Loading...
Most patients presenting to the emergency department (ED) with mild traumatic brain injury (TBI) receive no follow-up care in the early weeks and months postinjury, suggests a study in JAMA Network Open.
Researchers studied 830 patients aged 17 and older who were diagnosed with mild TBI after presenting to one of 11 U.S. EDs between 2014 and 2016. Just 42% reported receiving TBI educational materials at discharge, and only 27% received a follow-up call from the hospital by 2 weeks. In addition, less than half of patients had seen a clinician about their TBI by 3 months after injury.
Of note, of nearly 240 patients with positive computed tomography (CT) findings, 39% had not seen a provider by 3 months.
A commentator calls the findings “stunnin…