Ohio researchers address hidden concussion risks among police

By Farah Siddiqi

Ohio researchers said concussions among law enforcement officers are often overlooked, leaving officers to return to duty without proper treatment. Now, a partnership in Franklin County is testing a new model to identify and manage head injuries in police work.

Researchers at Ohio State University began studying head injuries among law enforcement officers after noticing a gap between concussion care in sports and what officers receive on the job.

Jaclyn Caccese, associate professor of health and rehabilitation Sciences at the university and a member of its Chronic Brain Injury Program, said their work now includes on-site evaluations and follow-up care for officers injured in training or on duty.

"Although we’ve made great progress in how we treat concussions on the sports field, that same information hasn’t been translated to law enforcement officers across the nation," Caccese pointed out. "Even here in Ohio."

Caccese noted officers experience head impacts through car crashes, defensive tactics training, falls and physical altercations, yet many injuries go unrecognized. Without treatment, officers may experience vision problems, balance issues, slowed reflexes or cognitive impairment, all of which can affect job performance.

A statewide Ohio survey found about 30% of officers reported sustaining a concussion on duty, and roughly 70% of those injuries went untreated or received no follow-up care beyond an initial emergency room visit.

To close the gap, the university partnered with the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office to embed athletic trainers on site to evaluate officers after head injuries and guide referrals for rehabilitation and follow-up care. Caccese explained the findings showed officers are often returning to work far sooner than athletes would after similar injuries.

"The vast majority of officers are either not taking any time off of work or they’re only out for one to three days," Caccese reported. "If you consider that most football players are out at least a week, if not two weeks, it is a pretty big gap in care."

She added emergency rooms typically focus on ruling out life-threatening injuries, meaning concussions can be missed without additional screening and monitoring.

Researchers hope the Franklin County model can expand statewide, noting every state already requires athletes to be medically cleared before returning to play. They argued similar standards for law enforcement could improve officer safety, career longevity and public trust.