The Epworth HealthCare Rehabilitation Concussion Clinic was developed to assess and manage individuals experiencing persisting symptoms post-concussion (known as post-concussion syndrome). Whilst the majority of patients recover post-concussion, approximately 10% will continue to experience various clinical symptoms which require acute interventional and multidisciplinary rehabilitation as provided within the Clinic.
These commonly include:
- physical symptoms
- emotional symptoms
- cognitive symptoms
- sleep disturbance.
The Clinic conducts an initial assessment of symptoms by a rehabilitation physician who will refer to the appropriate rehabilitation therapy (e.g. neuropsychology, vestibular physiotherapy, exercise physiology and/or occupational therapy). The Clinic team utilises standardised and validated measures to evaluate patients’ initial symptoms and progress after treatment which are recorded in an electronic database. The database is regularly audited to monitor symptom profiles, functional outcomes and the effectiveness of the intervention programs offered.
Current projects are evaluating the predictive value of post-concussion symptoms on long-term anxiety and the effect of referral time for treatment (less than 3 months compared to >3 months) on patient outcomes. The Clinic has currently treated almost 500 patients since its establishment in 2016.
To find out more about Epworth HealthCare’s Rehabilitation Concussion Clinic, please click here.