Study show long-term care differences in civilians and veterans with TBI
April 04, 2018
New research from the Veterans Administration TBI Model System shows that extreme differences exist in outcomes and characteristics between veterans with traumatic brain injury (TBI) and civilians with TBI. The study highlights the important implications of long-term care for both injured veterans and their families.
The National Institute on Disability, Independent Living and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR) initially developed the TBI Model System. Over a dozen civilian hospitals have given their TBI data for over 16,000 patients. The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) created its TBI Model System later.
The VA’s Model System for TBI has a similar means of data collection. More than 1,000 patients with TBI have been added to the database since 2010. The five regional VA Polytrauma Rehabilitation Centers that provided the data offer rehabilitation for severely injured veterans.
The study by the Veterans Administration TBI Model System compared the characteristics of the patients from the VA TBI Model System versus patients from the original NIDILRR system. Initial results show that civilians and veterans exhibit different characteristics of TBI. For example, violent cause of TBI are more common among veterans.
Approximately 13 percent of all TBI patients are veterans. Researchers are seeking more studies to examine and compare both veterans and civilians because of the difference in necessary care. Initial reports from a VA database will determine ways in which the VA will meet the long-term needs of veterans with TBI.
Joel Scholten, MD, Director of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at the Veterans Health Administration said, “Participation in the TBI Model System allows [the] VA to continue to define the unique needs of veterans following TBI and translate these findings into policy, essentially creating a model of continuous quality improvement for TBI rehabilitation within VA.”