New Publications: Socioeconomic Disparities in Concussion Presentation

We are excited to share the latest TRANSCENDENT publication in JAMA Network Open.

TRANSCENDENT team members, Dr. Daniel Corwin, Monica Lamoureux, Dr. Sharon Johnston, and Dr. Roger Zemek described the association of socioeconomic measures of disparity (including neighbourhood socioeconomic measures, rurality, and absence of a primary care physician) with location of concussion presentation and follow-up rates.

This cohort study examined 674 , 629 Ontarians across all ages that were diagnosed with a concussion. Findings indicated patients experiencing higher levels of socioeconomic marginalization and without established family physicians were more likely to seek initial concussion care in hospital emergency departments rather than outpatient settings. Those same patients, particularly those without family physicians, were also significantly less likely to receive follow-up care within 30 days of their first visit.

These findings emphasize the importance of expanding health care system–wide resources including primary care access and telemedicine, and enhancing education resources for emergency department clinicians to enhance concussion care.

Most concussions can be managed in outpatient settings; however, prior research has shown that lower socioeconomic status contributes to higher ED-use for non-urgent health concerns, an issue compounded by the fact that due to time constraints, the ED is oftentimes the least optimal setting to deliver ideal concussion care - Dr. Daniel Corwin

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