University of Washington Traumatic Brain Injury Model System

With Spring in bloom, the world is waking up! But how are you sleeping?

Check out our infocomic on Sleep Problems after TBI, and other comics on our website: https://tbi.washington.edu/comics/sleep-and-tbi/
En Español: El sueño después de una lesión cerebral traumática
https://tbi.washington.edu/comics/sleep-and-tbi/?lang=es

March is Brain Injury Awareness Month! Every year in WA state, approximately 4,500 people are hospitalized for a traumatic brain injury. Many of them are treated at UW hospitals.

The UW TBIMS is a research study that seeks to answer questions about recovery from brain injury and what happens to patients after a TBI.

Researchers at the University of Washington School of Medicine wanted to look at data to understand what considerations went into getting a consultation with Rehabilitation Doctors when looking at the possibility of Withdrawing Life-Supporting Measures (WLSM) and the timing of such. They looked at over 17,000 Harborview Medical Centers’ electronic health records from 2012-2022.
• 69.4% identified as male
• 73% identified as white
• 91% primarily English-speaking
• 66% used private insurance
• 91% sustained a blunt TBI

Disparities were found in likelihood of Rehabilitation Medicine consultations base on age, with older adults being less likely to receive a consultation. And whether or not Rehabilitation Medicine is consulted has a significant impact on WLSM. Specifically, those who did not receive a consult from Rehabilitation Medicine were more likely to have WLSM

Results highlight the critical importance of Rehabilitation Medicine’s involvement in TBI patient care pathways. They offer more expertise on long-term outcomes, thus likely allowing loved ones to make better informed decisions about WLSM.
Importantly, we want to prevent ableist and ageist perspectives from influencing decisions on who should receive a consultation as we continue to combat biased viewpoints throughout healthcare within the U.S.

Research made possible by support from the Richard H. Adler Attorneys at Law & Adler Giersch Law Firm’s Endowed Professorship Fund

Full poster Title: Intersectional Considerations, Access to Physiatry Consultation, & Withdrawal of Life -Supporting Measures following TBI at a Level-One Trauma Center
Golembo,C., Weishaar, M., Young,R., Junn, C., Mata-Greve, F., Humbert, A., & Starosta, A.

Understanding TBI The University of Washington Traumatic Brain Injury Model System is made possible by a federal grant by the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR).