Event Information

Focus: Overcoming Systems Failure in Concussion Management: Looking Forward to Future Innovations

Tracks

Breakout 1

Saturday, September 7, 2024

11:00 AM - 11:30 AM

Dobson 1

Speaker

Dr Olivia Galea

Lecturer

School of Physiotherapy, University of Otago

Overcoming Systems Failure in Concussion Management: Looking Forward to Future Innovations

Presentation Abstract

Concussion or mild traumatic brain injury is an increasingly prevalent health concern across age groups, activity levels, and ethnicities in Aotearoa New Zealand (NZ). Clinical recovery is delayed for 50% of concussions, and increased time to initial medical consultation is a significant risk factor for such delay. Post-injury barriers to medical access, siloed and generic treatment approaches, and premature return to school can confound recovery. Despite substantial evidence in support of acute multi-system triage to direct management, these methods are not always employed or are unavailable. Health system failures and challenges within school and some sport code injury management pathways mean vulnerable populations are at risk of being overlooked entirely. Combined, these issues have significant implications for recovery rates, determination of recovery, and safe return to daily activities, learning, work, and sport. Change is needed urgently; it is coming, and physiotherapists are potentially at its core.

Biography

Chair person and Presenter 2. Dr Olivia Galea: Olivia is a Lecturer at the University of Otago with over 20 years’ experience as a Musculoskeletal physiotherapist and more recently clinician scientist. Olivia’s research addresses concussion phenotype identification post-injury to support timely and effective rehabilitation. Her research has also challenged the use of symptoms to inform determination of clinical recovery.
Presenter 1. Professor Duncan Reid: Duncan has had 42 years of clinical experience in Musculoskeletal and Sports Physiotherapy. His main areas of interest are in manual and manipulative therapy especially manipulation to the cervical spine. His research interests have also included sports injury incidence and prevention, sports related concussion, and the management of knee injuries.
Presenter 3. Ms Katherine Forch: Katherine is an Auckland-based physiotherapist with extensive experience in sports-related concussion and vestibular therapy. She lectures at AUT and UofA, as well as teaching private courses on assessment and management of mTBI and consulting to organisations such as HPSNZ and NZ Rugby. Katherine is currently completing her PhD with the support of an HRC Fellowship.
Presenter 4. Professor Gisela Sole: Gisela is a Professor of Physiotherapy at the University of Otago. While she has a strong clinical background in Sports and Musculoskeletal Physiotherapy, her current position focusses on teaching and research. Over the past 2 years she has led a Lottery Health funded project to implement concussion support in Aotearoa secondary schools in collaboration with AUT and NZ Rugby.