Assessment 2: Traumatic Brain Injury Care Report
Assessment 2: Traumatic Brain Injury Care Report
People face different health problems depending on where they work, vulnerabilities, and access to health care facilities, among other factors. Irrespective of the situation, it is right to deduce that no population segment is immune to illnesses. However, the types and severity of diseases differ profoundly. Obliged to improve people’s health and support recoveries after illnesses, health care providers propose health care plans according to the patient’s situation. It is vital to ensure that the intervention used is specific to the patient’s needs. A treatment plan for a traumatic brain injury (TBI) should address the problem in detail to avoid complications as much as possible. This paper examines a population health improvement initiative (PHII) for traumatic head injuries, focusing on outcomes, personalized care plan, evidence, evaluation, and the plan’s application to other individual cases.
Evaluation of Population Health Improvement Initiative (PHII) Outcomes
When delivering patient care, health care providers should ensure that PHIIs help to achieve the desired outcomes. For a patient with TBI, the objective should be restoring the brain’s normal function using the friendliest treatment procedures to the patient as much as possible. Particular attention should be on the patient’s consciousness, memory status before and after the TBI, neurological deficits such as loss of vision and speech, and mental state changes. In any case, health care practitioners should ensure that the symptoms’ status has been classified as mild, moderate, or severe. If differently stated, the extent of the brain damage should be explicit.
In the reported data, the main expected outcome is to improve the patient’s mental function. The interventions used focus on restoring
the brain function to ensure that the patient can continue with activities of daily living without any complications. It is also hoped that therapy and medications minimize the chances for permanent head damage. On the outcomes that were achieved based on this report, there is a lot of progress as far as prevention of complications and enhancement of brain function is concerned. Prince and Bruhns (2017) reported that the mind and the body struggle working together after a traumatic brain injury, and using mindfulness meditation can help improve the situation by offering the relaxation required to increase the patient’s awareness of feelings, thoughts, and emotions. Meditation is among the areas of excellence in the reported data.
Medication and therapy have also been mentioned as priority areas. Although psychotherapy was not immediate after the trauma, its effectiveness cannot be overlooked. According to Prince and Bruhns (2017), therapy is vital in enhancing TBI’s recovery since it helps a person relearn to perform everyday skills and movement patterns besides improving communication and overall well-being. Medications, such as anti-depressants and anti-psychotics, are effective too. Wat et al. (2019) noted that TBI patients taking medications should be in close contact with a physiatrist to manage care better. The reported data highlights the use of all these approaches, implying a lot to help a TBI patient improve cognition and other affected areas of the brain.
On the outcomes that were not achieved, the interventions used in the reported data are not specific for patients with TBI. The facility combines care for TBI and PTSD patients, implying that some generalizations in the care plan take place to address both needs simultaneously. Unfortunately, as reported, some patients end up underdiagnosed or misdiagnosed. Also, diagnostic tests to classify patients according to the severity of their condition are unavailable. One major cause of such shortfalls includes the inadequacy of resources in the facility. For instance, a facility may lack adequate staff to deal with TBI and PTSD cases in separate departments.
Improving the Outcome of the PHII
When a patient gets a TBI, it is crucial to promote normal brain functioning as quickly as possible. However, it can be challenging to achieve this objective if the intervention plans have achievement shortfalls. One way of improving outcomes is first to assess the situation quickly to determine the severity of the condition and whether it is TBI. One of the highly recommended diagnostic tools is the Glasgow Coma Scale. According to Schweitzer et al. (2019), the Glasgow Coma Scale helps care providers assess the initial severity of a brain injury to determine the person’s ability to follow directions, move eyes, and limbs speech condition. It is also important to collect sufficient data as much as possible.
Besides the use of the Glasgow Coma Scale, it is vital to consider imaging tests. In this case, exact data about the TBI should be available, including the severity and affected parts. Commonly used imaging tests include computerized tomography (CT) scan and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Smith et al. (2019) reported CT scans for TBI help to create a detailed view of the brain while visualizing the presence of fractures and bleeding. MRI uses radio waves to examine the condition of the brain. Through these tests, the severity of the condition and the assistance that the patient requires can be accurately established.
