22nd September 2022 – Podium Analytics (“Podium”), the NGO and charity founded by Ron Dennis CBE which is committed to reducing injury in sport, has launched the first of its head injury tools within its Injury Insight platform – currently live across schools and sports clubs across the country.
Podium’s first head injury tool, with its multi-sport approach to identifying concussions, will help to deliver the NGO’s mission to reduce the incidence and impact of sports injuries. It is the first in a suite of complete concussion management tools that Podium plans to deliver over the coming months. These include symptom tracking and ‘Return To Play’ management.
Right now, sport-related concussion (SRC) is a significant issue in the world of sport. Not only does it have a huge impact on players in elite sports, but it also affects many children and young adults in schools and clubs. As teachers and coaches lack the resources, training and technology to identify, recognise, record and manage head injuries, concussions in youth sport go substantially under-reported.
Podium’s tool is based on the Concussion Recognition Tool (CRT5), a Concussion in Sport Group protocol designed to assist non-medically trained individuals in identifying suspected concussions. It is not a diagnosis tool but provides guidance for removing a player from play and for seeking medical assistance. Podium’s head injury tool has a unique four-step digital process that provides teachers and coaches with a simple guide to assess the player’s injury and supports decision-making on their care, based on a symptom severity scale. It also alerts medical teams and others to the occurrence of a head injury, providing a greater duty of care to the players.
Podium’s head injury tool is available to the whole school and sports club community, and like the rest of Podium’s Injury Insight platform, the tool is free of charge for schools and clubs to use.
Andy Hunt, CEO of Podium Analytics, commented: “Sports-related injury, particularly concussion, has rapidly risen to the top of under-reported and under-researched issues, with lifelong consequences for both individual athletes and society. I am delighted to announce the launch of our new head injury tool as part of our Injury Insight platform to help tackle this.
For the first time, teachers and coaches will be able to log on and monitor head injuries as and when they occur, as opposed to having to refer back to printed documents or paper forms. The information is accessible at all times, and is recorded digitally for use by clinical practitioners instead of relying on players and coaches memories and anecdotes to record incidents.
With this app, coaches and teachers can be assured that they are providing care for their players that is well informed and can enable a safer world of sport for all.”