The Aspetar Sports Concussion Programme is the first of its kind in the gulf region dedicated, sports related concussion programme. It is based on international best practice, customised for local conditions. 

The programme has many aspects to it, including raising awareness, educating medical personnel, facilitating early recognition and treatment of concussed athletes, a specialist referral network, and advanced sports concussion clinics.

Aspetar has taken the lead by providing information and making evidence-based concussion care available to all athletes in Qatar. The hospital has adopted a position statement on concussion care which has been endorsed by their partners in the Qatar Stars League (QSL) and the Qatar Football Association (QFA).

There is growing concern among medical practitioners and scientists across the world about the effects of concussion on athletes. Also, in recent years the public has become more aware of sport-related concussion and there has been an increased international media focus on the importance of diagnosing and managing the condition promptly, safely and appropriately.

Commenting about the programme, Dr Louis Holtzhausen, Aspetar sports physician, said,

 “Concussion affects athletes at all levels of sport. If managed appropriately the symptoms and signs of concussion resolve spontaneously within a couple of weeks in most cases. However, complications can occur, including prolonged symptoms, an increased susceptibility to concussion or other injuries and potential long-term mental consequences of multiple concussions.  In addition, sports performance is impaired whilst concussed.”

In the interest of athlete safety and wellness, Aspetar offers a range of clinical services for sports related concussion, including advanced concussion care clinics and specialist referral systems. Team health care providers are specifically trained in concussion assessment and treatment. The public and non-medical team staff are provided with information on how to recognise and deal with suspected concussions.

It is worth mentioning that Aspetar recently published the first sports concussion assessment tool in Arabic, a translation and cultural adaptation of the internationally accepted Sports Concussion Assessment Tool version 5 (SCAT5).  This will be a great contribution to better concussion care in all Arabic speaking populations all over the world.

In addition to being the region’s leading orthopedic and sports medicine hospital, Aspetar is a Weill Cornell Medical College Qatar teaching hospital. It has also been accredited by the Gulf Cooperation Council as a specialist hospital for the region, and by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) as an IOC Research Centre for Prevention of Injury and Protection of Athlete Health, and by the Federation International the Football Association (FIFA) as a FIFA Medical Centre of Excellence.