837 MEP153 – FIFA women’s world cup 2023 medical staff’s knowledge, attitude, and behaviour towards concussion: a knowledge translation approach to prevent severe consequences

AbstractBackground Understanding medical staff's Knowledge, Attitude and Behaviour (KAB) towards Sports-related Concussion (SRC) guidelines can support strategies to prevent severe consequences from head injuries in football. Objective to assess KAB of FIFA Women's World Cup (FWWC) 2023 participating team medical staff on concussion. Design Cross-sectional. Setting Online survey before the FWWC 2023. Participants Medical staff from the 32 teams qualified to the FWWC 2023 were invited. 47 completed the survey: 27 doctors and 20 other members (physiotherapists, athletic trainers, sports therapists). Assessment: The survey was based on previous questionnaires, and the FIFA Concussion Protocol. It contained n questions on knowledge, attitude, and behaviour on SRC assessment and management. Main Outcome Measurements Percentage of survey questions' responses.Results Knowledge: 98% were aware of SRC protocol(s), though only 19% correctly reported the onset time of symptoms. Correct answers on the graduated return to play protocol were limited (number of stages= 77%; n. of stages allowed in one day if the player feels good= 74%). Attitude: 77% reported to be very confident/confident in recognizing a suspected concussion. When assessing a suspected concussion on the pitch, 47% reported to have felt sometimes, very often, or always pressured by the player, and 64% by the coaching staff. Behaviour: On-field assessment elements most reported: Maddocks questions (91%), discussion with the player about possible symptoms (77%), palpation of cervical spine (77%), Glasgow Coma Scale (70%), assessment of cervical movement (70%). Among doctors, 70% reported that their national team performs baseline assessments, whereas 85% reported using such assessments to support their decision on return to play.Conclusions Although KAB towards concussion was mostly positive, results suggest that medical staff may benefit from education on assessment and return to play elements, and education of players and coaching staff may facilitate practice by reducing the pressure on the medical team.