• Kristen Kolberg, Jennifer Larson, Andrea Almeida, Ingrid Ichesco, Abigail Johnson, Marie Van Tubbergen, Bella S Nagappan, Noor Saleem, James A Cranford, and Andrew Hashikawa.
• From the Department of Emergency Medicine and University of Michigan Medical School.
• Pediatr Emerg Care. 2021 Dec 1; 37 (12): e1603e1610e1603-e1610.

ObjectiveThe objective of this study was to evaluate feasibility of supplementing emergency department (ED) concussion discharge instructions for adolescents and parents with a newly created educational comic and a publicly available comic-based video at an outpatient sports neurology clinic.MethodsWe created a gender-neutral, 2-page comic to augment text-only ED concussion discharge instructions. A sample of patients evaluated at a sports neurology clinic and their parents/guardians participated. Patients and their parents were randomized to view either the comic only or both the comic and publicly available comic-based video. Patients and parents completed preintervention and postintervention surveys to assess likeability and concussion knowledge including concussion definition, symptoms, return-to-ED criteria, and resuming normal activity. Data were analyzed using descriptive and comparative statistics.ResultsA total of 57 patients (47.4% female; mean age, 15 years) and 37 guardians were enrolled. Most (73%) concussions were sports related, with the majority having sought care within 24 hours in an ED (80%). Over half (51%) had experienced 2 or more prior concussions. Overall, 31 adolescents and 20 guardians viewed both comic and video, whereas 26 adolescents and 17 guardians viewed the comic only. Both comic and video were favorably reviewed, but a higher proportion of respondents rated the video more positively than the comic for likability (P < 0.01), comprehensibility (P < 0.05), and increasing understanding (P < 0.05). Patients' knowledge of some concussion symptoms emphasized in the comic increased after reading (emotional changes, P = 0.02; vomiting, P = 0.04).ConclusionsPatients showed increased concussion knowledge using the favorably endorsed comic-based discharge instructions. Using comic-based supplemental discharge tools may optimize concussion education for adolescents.Copyright © 2020 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.

13 keywords...

hide…