Sport participation is a common cause of head injuries, especially in youth. In Canada, sport activities are the third leading cause of traumatic brain injury admissions to hospital. With increasing attention on concussion in recent years, there has been an increase in available resources on the subject, but a lack of harmonization or availability of standardized, evidence-based information. Based on the need to strategically build a common approach to concussion across the country, Parachute has led the development of national concussion guidelines and protocols to better equip coaches, athletes, parents, educators, and medical professionals.

Based on the 5th Consensus Statement on Concussion in Sport and developed with Canada’s leading concussion experts, Parachute published the first-ever Canadian Guideline on Concussion in Sport in 2017. To drive uptake of this best practice guidance in Canada’s amateur sport system, Parachute worked directly with National Sport Organizations (NSOs) to develop updated concussion protocols and sport-specific Return-to-Sport Strategies. 

The Project has resulted in more than 40 NSOs directly applying the Guideline in their concussion protocols to-date. Success in the project has been attributable to: cross-sector collaboration between health and sport; government buy-in; efforts to understand the heterogeneous contexts, capacities, and needs of sport organizations; and the development of audience-specific tools to improve self-efficacy for sport organizations in the area of concussion policy. Key practices recommended in the Guideline - early recognition and removal from play, access to timely care, and appropriate progression back to sport – are expected to improve outcomes for athletes who sustain concussions. The harmonization of sport-specific concussion protocols across the country will positively affect the health of Canadians by clearly defining processes for better concussion management and ultimately reducing the long-term impact of concussions.

The Concussion Harmonization Project: A National Approach to Concussion Recognition & Management in Canada