Dr. Shannon Bauman, Part Deux
Episode 4
Concussion patients often struggle to find care, especially if their symptoms continue longer than expected.
We’ve brought Dr. Shannon Bauman back to the show. She gives us some helpful tips for going to medical appointments. Importantly, we ask Dr. Bauman what the best way is to talk with our family physicians about our concussions. We wanted to understand the gaps in knowledge between patients and medical professionals. What are the differences between an acute concussion and a persistent concussion? We wanted to talk about concussion symptoms, who can help us resolve them, and how we can better map out pathways through the medical system.
Dr. Bauman talks about the vision of the Ontario Neurological Foundation. People suffering from concussions should have “the right care, delivered at the right time, by the right provider,” a vision Concussion Central believes.
Today we’re beginning a big topic. We know that we’ll be returning to it repeatedly over time. Improving patient experience is key to helping manage acute and persistent symptoms, but finding a clear path through symptoms, medical and healthcare professionals can be demanding. Dr. Bauman mentions that patients may consult between 6 to 10 medical professionals before finding the proper care.
Today, the podcast covers definitions of concussions, acute, subacute, and persistent. David and Dr. Bauman discuss “triggers” that bring on symptoms and their role in creating a pathway to recovery. She talks about “Points of Access” and how concussion patients enter the healthcare system – emergency rooms, family physicians, occupational therapists, and others.
Along with our discussion on the podcast, we will be pulling information on concussions and concussion management from resources developed by the Concussion Ontario and the Ontario Neurological Foundation. The Foundation no longer exists, it wound down in 2021, yet its standards and guidelines remain some of the more authoritative we have. Dr. Bauman, along with many others, helped develop and prepare these guidelines. She refers to these documents because they are the accepted standards in Ontario.
Diagnosis, Assessment & Points of Access
Dr. Bauman refers to her Concussion Passport; she created this tool in her clinic with the help of her team. We refer to it only because it represents another tool to help guide patients through their injuries. It is not available for purchase currently.
They are available to all at the following sites: concussionontario.org & braininjuryguidelines.org.
Any information Concussion Central posts holds the same caution expressed on the Brain Injury Guidelines portal, “The content of the Guideline for Concussion/mTBI & Prolonged Symptoms, 3rd Edition: for Adults over 18 years, is based on the status of scientific knowledge available at the time of their finalization (2017) as well as on the consensus of the experts who participated in the guideline development.
Choices reflected in these guidelines do not preclude the possibility of other approaches or practices also being valid and relevant. Healthcare professionals must use their clinical judgment and consider other factors such as patient preferences, contextual factors, and resource availability in applying these recommendations. Moreover, healthcare professionals must at all times respect the legal and normative regulations of the regulatory bodies, particularly regarding scopes of practice and restricted/protected activities, as these may differ by jurisdiction.”
More information about:
Dr. Shannon Bauman, B.S., B.ScN, MD, CCFP, Dip. Sport Med
Shannon has been caring for athletes of all levels for the last 15 years, from recreational “weekend warriors” to professional and national level competitors.
Shannon graduated from medical school at McMaster University and completed a specialty in Family Medicine from Queen’s University. She returned to McMaster to pursue a fellowship in Sports Medicine.
As a Sports Medicine physician, Shannon has been involved with professional and world level teams including the Hamilton Bulldogs (AHL Caulder Cup Champions), Barrie Colts (OHL), Toronto Rock Lacrosse (NLL), Toronto Nationals (MLL), Hamilton Nationals (MLL), World Cup Sledge Hockey 2009, 2010 Vancouver Olympics Men’s Sledge Hockey, and Team Canada Senior Women’s Lacrosse World Cup, McMaster University Marauders Rugby and Football, and the Newcastle Knights (Rugby League) of Newcastle, Australia. She is a medical expert in Dance Medicine with PivotDancer https://pivotdancer.com which brings experts together from around the world to provide evidence-based content to the dance community. Dr. Bauman is involved with Gymnastics Medicine https://gymnasticsmedicine.org. As a medical educator and advisor, she presents on various gymnastics injuries and issues impacting today’s gymnasts.
Shannon is a Credentialed ImPACT Consultant (CIC). She serves as a medical advisor on concussions to Parachute Canada and the Ontario Neurotrauma Foundation. She is a leading researcher on sport related concussions and factors that influence recovery times. Dr. Bauman has co-authored five sets of provincial and national guidelines on concussion including the “Living Guideline for Diagnosing and Managing Pediatric Concussion” and “The Canadian Guideline on Concussion in Sport.” She was nominated for the Minister’s Medal for Excellence in Concussion Care.
Shannon also brings her own personal experience with a hockey-related concussion in 2012 to her practice. Shannon’s recovery experience fuelled her interest in concussion management and led to her involvement in concussion research and the development of a network of international leaders in concussion management. Her passion for concussion care was the impetus for Concussion North and her desire to bring together a talented team of sports injury specialists under one roof.