Comparing Approaches to Helping People With Chronic Traumatic Brain Injury Manage Their Health Care

Comparing Approaches to Helping People With Chronic Traumatic Brain Injury Manage Their Health Care

The goal of this double-masked, randomized control trial is to learn about the potential benefits of two different strategies at helping people with traumatic brain injury who see a brain injury physician be more engaged in their healthcare and feel more confident in managing their health.

The main questions it aims to answer are:

• When comparing the two strategies, which will result in high participant-reported health empowerment assessed approximately 7 - 21 days of completing the approach?
• When comparing the two strategies, which will result in high participant-reported health engagement assessed approximately 7 - 21 days of completing the approach?

Participants will:

• complete baseline assessments about their health, daily activities, and their attitudes about healthcare and their treatment. These will be done over the phone and/or online survey.
• have one virtual session with a health professional to discuss their health and wellness.
• 7-21 days after the session with a health professional, participants will complete an online survey about their attitudes about healthcare and their treatment.
• Some participants may be invited to complete an additional interview about their study participation around 3 months after their session with the health professional.

Phase II trial of PPC for persons with TBI versus resource education control; and qualitative input from selected participants. The study uses mixed methods including double-masked (neither participants nor researchers/assessors know which approach participants are receiving), parallel-group randomized, controlled trial (RCT) using a person-centered approach, Patient Priorities Care (PPC) to enhance health empowerment/self-efficacy and engagement, as compared to a resource education approach (control). Additionally, qualitative interviews will be conducted with selected participants to assess the experience (impact, satisfaction, barriers, and facilitators) of participating in the PPC approach among select adults with chronic TBI randomized to that approach arm.

Inclusion Criteria:

• community dwelling adult (>18 years at enrollment)
• ≥1-year post-TBI that resulted in loss of consciousness based on The Ohio State University-TBI Identification Method
• followed by a brain injury physician for TBI care who refers them to the study
• must have sufficient comprehension, communication, sensorimotor function, and English proficiency (due to outcome measures not being validated in languages other than English)
• must provide informed consent and have webcam and Internet access for assessments and approach

Additionally, meet 1 or more of the following criteria:

• 2 or more current chronic conditions (including chronic TBI)
• 5 or more medications
• 3 or more emergency department visits within the past 12 months
• 1 or more hospital admissions within the past 12 months
• Under care of 2 or more specialists (non-primary care), including physicians, midlevel providers, therapists, mental health professionals) with visits with these providers in the past 12 months

Exclusion Criteria:

• non-community dwelling