Providers
Mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) affects millions of Americans each year and can lead to short- or long-term problems affecting how a person thinks, acts, and feels. mTBIs/Concussions are serious. Healthcare providers may describe these injuries as mild because they are usually not life-threatening. Even so, the effects of a mild TBI or concussion can be serious.People with a mild TBI or concussion need to be seen by a healthcare provider.
This page provides resources for both Pediatric (under aged 18) and adult health care providers who treat patients with brain injuries. Downloadable forms frequently used by healthcare providers are available at the bottom of this page.
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CDC Pediatric mTBI Guideline – mTBI in children is a rapidly growing public health concern because epidemiologic data indicates a marked increase in the number of emergency department visits for mTBI over the past decade without any evidence-based clinical guidelines developed for diagnosing and managing pediatric mTBI in America.
Heads Up to Health Care Providers: Materials for Your Patients (English) (Spanish) – This page provides downloadable Discharge Instructions and Symptom-based Recovery Tips along with an English version of a downloadable letter to schools for Health Care Providers to fill-in.
Healthcare Providers Online Training from the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC). This link offers three different versions of the online training for clinicians, school health providers, and other health professionals. Earn free CME, CNE and CEU credits.
Managing Return to Activities – This page contains clinical guidelines and tools developed by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) in collaboration with multiple organizations and leading experts for the diagnosis and management of patients with mTBI on Returning to Daily Home/Community Activities, Returning to School, Work, Play (Sports and Recreation), When to Refer to a Specialist, and a CDC Expert Commentary Video on Returning to Play.
Sports-Related Concussions in Youth: Improving the Science, Changing the Culture – Multiple tools are available that aim to assist medical providers with on-field assessment of concussion. You can get a summary of many of these tools and learn about research on their effectiveness in the publication Sports-Related Concussions in Youth: Improving the Science, Changing the Culture from the National Library of Medicine, National Center for Biotechnology Information.
Updated Mild Traumatic Brain Injury Management Guideline for Adults – The American College of Emergency Physicians updated their clinical policy in 2023 to provide recommendations on the care of adult patients with mTBI seen in an emergency department. This guideline is intended for physicians working in emergency departments.
To learn more about concussion, such as the signs and symptoms and how to safely return to school and sports after a concussion, check out theForms
Acute Concussion Evaluation (ACE) Form
Emergency Department Version
Physician/Clinician Office Version
Acute mTBI/Concussion Evaluation Care Plans
School Version help guide a patient’s recovery.
Work Version help guide a patient’s recovery.
CDC Discharge Instructions English | Spanish
This pediatric info sheet explains what a mTBI/Concussion is, how it will make the child feel, lists Physical, Cognitive, Social/Emotional, and Sleep symptoms, and the Steps that Parents can take to help their child feel better. It also provides information on when a child can return to school, sports, and recreational activities as well as listing the signs of a more serious brain injury.
CDC mTBI Diagnosis Checklist 508
CDC mTBI Fact Sheet Parents English | Spanish
CDC Pediatric mTBI Guideline Checklist
A pediatric mTBI guideline, checklist for healthcare providers treating children 18 years of age and younger.
Checklist on Diagnosis and Management of mTBI
This checklist for Emergency Department Physicians treating patients aged eighteen and older provides a checklist to Access, Educate, and Refer the patient.
Healthcare Provider Returning to School Letter
This fillable Healthcare Provider Returning to School Letter allows the healthcare provider to notify a child’s school of when they were seen for a mTBI/Concussion, check off symptoms reported, add additional symptoms not listed, provide recommendations, and request short-term changes based on the patient’s symptoms.
Key Recommendations for the Care of Adult Patients with mTBI
This info sheet provides key recommendations in the policy focus on imaging, patient education, and follow-up care.
mTBI Patient Instructions Adult
mTBI Pediatric At A Glance Diagnosis 508
mTBI Pediatric At A Glance Prognosis 508
mTBI Pediatric Diagnosis Checklist 508
Patient Discharge Instruction Sheet-Adult English | Spanish
This mTBI information sheet for adult patients being discharged provides Discharge Instructions, Watch for Danger Signs, Learn About Your Injury, Symptoms of mTBI, Understanding Your Recovery, Steps That May Help Speed Your Recovery, and a place for additional notes from the medical provider.
Symptom Based mTBI Recovery 508 English | Spanish
Symptom-based Recovery Tips English | Spanish
This pediatric info sheet describes common mTBI/concussion symptoms a child may experience, and tips parents can use to help with their recovery.
