Pros of SCAT5:

  • Free
  • Instant Access

Cons of SCAT5:

  • No electronic record keeping (paper and pencil version)
  • Baseline testing must be done one-on-one by a healthcare provider and takes 35-45 minutes for a complete exam
  • Lacks validity indicators
  • Limited normative data on a few select sports in the US
  • Limited research support for current version
  • Significantly decreased utility after 3-5 days post injury

What is SCAT5?

what-is-scat5-concussion

Sports Concussion Assessment Tool 5 (SCAT5) is a standardized concussion assessment, available as a pdf, used by healthcare providers when a concussion is suspected in athletes ages 12 and older. For younger athletes, there is the Child SCAT5 for ages 5-12. For those who aren’t licensed healthcare providers, there is the Concussion Recognition Tool 5 (CRT5). The CRT5 is used to identify possible concussions, but does not diagnose them.

There is little clinical evidence to support claims of accurate and reliable identification for the specific indication of concussion across a broad age range.

Research suggests that "SCAT might be wrongly identifying symptoms like fatigue and neck pain caused from intense exercise and not a brain injury".

Before making any decisions, read through the Buyer’s Guide for 8 questions you should be asking before choosing a concussion assessment tool.