Andrews Institute Concussion Baseline Testing Program Aims to Keep Student-Athletes Safe

The Sports Medicine Outreach Department at Andrews Institute has performed concussion baseline testing across Northwest Florida this summer, in effort to enhance concussion care for student-athletes.

The program takes students through a series of assessments of vision, balance and cognitive thinking, collecting baseline information for every student-athlete that participates. With that knowledge, if the student-athlete sustains a concussion at a later time, the data can be used by clinical staff to help determine when that participant can safely return to their sport. The baseline testing is administered by Andrews Institute athletic trainers.

“By establishing a baseline, our physicians and athletic trainers are able to retest a student-athlete after injury and compare results to the student-athlete’s baseline score,” said Jessica Langston, athletic training supervisor at Andrews Institute. “Healing time for concussions varies, so having this data to provide additional insight is very helpful in safely returning an athlete to their sport.”

The concussion baseline testing program has existed for seven years, with around 2,000 student-athletes participating each summer. Andrews Institute remains dedicated to helping student-athletes stay safe and return to sport as quickly and safely as possible after any health concern.