Funding outcome

In Canada, 39% of children (10-18 years) who present to the emergency department (ED) with head injuries are diagnosed with concussion. While most children recover quickly, concussions may lead to prolonged recovery or lifelong impairments. The lack of accurate and reliable information for health consumers about managing a child with concussion is problematic, resulting in unnecessary ED visits and poor health outcomes for children. To maximize health system resources and improve patient outcomes, it is imperative that research knowledge translates into action - a process called knowledge translation (KT). For patients to effectively participate or take leading roles in their care, they need accessible and reliable information. Thus, an emerging approach to KT is directing information to health consumers (e.g., patients, parents, caregivers). I will conduct a multi-phase, multimethod study. First, I will scan the existing evidence for KT tools about pediatric concussion in Canada. This scan will identify what tools are currently available and what information these tools provide. Information such as what format (e.g. pamphlets, eBooks, whiteboard animations) and what context (e.g. emergency, outpatient, prevention, etc) or audience (teens, parents, teachers, coaches, etc.) the tools target will be extracted to identify gaps in these areas. The identified gaps will then determine the audience, context, and format of an innovative KT tool (e.g. digital e-book, whiteboard animation, interactive video) which I will develop. I will apply a patient-oriented approach involving the identified audience from the scan (teens, parents, teachers, coaches, etc.) throughout the research process. The KT tool will then be evaluated and refined before dissemination. This research will result in a comprehensive analysis of what KT tools about pediatric concussion exist in Canada and their contents, which will subsequently inform the creation, evaluation and dissemination of a new innovative KT tool about pediatric concussion.