About the course

For GPs, understanding the complexity of concussion is essential, as primary care is often the first point of contact for many concussion patients. A multidisciplinary team from across Australia and New Zealand, led by Professor Karen Barlow at the University of Queensland, created the ANZ Concussion Guidelines to help address gaps in care, provide accessible support and relevant advice about concussion management in an Australian and New Zealand context. This self-paced online course has been designed to provide GPs with an understanding of the ANZ Concussion Guidelines to inform their practice. The course includes information on assessing, managing and diagnosing concussion in easy to digest video, text, flip card and personal perspective content.  

RACGP and ACRRM Approved Activity

Learning Outcomes - Explore the epidemiology, pathophysiological mechanisms, common causes, and typical recovery patterns of concussion. - Review approaches to assessing, diagnosing, and understanding concussion and persisting post‑concussion symptoms across all ages, including the use of screening tools, investigations, and recognition of red flags. - Examine the components of comprehensive return‑to‑activity planning and the circumstances in which multidisciplinary or specialist care may be required. - Analyse which persisting symptoms warrant prioritisation, relevant differential diagnoses, and evidence‑informed approaches to managing prolonged post‑concussion symptoms. - Discuss the risks associated with repeated concussion, factors linked to persisting symptoms, and ways to communicate with patients concerned about potential long‑term effects.

Curriculum

9 Chapters · 65 Lessons

  1. 1

    Introduction

    1. (Included in full purchase)

      Introduction

    2. (Included in full purchase)

      Lived Experience Concussion Perspectives

  2. 2

    Module I: mTBI / Concussion Overview

    1. (Included in full purchase)

      Module Overview

    2. (Included in full purchase)

      Mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) or Concussion

    3. (Included in full purchase)

      Concussion in Australia – Incidence and common causes

    4. (Included in full purchase)

      Natural History of Concussion

    5. (Included in full purchase)

      Concussion Pathophysiology

    6. (Included in full purchase)

      The Neurometabolic Cascade

    7. (Included in full purchase)

      Cerebral Blood Flow and Autoregulation

    8. (Included in full purchase)

      Inflammatory Response

    9. (Included in full purchase)

      Phases of Recovery

    10. (Included in full purchase)

      Clinical Implications for GPs

    11. (Included in full purchase)

      Key Takeaways

    12. (Included in full purchase)

      Knowledge Check - Module I

    13. (Included in full purchase)

      Module I Summary

  3. 3

    Module II: Diagnose and Assess

    1. (Included in full purchase)

      Module Overview

    2. (Included in full purchase)

      Diagnosis Importance and Assessment

    3. (Included in full purchase)

      When to Send to Hospital

    4. (Included in full purchase)

      Neuroimaging

    5. (Included in full purchase)

      Complicating Factors

    6. (Included in full purchase)

      Knowledge Check - Module II

    7. (Included in full purchase)

      Module II Summary

  4. 4

    Module III: Initial Management and Return to Activity

    1. (Included in full purchase)

      Module Overview

    2. (Included in full purchase)

      Initial Management, Education and Advice

    3. (Included in full purchase)

      Early Symptom Management

    4. (Included in full purchase)

      Return to Activity

    5. (Included in full purchase)

      Return to Activity - General Activities

    6. (Included in full purchase)

      Return to Work

    7. (Included in full purchase)

      Return to School and Learning

    8. (Included in full purchase)

      Return to Sport

    9. (Included in full purchase)

      Prognosis / Predict / Counselling and Follow-up

    10. (Included in full purchase)

      Knowledge Check - Module III

    11. (Included in full purchase)

      Module III Summary

  5. 5

    Module IV: Assessment and Management of Specific Symptoms

    1. (Included in full purchase)

      Module Overview

    2. (Included in full purchase)

      Headaches

    3. (Included in full purchase)

      Sleep Disturbance

    4. (Included in full purchase)

      Fatigue

    5. (Included in full purchase)

      Mental Health

    6. (Included in full purchase)

      Cognitive Difficulties

    7. (Included in full purchase)

      Balance, dizziness and sensory disturbances

    8. (Included in full purchase)

      Autonomic Nervous System Dysfunction

    9. (Included in full purchase)

      Knowledge Check - Module IV

    10. (Included in full purchase)

      Module IV Summary

  6. 6

    Scenarios

    1. (Included in full purchase)

      Scenario Introduction

    2. (Included in full purchase)

