The cost of a single concussion in American high school football: a retrospective cohort study.

ABSTRACT

AIM: The potential financial burden of American football-related concussions (FRC) is unknown. Our objective was to describe the healthcare costs associated with an FRC and determine factors associated with increased costs. METHODOLOGY/RESULTS: A retrospective cohort study of concussed high school football players presenting between November 2017 and March 2020 was undertaken; 144 male high school football players were included. Total costs were about $115,000, for an average direct healthcare cost of $800.10/concussion. Visiting the emergency department (ß = 502.29, 95% CI 105.79-898.61; p = 0.01), the initial post-concussion symptom scale score (ß = 0.39, 95% CI 0.11-0.66; p = 0.01) and a post-concussion syndrome diagnosis (ß = 670.37, 95% CI 98.96-1241.79; p = 0.02) were each independently associated with total costs. CONCLUSION: A granular understanding of cost-driving factors associated with FRC is the first step in understanding the cost-effectiveness of prevention and treatment methods.