New Report Provides “Roadmap” for Improving Care for Traumatic Brain Injury

Almost 5 million people in the United States are evaluated in emergency departments for traumatic brain injury (TBI) each year. Awareness of the magnitude and consequences of TBI has increased, particularly among athletes and military service members, with new recommendations emerging for screening and management. However, despite progress and ongoing efforts, barriers and challenges remain, including unanswered questions about the most effective preventive, acute, rehabilitative, and long-term care for patients who have suffered from TBI.

Christina L. Master, MD This week, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine (NASEM)’s Committee on Accelerating Progress in Traumatic Brain Injury Research and Care released a new report that examines can be advanced in TBI care and research and develops a roadmap to help guide the field. Christina L. Master, MD, co-director of the Minds Matter Concussion Program at CHOP with expertise in primary care sports medicine and brain injury medicine, is on the committee that developed this report and used CHOP-led research to inform its findings and messages.

The roadmap covers several important topics related to TBI, including the key elements of an effective system for diagnosing and treating TBI, updating how TBI is classified, addressing health insurance barriers, and improving the quality and range of TBI clinical studies.

Learn more about the new NASEM TBI roadmap.