Beginning this year Mercer Island High School is working with the Seattle Sports Concussion Program, in partnership with Seattle Children’s Hospital, in a program that helps create a concussion management program for athletes.

The program, ImPACT (Immediate Post Concussion Assessment and Cognitive Testing) involves an online, computer test that each athlete takes before their season begins. The program will then help trainers and coaches evaluate possible concussion during the season.

If a student appears to have suffered a concussion the test is taken again and the information from earlier in the season is used in comparison to the new data. The test will help doctors and trainers figure out if the student does in fact have a concussion, how bad it is, and what the recovery process should be.

The software involved in the test has been used by various colleges and high schools throughout the U.S. as well as many of the professional sports organizations. Both the University of Washington and Washington State University use the program, as do eight other universities in the state. At the high school level 35 schools and districts use the program, although none in the KingCo conference.

More information about the program can be found at www.impacttest.com.