Knock-on effect: why it's important to report on concussion responsibly

Concussion has recently attracted a lot of attention both in the sports media and in the mainstream media, as evidenced by Will Smith playing a leading role in the Hollywood movie called Concussion.

Given that many of the main sports played in England (including rugby and football) have high rates of concussion associated with them, the management of this injury is important.

Although many of the descriptions of concussive injuries are accurately described using appropriate terminology by the press, there were lots of examples of terms such as “head knock” being used. This could be perceived to be a term which is not as serious as “concussion” or “brain injury”, and could lead to athletes at a recreational level not seeking medical attention and possibly returning to play sooner than is safe to do so.

As as a result, and in an attempt to assist journalist, Dr Osman Ahmed and Professor Hall from Bournemouth University have created the “Media Concussion Checklist”.

Full details about this research from Dr Oman Ahmed is available here.