Mobile Phone Text Message Program to Understand Symptoms and Improve Outcomes in Minor Head Injury Patients

Mobile Phone Text Message Program to Understand Symptoms and Improve Outcomes in Minor Head Injury Patients

Mild traumatic brain injury (MTBI) is frequently seen in the ED, post-concussive symptoms are common post-injury, and few MTBI patients receive treatment or follow-up for these symptoms. Cell phones are ubiquitous, text messaging (SMS) is a cheap and increasingly common form of communication, potentially allowing for accurate assessment of symptom patterns after MTBI and provision of basic education support . The investigators seek to assess the feasibility of using SMS to collect symptoms related to MTBI in patients either discharged from the ED or admitted to the inpatient trauma unit. The investigators also seek to explore how SMS-based symptom reports correlate with phone-based follow-up reports at 14 days and whether additional SMS-based educational feedback alters daily symptom patterns.

The investigators seek to assess the feasibility of using SMS to collect symptoms related to MTBI in patients either discharged from the ED or admitted to the inpatient trauma unit. The investigators also seek to explore how SMS-based symptom reports correlate with phone-based follow-up reports at 14 days and whether additional SMS-based educational feedback alters daily symptom patterns at 3-months.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Clinical diagnosis of minor traumatic brain injury
• English speaking
• Owns a cell phone with SMS

Exclusion Criteria:

• Critically ill