Examining medical students' perspective on concussion care: an online survey using social media

Objective: This study aimed to assess medical students' understanding of concussion symptoms and the significance of early management. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted to evaluate the knowledge and awareness of concussions among medical students across various regions of Saudi Arabia from May to June 2024. An online questionnaire was developed using Google Forms and distributed via social media platforms. Results: The study involved 555 medical students (mean age: 22.14 ± 2.316 years), with 56.6% female and 43.4% male. Most were in their fourth (26.8%) or fifth year (22.5%). A significant majority (83.6%) of medical students were familiar with the term "concussion," and 80.9% identified it as a traumatic brain injury. However, only 21.6% felt they had sufficient knowledge, with just 23.2% attending any educational event on the topic. Headache (83.1%) was the most recognized symptom, and 84.7% believed athletes and military personnel were at high risk. Awareness positively correlated with attitudes (r = 0.672, p < 0.001). Concussion knowledge showed no significant differences across gender, academic year, region, or income. Conclusion: This study revealed significant knowledge gaps in concussion education among Saudi Arabian medical students. Current educational frameworks might be insufficient, highlighting the need for future research to explore effective strategies for delivering concussion-specific education in medical universities.