HealthPointe’s Concussion Clinic is geared towards treating acute to sub-acute concussion cases that have occurred within the last 12 months. Typically, if a concussion happened longer than a year ago, the patient will be referred elsewhere, such as a psychologist, social worker, or special therapy.
Patients at HealthPointe can expect to have two exams on the day of their assessment, one by an athletic therapist and the next by a physiatrist or sport medicine physician. The athletic therapist will review the person’s history and perform cognitive tests that measure the patient’s memory, ability to draw, and ability to name items.
The athletic therapist and the physician will then conference, and the physician will meet the patient for a medical history and a physical exam. Following this, treatment recommendations will be made. Depending on the outcome of the examinations, the physician may or may not order further tests or prescribe medications.
Patients can expect to learn their test results and next steps, which may include therapy, medications, or further investigations, at this visit. They will leave with a treatment plan that may include activities they should and should not do, and further therapy recommendations. The entire visit will take 60-90 minutes.
If patients are in the “cognitive domain”, meaning they are having memory and concentration issues, they may be referred to our in-house neuropsychologist. A neuropsychologist’s exam is an additional fee, as it is not covered under Alberta Health Care.
Patients usually have a follow-up appointment with the Concussion Clinic’s physician. After this, they may return to their family doctor or depending on their recovery, they may require further follow up.