Completing an interdisciplinary outpatient intervention improves patient rehabilitation goals following a mild traumatic brain injury

ABSTRACT

Background

Individualized and interdisciplinary rehabilitation programs are recommended following a mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI), but often have long waitlists. Accordingly, innovative evidence-based programs are needed.

Objectives

The first objective of this study was to determine the number and types of rehabilitation goals chosen by individuals completing an interdisciplinary outpatient rehabilitation intervention (BrainEx90) for persisting symptoms following an mTBI. The second objective was to investigate whether completing BrainEx90 or choosing specific types of goals influenced performance and satisfaction ratings of these goals.

Methods

217 individuals (44.4 ± 13.5 years old) with persisting symptoms following an mTBI completed BrainEx90, a 16-session interdisciplinary group outpatient rehabilitation intervention at Parkwood Institute between November 2013 and September 2019. Performance and satisfaction ratings of self-identified goals before and after BrainEx90 were assessed using the Canadian Occupational Performance Measure, and changes in ratings were analyzed using a linear mixed effects model.

Results

1008 goals were identified and categorized as: productivity (45%); leisure (37%); and self-care (18%). Satisfaction ratings were significantly higher for all goal types following BrainEx90. Satisfaction with self-care goals improved significantly more than leisure [t(151) = 3.24, p < .01] and productivity [t(144) = 2.97, p < .01] goals. Performance ratings were also significantly greater following BrainEx90 [2.4, 95% CI [2.27, 2.53], p < .01)].

Conclusion

Performance and satisfaction of self-identified rehabilitation goals significantly improved following BrainEx90. Satisfaction with self-care goals demonstrated the greatest improvements, yet the most identified goal type was productivity.

KEYWORDS:

• Mild traumatic brain injury
• mTBI
• interdisciplinary
• rehabilitation
• Canadian Occupational Performance Measure
• COPM

Acknowledgments

We would like to thank all the BrainEx90 participants, and the Western University students that helped with data collection and input. We would also like to thank Andrew Johnson for helping to analyze the data.

Disclosure statement

Becky Moran and Shannon McGuire created and run the BrainEx90 program, however they do not have any financial interest in this program. BrainEx90 is part of Parkwood Institute’s publicly funded ABI Outpatient program. No other authors have a conflict of interest to declare.

Additional information

Funding

The authors reported there is no funding associated with the work featured in this article.