@article{ref1,
title="Effects of the New York State Concussion Management and Awareness Act ("Lystedt Law") on concussion-related emergency health care utilization among adolescents, 2005-2015",
journal="American journal of sports medicine",
year="2018",
author="Baker, David R. and Kulick, Erin R. and Boehme, Amelia K. and Noble, James M.",
volume="46",
number="2",
pages="396-401",
abstract="BACKGROUND: All states have enacted legislation addressing the management of sports-related concussions (SRCs) in adolescent athletes. The effect of these laws on health care utilization is uncertain. Hypothesis/Purpose: The purpose was to evaluate the effects of New York's 2011 Concussion Management and Awareness Act (&quot;Lystedt Law&quot;) on emergency department (ED) concussion health care visits (EDCHVs) and brain imaging utilization. It was hypothesized that New York concussion legislation would have a significant temporal effect on EDCHVs. STUDY DESIGN: Descriptive epidemiology study. <br><br>METHODS: Using the New York State Department of Health Statewide Planning and Research Cooperative System (SPARCS) database, trends in EDCHVs from 2005 to 2015 were identified among 12- to 18-year-old patients, comprising 5,740,403 total ED visits. <br><br>RESULTS: Overall, 208,024 EDCHVs, including 54,669 for an SRC, occurred during the study period. EDCHVs increased from 13,664 (2.74% of all ED visits) in 2005 to a peak of 21,374 (4.26%) in 2013, with greatest relative increases from 2008 to 2013. SRCs followed a similar trend: 3213 (0.64%) in 2005 to a peak of 6197 (1.24%) in 2013. Brain imaging utilization decreased by 5.3% for EDCHVs and 15.4% for SRCs (all comparisons year-by-year and for trends; P <.001). <br><br>CONCLUSION: The period of greatest increases in EDCHVs and decreases in brain imaging utilization for SRCs preceded New York concussion legislation by several years, suggesting a minimal direct effect on emergency care-seeking behavior for concussions. Instead, increased public awareness of SRCs and imaging guidelines may have driven EDCHV trends and imaging practices.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="0363-5465",
doi="10.1177/0363546517738742",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0363546517738742"
}