Concussion Ontario Network: Neuroinformatics to Enhance Clinical care & Translation (CONNECT)

About CONNECT

The vision of the Concussion Network Ontario: Neuroinformatics to Enhance Clinical care & Translation (CONNECT) program was for clinicians and researchers in Ontario to flourish as world leaders in achieving the most rapid and complete recovery from concussion and all of its complications.

The CONNECT team focused on three main priorities to guide this mission:

  • Conduct innovative research for concussion recognition and diagnosis,
  • Personalize data collection to ensure the right care at the right time with the right patient, and
  • Uncover holistic findings that not only sped recovery, but prevented re-injury and the long-term implications from concussion

By bringing together expert centres across the province, CONNECT worked to ensure that new knowledge was translated into better diagnoses and care for the benefit of all Ontarians.

CONNECT's Legacy: Achievements and Impact

CONNECT's Mission

Concussion Ontario Network: Neuroinformatics to Enhance Clinical care & Translation (CONNECT) believed that innovative research and knowledge translation would spawn new inventions, new treatments, and a new class of researchers to place Ontario as a global leader in concussion research and care.



CONNECT's Reach

CONNECT's work integrated many research centres across the province together with a shared mission, including:

Head Injury Clinic, St. Michael's Hospital

Hull-Ellis Concussion & Research Clinic, Toronto Rehabilitation Institute

Canadian Concussion Centre, Toronto Western Hospital

Health Sciences North, Sudbury

Hamilton Health Sciences

Fowler-Kennedy Sport Medicine Clinic

Traumatic Brain Injury Clinic, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre

The Ottawa Hospital

Parkwood Acquired Brain Injury

Lakehead University


Tools and Resources

Beginning in 2017, CONNECT created tools and resources for those living with and recovering from concussion

  • Concussion Guidelines (Patients)

    Guidelines for concussion and mild traumatic brain injury for adults over 18 years of age.

    Patient Concussion Guide

  • Concussion Guidelines (Clinicians)

    Guidelines for clinicians to follow based on concussion and mild traumatic brain injury.

    Clinician Concussion Guide

  • Patient Education Resource Booklet

    The Patient Education Resource Booklet was constructed as part of CONNECT's knowledge translation initiative.

    Patient Education Booklet

Highlighted Publications

  1. Medical care among individuals with a concussion in Ontario: A population-based study (2022)
  2. Two Symptoms to Triage Acute Concussions: Using Decision Tree Modeling to Predict Prolonged Recovery After a Concussion(2022)
  3. Enhanced education for adult patients with persistent post-concussion headaches: a randomized controlled trial (2023)

Acknowledgements

CONNECT would like to thank the following groups for their leadership in supporting the Concussion Network of Ontario.

CONNECT Executive Committee:

  • Andrew Baker, MD, FRCPC
  • Carmela Tartaglia, MD, FRCPC
  • Lisa Fischer, MD
  • Mark Bayley, MD, FRCPC
  • Roger Zemek, MD, FRCPC
  • Vicki Kristman, PhD

CONNECT Platform Leads:

  • Carmela Tartaglia, MD, FRCPC
  • James Hutchinson, MD, FRCPC
  • Karl Zabjek, PhD
  • Michael Cusimano, MD, FRCSC, DABNS, FACS, PhD, MHPE
  • Michael Hutchinson, PhD
  • Nick Reed, PhD
  • Robin Green, PhD
  • Shawn Marshall, MD, FRCPC
  • Thomas Hoshizaki, PhD
  • Tom Schweizer, PhD

CONNECT Management Team:

  • Cindy Hunt, Dr. PH, RN
  • David Murty, BSc
  • Justina Zych, BSc
  • Sibel Naska, PhD

CONNECT Community Stakeholder Engagement Committee