCAA/DoD CARE consortium (award number W81XWH-14-2-0151). W.P.M. receives royalties from ABC-Clio Publishing, Springer, and Wolters Kluwer, and his research is funded in part by a grant from the Football Players’ Health Study, funded by the NFL Players’ Association, and philanthropic support from the National Hockey League Alumni Association through the Corey C. Griffin Pro-Am Tournament. C.M.B. receives research support from the Football Players’ Health Study, funded by the NFL Players’ Association; has received funding from the NCAA; and is supported by the National Institute of Mental Health (award number T32MH019733).

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