Abstract

Universities in the United States are increasingly implementing programs to effectively respond to and manage sport-related concussions (SRC). One such effort is to develop common data elements (CDEs) and standardize data collection methods. This study aimed to describe CDEs currently collected by the Big Ten and Ivy League universities for SRCs, and to compare the collected data with the core CDEs recommended by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. We conducted an anonymous cross-sectional online survey among medical staff at the 22 universities (one per university). The survey instrument, including 9 questions corresponding to the concussion data collected before, during, and after a concussion, was developed and pilot-tested before field use. We analyzed patterns of the concussion CDEs being collected and compared them with the recommended core CDEs. The findings show of the 19 participating universities (participation rate of 86%), 13 were from the Big Ten and 6 from the Ivy-League. All 19 universities currently collected concussion data with athletes before, during, and after a concussion. Great similarities in data collection were observed at baseline and acutely post-concussion across participating universities. All 19 universities collected one of the ten recommended acute symptoms checklists, and 18 universities collected one of the four recommended core neuropsychological function cognitive measures. However, CDEs in the sub-acute and chronic timeframes were limited, with only 9 (47%) universities collecting short to long term post-concussion outcome data. While over 60% of participating universities collected and stored concussion data electronically, only 17% to 42% of data collected were readily available for research purposes. In conclusion, inter-institutional similarities were found in acute concussion CDEs. Further efforts should focus on collecting sub-acute and chronic timeframe core CDEs. Data access protocols should also be created to facilitate evidence-based concussion prevention and treatment for all collegiate athletes.