Outcomes and Perceived Needs among Individuals with Severe Injuries in Indiana

James Malec, PhD (Principal Investigator; RHI), Jacob Kean, PhD (RHI/IU-Bloomington), Joseph Thomas, PhD (Purdue), Susan Perkins and Tracie Pettit (IN Trauma Registry)

 

Investigators from the Rehabilitation Hospital of Indiana, Purdue University and the Indiana Trauma Registry received funding from the Indiana Spine and Brain Injury Research Fund to conduct research aimed at expanding scientific knowledge about the long term outcomes and perceived needs of individuals with traumatic brain injury (TBI) and spinal cord injury (SCI) and other severe injuries, expanding knowledge about injury-related and demographic factors associated with outcomes and perceived needs, developing methods for conducting follow-up with individuals with SCI and TBI that may be used by the Indiana Trauma Registry in the future, and exploring the potential to link the Indiana Trauma Registry to other relevant State of Indiana databases. Population-referenced long term follow-up studies like this are few, and no prior study has focused on Indiana residents specifically. The study should yield valuable scientific information and provide Indiana researchers, care providers, and policy makers with practical information to guide the development of systems of care and services, public policy, and future research to assist those who have experienced severe traumatic injuries to return to full and productive lives.