Original Article
Published by i2E - Pittsburgh, PA (PRWEB) June 20, 2013
ImPACT Applications, Inc., developer of the ImPACT Test and ImPACT Concussion Management Model, announced a partnership today with Sway Medical, LLC to promote Sway Balance, an FDA-cleared iOS mobile software application that enables clinical grade balance testing to be conducted in virtually any setting. ImPACT and Sway Medical are working together to reinforce leading clinicians’ consensus that the ideal concussion management protocol integrates multifactor assessments including neurocognitive, balance and symptom evaluations.
“Sway Balance reinvents the way athletes and patients are monitored for signs of musculoskeletal, neurological and vestibular dysfunction,” said Chase Curtiss, founder and chief executive officer of Sway Medical, LLC. “With an iOS mobile device, health care professionals can quickly and simply analyze a patient’s stability using the Sway Balance mobile app. In addition, the product is available at a far lower cost than traditional balance assessments.”
Sway Balance smart phone app“While cognitive testing is the cornerstone of concussion management, the Sway Balance application provides critical balance assessment information in real time to help further assess potential injuries as they occur,” said Dr. Mark Lovell, chief scientific officer and chairman of ImPACT Applications, Inc. “Sway Balance combined with ImPACT, our new mobile apps, and the expertise of Sway and ImPACT-trained athletic trainers and healthcare professionals is an excellent fit within our Concussion Management Model.”
Sway Balance and New ImPACT Mobile Apps
Along with Sway Balance, ImPACT’s new PCSI (Post-Concussion Symptom Inventory) and Sideline ImPACT® mobile apps offer unprecedented portability for cognitive assessment to assist in concussion management sideline screening and reporting. PSCI, which objectively measures concussion symptoms, was previously available only within the ImPACT Test, but is now available in a free-standing version as a mobile app. Sideline ImPACT is a brief cognitive test designed to help identify signs and symptoms of concussion for immediate administration when the suspected injury occurs. While the apps are not designed to be used as diagnostic tests to make return to play decisions, they measure and record symptoms to be assessed. Visit http://www.impacttest.com/products to learn more.
“ImPACT’s new PCSI and Sideline mobile apps, combined with Sway Balance, add immediate and affordable measures at the site of play to help further support a comprehensive concussion management program,” added Lovell.
The partnership between ImPACT and Sway Medical was born out of a shared commitment by both companies to improve the quality and reach of concussion management by employing best practices and best-in-class partners into an overall concussion management protocol.
“From training to clinical settings and at the sidelines of play, we believe it is important to continuously seek the most effective, medically accepted solutions to evolve the science of concussion management. Sway Balance is a best-in-class partner,” noted Lovell.
Sway Balance Application: How it Works
Sway Balance provides a sophisticated, objective and affordable mobile testing system. Clinical-grade balance testing can be conducted in virtually any setting. Medical professionals in high school, collegiate, and professional sports settings use Sway Balance to conduct preseason baseline testing and post-injury sideline screening to make more informed return-to-play decisions.
Baseline Testing
Baseline testing can be conducted through the mobile device to perform the prescribed protocol that includes three different stances to measure balance. After the prescribed protocol is completed, each athlete’s level of stability is scored using a 100-point scale, with 100 being completely stable and 0 being very unstable. With this established baseline, medical professionals can quickly detect changes in stability or compare the score to normative data.
Sideline Screening
In the event of an injury where concussion is suspected, medical professionals can administer the Sway Balance test directly on the sidelines. In a matter of minutes, the post-injury score can be compared to the baseline score. If the score is outside normal range and concussion is suspected, the athlete is immediately removed from the activity.
