Australia; QLD; WA
A standard tool, used across sports to assess concussion, uses medical jargon, inconsistent terms, and relies on written instructions, raising concerns about the tool’s cultural suitability for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, according to Australian research. Through semi-structured yarns, community members in Perth highlighted the use of outdated or culturally irrelevant words such as ‘wagon’ and ‘penny’, alongside potentially offensive terms such as 'monkey', in the screening tool used to assess cognition (SCAT5). They also highlighted challenges with medical terminology, reliance on written instructions and the importance of clear explanations and trust-building in clinical encounters. The authors say that, although the more updated version (SCAT6) introduces some improvements, the findings highlight the need to adapt concussion assessment tools for use with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander populations.
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