Concussion return‑to‑play Q&A
Physio Network hosted a Q&A on safe return‑to‑play after concussion, covering outcome measures, staged returns, and prevention strategies — the session highlighted standardized metrics for RTP decisions hosted. The discussion emphasized objective outcome measures over guesswork in athlete RTP.
Dr Brooke Patterson led the Practicals Q&A clip released Mar 11, 2026, on Physio Network (17:34), framing the session around measurable RTP decision-making rather than subjective judgement. physio-network.com Patterson foregrounded her Prep‑to‑Play work—an implementation program co‑designed with the AFL that underwent a cluster trial involving 165 community teams (>2,700 players) to evaluate uptake and injury outcomes. bmjopen.bmj.com The episode referenced an AFL-style return‑to‑contact pathway and the elite game’s minimum 12‑day concussion return‑to‑play policy introduced to the AFL program, linking practical club protocols to governance standards. physio-network.com Discussion stressed standardized, objective outcome metrics for RTP — a position consistent with use of SCAT5 domains for symptoms/cognition/balance and recent calls for multimodal (vestibular, oculomotor, gait and instrumented) assessment in the literature. physio-network.com Prep‑to‑Play resources (warm‑ups, contact‑skill drills, strength progressions) were rolled out to coaches from 2019 to support community implementation, providing a concrete pathway for clinicians to align on coach education and referral workflows. play.afl
