Concussion Bill of Rights #6: Information to Parents on Follow-Up Care and Written Consent Before Return to Play

Too often, parents are in the dark about the important role they play in their child's recovery from concussion and the all-important decision on when it is safe for their child to return to the playing field.

The sixth right of parents under the Parent's Concussion Bill of Rights is therefore the right to receive written notice of injuries suffered by their child and to provide written consent before their child is allowed to return to play.

In the case of concussions, parents should be provided with:

• information on post-concussion signs and symptoms and signs of deteriorating mental status to watch out for in the first 24 to 48 hours after concussion,
• instructions on follow-up care, including the need for cognitive rest (i.e. no homework, no school), and
• the steps their child must complete, after all symptoms have cleared, in order to qualify for a return to play.

All of this information is contained on the Sport Concussion Assessment Tool developed by the authors of the Prague consensus statement.

Implementing these notice and written consent requirements will, by itself, prompt all of the stakeholders to take every injury to an athlete with the appropriate degree of seriousness.