Assessment of need for coordinated approach in families with victims of head injury.

Abstract

Forty two men with severe head injury, and 41 with minor head injury, together with their families, were assessed at home after the injury. Despite significant impairment with respect to physical symptoms, personality difficulties, and occupational status in severely injured patients after one year, there was a very poor uptake of hospital rehabilitation facilities. In addition, patients' relatives showed significant psychosocial impairment throughout this period. There is a need for a specialist to coordinate rehabilitation services for patients with head injury and their relatives and, in particular, to integrate physical and psychological aspects of management with a multidisciplinary team approach. Although this task will require specialist hospital teams for future development, at present general practitioners have some specialised knowledge that would enable them to coordinate rehabilitation.