Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
Volume 89, Issue 3, Supplement 1 , Pages S21-S26, March 2008

Congenital and Acquired Brain Injury. 4. Outpatient and Community Reintegration

  • Elie P. Elovic, MD

      Affiliations

    • Kessler Medical Rehabilitation Research and Education Center, West Orange, NJ
    • Corresponding Author InformationCorrespondence to Elie P. Elovic, MD, Kessler Medical Rehabilitation Research and Education Center, 1199 Pleasant Valley Way, West Orange, NJ 07052
    • ,
  • Sunil Kothari, MD

      Affiliations

    • The Institute for Rehabilitation and Research, Houston, TX
    • ,
  • Steven R. Flanagan, MD

      Affiliations

    • Mount Sinai Hospital, New York, NY
    • ,
  • Christina Kwasnica, MD

      Affiliations

    • Barrow Neurologic Institute, Phoenix, AZ
    • ,
  • Allen W. Brown, MD

      Affiliations

    • Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN.

Abstract 

Elovic EP, Kothari S, Flanagan SR, Kwasnica C, Brown AW. Congenital and acquired brain injury. 4. Outpatient and community reintegration.

This self-directed learning module highlights the rehabilitation aspects of care for people with traumatic brain injury (TBI) after the acute phase. It focuses on issues important to community reentry, outpatient care, and return to work. It is part of the chapter on TBI medicine in the Self-Directed Physiatric Education Program for practitioners and trainees in physical medicine and rehabilitation. This article specifically focuses on the formulation of rehabilitation plans to address the issues of cognitive dysfunction, behavioral disturbances, and community reintegration. Topics covered include pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic approaches to cognitive and affective disorders, intimacy, social isolation, mobility, and return to work. Finally, the critical issues of legal competency and obtaining informed consent in the population with cognitive impairment are discussed.

Overall Article Objective

To summarize the issues that affect outpatient care, independence, and community reentry after traumatic brain injury.

Key Words: Behavior, Brain injuries, Cognition, Mental competency, Rehabilitation, Work

 

 No commercial party having a direct financial interest in the results of the research supporting this article has or will confer a benefit upon the authors or upon any organization with which the authors are associated.

 Reprints are not available from the authors.

PII: S0003-9993(07)01860-6

doi:10.1016/j.apmr.2007.12.012

Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
Volume 89, Issue 3, Supplement 1 , Pages S21-S26, March 2008

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