The epidemiology of a specialist neurorehabilitation clinic: Implications for clinical practice and regional service development

Abstract

Objective: To examine the epidemiology of referrals to a specialist neurotrauma clinic and explore and highlight implications for clinical practice and service development for persons with head injury/traumatic brain injury (HI/TBI).

Design and methods: A retrospective population-based cohort study of all referrals to a specialist neurotrauma clinic over a 9-year period. Data from a specialist head injury database (which included all persons presenting to hospital with traumatic brain injury) were analysed.

Results: In total, 1235 new patients of all ages, severities of injury, both admitted and non-admitted were referred. Referrals have increased due to successful integration with new service developments and resulting optimization of resources.

Conclusions: Data gathered from the cohort gives increased understanding of the characteristics and numbers of patients requiring rehabilitation and adds to the evidence-base. Integration with new and complementary service developments has optimized the function/aims of the clinic and enhanced its role in terms of patient service and outcome and as a research resource. The model provides principles which may be applied to planning, organizing and providing follow-up/rehabilitation services for HI/TBI.

• Head injury
• neurorehabilitation
• outcome
• service development
• service provision
• traumatic brain injury

Acknowledgements

H. Seeley is partly funded by NIHR Biomedical Research Centre (Neurosciences Theme) and partly by the Evelyn Trust. J. Allanson is funded by the Evelyn Trust. J. Pickard is Senior Investigator for NIHR. P. Hutchinson is supported by the Cambridge NIHR Biomedical Research Centre (Neurosciences Theme) and NIHR Research Professorship.