      Scenario 1: Sport-Related Concussion

    3. (Included in full purchase)

      Scenario 2: Poor Sleep and Fatigue

    4. (Included in full purchase)

      Scenario 3: Mood and Cognitive Disturbances

    5. (Included in full purchase)

      Scenario 4: Headaches

  7. 7

    Module V: Persisting Symptoms

    1. (Included in full purchase)

      Module Overview

    2. (Included in full purchase)

      Patient Assessment

    3. (Included in full purchase)

      Differential Diagnosis

    4. (Included in full purchase)

      Management, Return to Activity and Symptom Management

    5. (Included in full purchase)

      Further Follow-up and Referral

    6. (Included in full purchase)

      Knowledge Check - Module V

    7. (Included in full purchase)

      Module V Summary

  8. 8

    Module VI: Repeated Concussion and Long-term effects

    1. (Included in full purchase)

      Module Overview

    2. (Included in full purchase)

      Repeated Head Injury and CTE

    3. (Included in full purchase)

      Knowledge Check - Module VI

    4. (Included in full purchase)

      Module VI Summary

  9. 9

    Conclusion

    1. (Included in full purchase)

      Course Summary

    2. (Included in full purchase)

      Final Knowledge Check

    3. (Included in full purchase)

      Course Evaluation

    4. (Included in full purchase)

      Review all Knowledge Checks

    5. (Included in full purchase)

      References

    6. (Included in full purchase)

      Congratulations and Statement of Completion

Presenters

With thanks to the following presenters who are Researchers, GPs and experts in their fields.

Professor Karen Barlow 

Professor Karen Barlow is a Paediatric Neurologist and expert in Traumatic Brain Injury in childhood. She has had significant impact in the assessment and management of concussion. Professor Karen Barlow at the University of Queensland, created the ANZ Concussion Guidelines to help address gaps in care, provide accessible support and relevant advice about concussion management in an Australian and New Zealand context. Prof. Barlow's research focuses on the predictors of, and interventions for, those people who have poor or delayed recovery, also known as persisting post-concussion symptoms.

Professor Melinda Fitzgerald

Melinda Fitzgerald is Deputy Vice Chancellor, Research at Curtin University, John Curtin Distinguished Professor and CEO of Connectivity Traumatic Brain Injury Australia. She has published over 140 papers; recent highlights include Lancet Neurology, J Neuroscience, Nature Nano, ACS Nano, Biomaterials. She has secured over $21 million in research and equipment funding to support her transformative work in traumatic brain injury and neurotrauma.  Prof Fitzgerald was Ministerially appointed and  re-appointed as Chair and Co-Chair of the Expert Working Group of the Federal Government MRFF Mission for TBI, 2019 and 2024 ($50m over 10 years). Prof Fitzgerald is a Member of the Executive Committee for International TBI Research (InTBIR2) and Co-Chair of the InTBIR2 Working Group on Observational and Comparative Effectiveness Studies. Melinda has supervised >35 Honours students or equivalent, 20 PhD students (14 completions), and 12 post-doctoral researchers (5 currently); of whom 3 are Group Leaders and 15 are developing independent scientific and research careers.  As CEO of Connectivity Traumatic Brain Injury Australia, Prof Fitzgerald has led dissemination of best practice knowledge to the community. Connectivity’s work on raising awareness of traumatic brain injury has been viewed more than 6.93 million times. Provision of concussion online short courses, currently >20,000 completions. Professor Fitzgerald was a member of the Australia New Zealand (ANZ) Concussion Guideline Development Group.

Dr. Gill Cowen MBBS MA(Oxon) DRCOG DSH FRACGP MSportMed PGCert Health Leadership

Dr Gill Cowen has worked as a General Practitioner and Sports Doctor in regional and metropolitan Western Australia. She has experience providing medical advice for the Department of Veteran Affairs and as state medical officer for the Australian Federal Police. She holds the position of Senior Clinical Research Fellow Curtin Medical Research Institute, Curtin University and is a Senior Lecturer at Curtin Medical School.  Dr Cowen has extensive sports medicine experience including working as Team Doctor for South Fremantle and Peel Thunder WAFCs, WA State Colts Team Doctor, ALFW Concussion Doctor and providing her services at the 2018 Commonwealth Games. Dr Cowen has, as a CI or AI, been awarded over $4.1 million in funding since 2019 ($122,000 as CIA). She was on the steering committee for the recently released Australian and Aotearoa New Zealand Clinical Practice Guideline for the assessment and management of mild traumatic brain injury, and has published on other concussion related matter.  She regularly provides concussion seminars to both the general public and medical community. Dr Cowen was a member of the MRFF Traumatic Brain Injury Expert Advisory Panel and is a founding member of the WA Concussion Network. She is also a member of the Football Affairs committee for WA Football. Dr Cowen was a member of the Australia New Zealand (ANZ) Concussion Guideline Development Group. 