In all instances, health care providers should utilize all the resources available to maximize the efficiency of care plans. Research evidence by Smith et al. (2019) and Schweitzer et al. (2019) shows that the PHII’s outcomes can be improved by assessing the brain’s condition. Such accurate data can help to determine whether the patient requires therapy, medication, or surgery. In all situations, the effectiveness of the intervention method depends on the medical information available. How the injury occurred should be known as well as immediate changes in the patient’s overall health. TBI should not be treated alongside other illnesses such as PTSD to avoid misdiagnosis and mistreatment.
Personalized Patient Care Plan
All illnesses are treated according to the patient’s needs. In this case, patient care should embrace the principle of patient-centered care at all times. It is also vital to be culturally sensitive as much as possible. The patient from the scenario requires an intervention specific to the patient’s needs. Instead of treating the patient using a mix of TBI and PTSD interventions, a combination of medication and therapies should be used to enhance recovery. Due to the seriousness of a TBI, the patient should be closely monitored by a family member and technology used to improve monitoring. For instance, a bracelet for altering in case the patient falls is necessary. Medications include anti-seizure drugs, preferred for people with moderate to severe TBI (Wat et al., 2019). The patient has not reached a level of taking coma-inducing drugs or antidiuretics. Rehabilitation is also necessary; it helps the patient improve daily living activities (Prince & Bruhns, 2017). Moderated exercise to improve mood and muscle control is vital. Support groups are necessary too. The main lesson from the PHII is that interventions should be specific to patient needs. Accordingly, this consideration should be the guiding principle when formulating TBI-related care plans.
Analysis of Evidence
Evidence is critical in research. It is also crucial to ensure that research used for health-related information is solid and detailed as much as possible. In this case, the evidence level should be high to meet the required threshold for medical research. Researches by Prince and Bruhns (2017) and Schweitzer et al. (2019) are level I evidence. They are a collection of experimental trials. Research studies by Wat et al. (2019) and Smith et al. (2019) provide level II evidence. In each case, the level of evidence meets the required threshold for guiding a care plan. Jointly, all these information pieces help to improve care for TBI. Accordingly, they are reliable as far as changing the patient’s condition as the situation necessitates is concerned.
Evaluation Strategy
Evaluation determines whether a treatment approach meets the desired outcomes. Process and outcome evaluations can be used to assess the outcomes of the personalized care approach. Attention should be on changes in the patient’s brain functioning evidenced by improved coordination and ability to execute daily functions. One measurable aspect is speech. Improved speech manifests better/improving brain-body coordination.
Application to Other Cases
One of the interventions that can fit other situations is rehabilitation. Most people with a brain injury require rehabilitation. The intervention can also be applied in other scenarios where a person’s cognition ability has been affected, such as depression and PTSD. Rehabilitation, through therapy, starts at the hospital and continues to the residential treatment facility. It can be used at home too. Services include occupational and physical therapy, physiatrist’s service, and speech and language therapy. Support groups help a person to cope as a source of emotional and mental support.
In conclusion, traumatic brain injury is among the most complicated health conditions to solve. Patients require close attention, and the problem should be assessed in detail and the specific problem identified. It is always challenging to personalize a patient care plan if the illness’s severity has not been determined. Treatments for TBI include a combination of procedures, including coping and support, rehabilitation, and medication.
References
Prince, C., & Bruhns, M. E. (2017). Evaluation and treatment of mild traumatic brain injury: the role of neuropsychology. Brain Sciences, 7(8), 105. https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci7080105
Smith, L. G., Milliron, E., Ho, M. L., Hu, H. H., Rusin, J., Leonard, J., & Sribnick, E. A. (2019). Advanced neuroimaging in traumatic brain injury: An overview. Neurosurgical Focus, 47(6), E17. https://doi.org/10.3171/2019.9.FOCUS19652
Schweitzer, A. D., Niogi, S. N., Whitlow, C. T., & Tsiouris, A. J. (2019). Traumatic brain injury: Imaging patterns and complications. RadioGraphics, 39(6), 1571-1595. https://doi.org/10.1148/rg.2019190076
Wat, R., Mammi, M., Paredes, J., Haines, J., Alasmari, M., Liew, A., … & Zaidi, H. (2019). The effectiveness of antiepileptic medications as prophylaxis of early seizure in patients with traumatic brain injury compared with placebo or no treatment: a systematic review and meta-analysis. World Neurosurgery, 122, 433-440. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wneu.2018.11.076