{
  "id": 3618630,
  "title": "More athletic trainers mean faster concussion evaluations",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/26/more-athletic-trainers-mean-faster-concussion-evaluations",
  "topic": "health",
  "section": "Health & Medicine",
  "published": "2026-08-26T23:44:07.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Yahoo Sports",
    "slug": "yahoo-sports",
    "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/more-athletic-trainers-mean-faster-234407013.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "A new study from the University of Wisconsin-Madison has found that high school athletes in Wisconsin receive concussion evaluations much faster when athletic trainers are readily available at their schools. Athletes at schools with more athletic trainers were evaluated for concussions in less than an hour on average, while those at schools with fewer trainers waited an average of 24 hours for evaluation. Fast evaluation is crucial for determining the severity of the injury and whether the athlete needs immediate medical attention. Athletes suspected of having a concussion are removed from play and evaluated by an athletic trainer, who tests memory, balance, and vision. Access to athletic trainers can be especially important as concussion symptoms may not be immediately apparent. The study also found that schools with greater athletic trainer availability had a higher percentage of athletes completing a return-to-play protocol following a concussion, with 100% of athletes at schools with high availability completing the protocol compared to only 50% at schools with low availability. Telehealth can help connect student-athletes in need of concussion care with specialists remotely.",
  "summary": "GREEN BAY, Wis. (WFRV) – As high school athletes across Wisconsin return to competition this fall, research involving thousands of student-athletes is highlighting the role access to athletic trainers can play in concussion care. A UW-Madison study involving 2,459 athletes across 31 Wisconsin high schools found significant differences in how quickly athletes received concussion evaluations […]",
  "key_points": [
    "Athletes at schools with more athletic trainers evaluated concussions in less than an hour.",
    "Schools with greater athletic trainer availability had higher return-to-play completion rates.",
    "Telehealth connects student-athletes with concussion specialists remotely."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}