Serving the Community With a Network of Trained Providers

Standardized Care With Computerized Tools

Parkview Sports Medicine was previously using the paper and pencil method for concussion baseline and post-injury testing which was time consuming and didn’t guarantee standardization. They searched for a computerized concussion assessment tool that was proven, research-backed, and could allow them to provide the same high-level of care to all athletes. They chose FDA-cleared ImPACT and have successfully implemented it into their concussion program that covers over 40 schools and clubs.

“Our cognitive testing is all standardized now thanks to ImPACT. We’re able to provide the same level of service to any middle school, high school, or college athlete without the variability associated with paper and pencil testing.”

The providers at Parkview Sports Medicine are proponents of baseline testing because it gives the healthcare provider a starting point from which they can tailor their treatment plan to the patient themselves, rather than normative data. It also gives the healthcare provider tangible data that they can use to better explain patients’ progress towards their own baseline.

1 in 5 athletes who play a contact sport will suffer a concussion each year.

Parkview Sports Medicine realized that athletes in the surrounding areas were not getting baseline tested and did not have a trained healthcare provider on the sidelines to identify and manage concussions. They responded by providing free ImPACT baseline testing and full-time athletic trainers to 27 high schools, 5 universities, and 10 sports clubs throughout Northeast Indiana and Northwest Ohio.

Schools and sports clubs in the area have been very receptive to ImPACT baseline testing. It is the only program offered by Parkview Sports Medicine that has a 100% participation rate for all partner schools. Many of their partner schools and sports clubs have taken advantage of FDA-cleared, at-home ImPACT baseline testing which has lightened the workload for the athletic trainers, especially in schools with a large volume of athletes.

Should an athlete sustain a concussion, they have the option to see a Parkview Sports Medicine physician at the concussion clinic in Fort Wayne. Since Parkview Sports Medicine services such a large geographic area, a physician will often travel to surrounding communities to provide concussion care for patients who are unable to come into the clinic. Should the patient still choose to see a provider outside of the Parkview Sports Medicine network, they’ll provide them with their ImPACT Passport ID, which is a unique code generated after an individual takes their first ImPACT baseline or post-injury test. This allows any ImPACT provider to access a patients’ ImPACT baseline test scores, regardless of where the test was administered.

Speaking the same concussion language

Each provider on Parkview Sports Medicine’s concussion care team has completed an ImPACT Applications’ credential program, including the ImPACT Trained Athletic Trainer Program (ITAT), ImPACT Trained Physical Therapist Program (ITPT), and the Credentialed ImPACT Consultant Program (CIC) - an intensive training program for healthcare providers covering a range of topics related to clinical concussion care. Additionally, Parkview Sports Medicine requires its providers to complete an ImPACT Applications course annually to stay current on concussion research and best practices.

“ImPACT Applications’ training allows us to better collaborate on care, be a resource for one another, and have a common understanding of how to use ImPACT to its full potential. It also helps us educate school staff, parents, and athletes on concussions and the usefulness of our ImPACT program.”