Dr. Mark Ralfe MB ChB, DRANZCOG, DCH, FRACGP, MSports Med, Part 1 AMAC, Adv Certificate Clinical Hypnosis

Mark Ralfe is a Sports Medicine GP working at Wakefield Sports and Exercise Clinic in Adelaide. Mark is the former RACGP Chair of Sports Medicine and is currently an assistant doctor for Adelaide United and the doctor for the Australian Women's Lacrosse team. Mark has worked for the AFL, Cricket Australia, and Rugby Australia and has been a senior lecturer at Flinders University. He worked for two years as a country GP in South Australia before returning to Adelaide. Mark is also on the AMA SA Committee of General Practitioners and on the AMA SA State Council. Mark has a Master's of Sports Medicine, completed the Part 1 Australian Medical Acupuncture College examinations, and holds postgraduate diplomas in child health and obstetrics. Mark has an interest in point-of-care musculoskeletal ultrasound and injectable therapies for osteoarthritis and tendinopathies. Dr. Ralfe was a member of the Australia New Zealand (ANZ) Concussion Guideline Development Group.

Dr. Parbodh Gogna MBChB MBA MRCGP CHM AFCHSM FRACGP FACRRM FARGP

Dr Gogna is a distinguished medical executive with extensive leadership experience across public, private, military, and government sectors. As a seasoned clinical governance leader and field operative, he currently provides expert consulting services to Queensland Health, the Department of Defence, Gateway jurisdictional units, and various central Commonwealth Agencies. Previously, Dr. Gogna held the position of Chief Operating Officer at Challenger Energy Group Plc, an AIM-listed company. He returned to Australia in early 2023 after completing his tenure. Before this corporate role, Dr. Gogna served as the Chief Medical Officer and Surgeon General for the Australian Border Force (ABF) within the Department of Home Affairs, starting in July 2018. In this capacity, he offered high-level strategic and expert clinical advice on a wide array of health matters.  Dr. Gogna’s earlier career is marked by significant leadership roles where he shaped and delivered comprehensive medical and emergency services, both in military engagements and civilian settings. His expertise also extends to the development and management of clinical governance and operating systems, showcasing his commitment to excellence in healthcare leadership. Dr Gogna has a depth of experience in mass casualty health services, disaster management and infectious disease services.  Specifically, in relation to disaster management, Dr Gogna has overseen and delivered health services across large-scale Western Australia bushfires, in Afghanistan during active service with the Special Air Service , at Christmas Island during large-scale refugee arrivals, on Manus Island in the period immediately after detainee unrest, in Central Queensland following the landfall of Tropical Cyclone Marcia (Category 5) , the Black Summer bushfires and during the COVID 19 Pandemic.

Dr. Jaina Chauhan MRCGP FRACGP DRCOG DFSRH FASLM

Dr Jaina Chauhan MRCGP FRACGP DRCOG DFSRH FASLM is a UK trained GP with 20 years experience across multiple medical specialties.   Jaina believes in evidence based medicine, clear balanced communication and patient-centred care which tie together to build the cornerstone of effective primary health care delivery. She has worked in Perth since 2015 and maintains her Fellowship with the Royal Australian College of GPs (FRACGP). Jaina has completed RCOG (UK) Diplomas in Obstetrics and Gynaecology, and Sexual and Reproductive health. She is a Senior Lecturer at UWA Medical School and hosts UWA medical students in clinic. If you have a preference regarding this, please let our friendly reception staff know.   Lifelong learning is very much what she signed up for, so Jaina has qualified as an International Board Certified Physician in Lifestyle Medicine with the Australasian Society of Lifestyle Medicine (ASLM), and has achieved her Fellowship. She is passionate about education and advocacy for Women’s Health.

With thanks to our partners...

With thanks to the Transport Accident Commission and Curtin University of Technology. 

Update your skills on assessing, diagnosing and managing concussion. 

Learn more about the injury that affects 180,000 Australian's annually.

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