The launch of a new concussion management training course, Concussion Awareness Training Tool (CATT) was created to get athletes back to playing sports safely and more quickly. The course was specifically designed with varsity-athletes in mind, to aid in their recovery as they manage being both an athlete and a student.
Concussions can happen anywhere. Although they are more likely to occur on the football field, the hockey ice, or the basketball court, they can happen outside of sports as well. The implications can be damaging and negatively impactful in the long term if not taken care of properly.
CATT’s design is similar to an online course, now familiar to a university student, having to learn fully online as a result of social distancing measures. CATT consists of a series of online educational modules and resources to work through at your own pace. The content is focused on building knowledge and awareness on concussions, such as recognition, diagnosis, proper treatment, and management of the condition. Areas that are often overlooked, yet critical to recovery and wellbeing in the short term, as well as the long term.
The content is also focused on mental health, as well as navigating the reporting process, advice on medication, and supporting a teammate who has experienced a concussion. The course is free and interactional for users, even consisting of personal stories of current and former student athletes across Canada who have suffered with concussions.
The course was created by Dr. Shelina Babul, associate director of the British Columbia Injury Research and Prevention Unit (BCIRPU) at BC Children’s Hospital, clinical associate professor at the University of British Columbia’s faculty of medicine and a sports injury specialist. Babul collaborated with U SPORTS, which represents 56 universities as the national governing body of university sport in Canada.
BCIRPU is an institution which operates on the basis of reducing the societal and economic burden of injury in BC. The unit uses high-quality and comprehensive injury data, and evidence-based practices to work to prevent injuries in BC. Now, with the collaboration of U SPORTS, these preventive measures are being shared across Canada.
If you, or someone you know, has suffered a concussion, you can learn more at www.cattonline.com or on Twitter @cattonline.
