David R Baker1, Erin R Kulick2,3, Amelia K Boehme2,3, James M Noble3,4,5. 1. College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, New York, USA. 2. Department of Epidemiology, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, New York, USA. 3. Department of Neurology, Columbia University, New York, New York, USA. 4. Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer's Disease and the Aging Brain, Columbia University, New York, New York, USA. 5. G.H. Sergievsky Center, Columbia University, New York, New York, USA.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: All states have enacted legislation addressing the management of sports-related concussions (SRCs) in adolescent athletes. The effect of these laws on health care utilization is uncertain. Hypothesis/Purpose: The purpose was to evaluate the effects of New York's 2011 Concussion Management and Awareness Act ("Lystedt Law") on emergency department (ED) concussion health care visits (EDCHVs) and brain imaging utilization. It was hypothesized that New York concussion legislation would have a significant temporal effect on EDCHVs. STUDY DESIGN: Descriptive epidemiology study. METHODS: Using the New York State Department of Health Statewide Planning and Research Cooperative System (SPARCS) database, trends in EDCHVs from 2005 to 2015 were identified among 12- to 18-year-old patients, comprising 5,740,403 total ED visits. RESULTS: Overall, 208,024 EDCHVs, including 54,669 for an SRC, occurred during the study period. EDCHVs increased from 13,664 (2.74% of all ED visits) in 2005 to a peak of 21,374 (4.26%) in 2013, with greatest relative increases from 2008 to 2013. SRCs followed a similar trend: 3213 (0.64%) in 2005 to a peak of 6197 (1.24%) in 2013. Brain imaging utilization decreased by 5.3% for EDCHVs and 15.4% for SRCs (all comparisons year-by-year and for trends; P < .001). CONCLUSION: The period of greatest increases in EDCHVs and decreases in brain imaging utilization for SRCs preceded New York concussion legislation by several years, suggesting a minimal direct effect on emergency care-seeking behavior for concussions. Instead, increased public awareness of SRCs and imaging guidelines may have driven EDCHV trends and imaging practices.
BACKGROUND: All states have enacted legislation addressing the management of sports-related concussions (SRCs) in adolescent athletes. The effect of these laws on health care utilization is uncertain. Hypothesis/Purpose: The purpose was to evaluate the effects of New York's 2011 Concussion Management and Awareness Act ("Lystedt Law") on emergency department (ED) concussion health care visits (EDCHVs) and brain imaging utilization. It was hypothesized that New York concussion legislation would have a significant temporal effect on EDCHVs. STUDY DESIGN: Descriptive epidemiology study. METHODS: Using the New York State Department of Health Statewide Planning and Research Cooperative System (SPARCS) database, trends in EDCHVs from 2005 to 2015 were identified among 12- to 18-year-old patients, comprising 5,740,403 total ED visits. RESULTS: Overall, 208,024 EDCHVs, including 54,669 for an SRC, occurred during the study period. EDCHVs increased from 13,664 (2.74% of all ED visits) in 2005 to a peak of 21,374 (4.26%) in 2013, with greatest relative increases from 2008 to 2013. SRCs followed a similar trend: 3213 (0.64%) in 2005 to a peak of 6197 (1.24%) in 2013. Brain imaging utilization decreased by 5.3% for EDCHVs and 15.4% for SRCs (all comparisons year-by-year and for trends; P < .001). CONCLUSION: The period of greatest increases in EDCHVs and decreases in brain imaging utilization for SRCs preceded New York concussion legislation by several years, suggesting a minimal direct effect on emergency care-seeking behavior for concussions. Instead, increased public awareness of SRCs and imaging guidelines may have driven EDCHV trends and imaging practices.
Entities:
Keywords:
concussion; epidemiology; health care legislation; health policy; sports-related concussion