University of Alabama at Birmingham Traumatic Brain Injury Care System

The University of Alabama at Birmingham Traumatic Brain Injury Model System (UAB TBIMS) provides rehabilitation services specifically designed for individuals with traumatic brain injury (TBI). The goal of this project is to improve the lives of people with TBI and their family members by identifying trends in recovery and predictors of outcome while developing interventions to improve outcome. The objectives and outcomes are to: (1) Maintain a high volume of enrollment and high rate of follow-up for the TBIMS National Database; (2) complete one site-specific research project, aimed at validating a driving simulation assessment to provide an efficient and safe alternative to assess skills related to returning to drive and identify specific weaknesses related to driving, allowing for development of highly personalized interventions; and (3) complete a module project to quantify and characterize the nature of geriatric syndromes in older adults with TBI, such as polypharmacy, frailty, multi-morbidity, cognitive impairment, fall risk, and impaired mobility. A linkage between TBIMS and Medicare data facilitates efforts to improve care for older adults. Consumer involvement, emphasis on community-based rehabilitation, relevance, and active dissemination to consumer and professional audiences are cornerstones of program development and implementation. Project outputs include clinical guidelines for return-to-driving decision making and dissemination of project outcomes through established methods for professional publications and presentation, along with consumer-focused knowledge translation.