Abstract
Objective: To describe the medical and rehabilitation service use of model systems by brain injured participants 1 to 3 months postdischarge from inpatient rehabilitation.
Design: Prospective follow-up study.
Setting: Georgia Model Brain Injury System (GAMBIS).
Participants: Seventy-three GAMBIS subjects consenting to participate in the utilization substudy.
Main Outcome Measures: Receipt of services and intensity of service use.
Analysis: Chi-square analysis of receipt of services by severity of injury.
Results: The likelihood of service use did not vary with severity of injury. Data suggest that intensity of service use was a function of injury severity.
Conclusions: Subjects with mild and moderate injuries were as likely to use a range of medical and rehabilitation services during the 3-month postdischarge period as those with severe injuries. Traditional rehabilitation services, such as physical therapy, were far more likely to be used, than nontraditional services, such as psychological counseling, in spite of the high level of cognitive and social disability associated with traumatic brain injury.