Blessen C Eapen1, Amy O Bowles2, James Sall3, Adam Edward Lang4, Carrie W Hoppes5, Katharine C Stout6, Tracy Kretzmer7, David X Cifu8,9. 1. Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Service Va Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, Division of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, California, USA. 2. Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Brooke Army Medical Center, Fort Sam Houston, Texas, USA. 3. Clinical Quality Program Specialist, Quality and Patient Safety, Veterans Administration Central Office, Washington, District of Columbia, USA. 4. Department of Primary Care, McDonald Army Health Center, Fort Eustis, Virginia, USA. 5. Army-Baylor University Doctoral Program in Physical Therapy, Army Medical Center of Excellence, Fort Sam Houston, Texas, USA. 6. Defense Health Agency Research and Development (J-9), Director of Clinical Affairs Division Traumatic Brain Injury Center of Excellence, Silver Spring, Maryland, USA. 7. Neuropsychology, Mental Health and Behavioral Sciences Inpatient Polytrauma, Rehabilitation, Post-Deployment Rehabilitation and Evaluation Program (PREP), James A. Haley Veterans' Hospital, Tampa, Florida, USA. 8. Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Senior TBI Specialist, Department of Veterans Affairs Associate Dean of Innovation and System Integration, Richmond, VA, USA. 9. Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, Richmond, Virginia, USA.
Abstract
DESCRIPTION: In June 2021, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) approved a joint clinical practice guideline for the management and rehabilitation care for those who have symptoms in the post-acute period following mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI). This synopsis describes some of the clinically important recommendations. METHODS: In January 2020, VA and DoD leaders assembled a joint VA/DoD guideline development team of multidisciplinary clinical stakeholders that developed key questions, systematically searched and evaluated the literature, created two 1-page algorithms, and refined 19 recommendations using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) system. The process closely conformed to the National Academy of Medicine's tenets for trustworthy clinical practice guidelines. RECOMMENDATIONS: This synopsis describes clinically important recommendations for the management and rehabilitation of mTBI. Outpatient primary care providers are the target audience for this synopsis and guideline. The current recommendations are an update from the 2016 VA/DoD Clinical Practice Guidelines for the Management of Concussion-Mild Traumatic Brain Injury.
DESCRIPTION: In June 2021, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) approved a joint clinical practice guideline for the management and rehabilitation care for those who have symptoms in the post-acute period following mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI). This synopsis describes some of the clinically important recommendations. METHODS: In January 2020, VA and DoD leaders assembled a joint VA/DoD guideline development team of multidisciplinary clinical stakeholders that developed key questions, systematically searched and evaluated the literature, created two 1-page algorithms, and refined 19 recommendations using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) system. The process closely conformed to the National Academy of Medicine's tenets for trustworthy clinical practice guidelines. RECOMMENDATIONS: This synopsis describes clinically important recommendations for the management and rehabilitation of mTBI. Outpatient primary care providers are the target audience for this synopsis and guideline. The current recommendations are an update from the 2016 VA/DoD Clinical Practice Guidelines for the Management of Concussion-Mild Traumatic Brain Injury.