title: Using the SF-36 for characterizing outcome after multiple trauma involving head injury.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The purpose of this study was to evaluate the validity of the Medical Outcomes Study 36-Item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36) for examining outcomes after multiple trauma and to investigate whether the addition of items selected to measure cognitive function could improve the sensitivity of the SF-36 for identifying differences in outcomes for patients with and without head injury.
  
  
  METHODS
  One thousand two hundred thirty patients discharged from 12 trauma centers were interviewed 1 year after injury. The interview included the SF-36 supplemented with four items chosen to assess cognitive function.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The resulting cognitive function scale is internally consistent and measures a component of health that is independent of the dimensions incorporated in the SF-36. It correlates well with established measures of brain injury severity and discriminates among patients with and without brain injury.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study underscores the need to supplement the SF-36 with a measure of cognitive function when evaluating outcome from multiple trauma involving head injury. Further studies are needed to validate the specific items chosen for measuring cognitive function.
authors.affiliation: Center for Injury Research and Policy, The Johns Hopkins School of Hygiene and Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland 21205, USA. emackenz@jhsph.edu
authors.forename: Ellen J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: MacKenzie
authors.forename: Melissa L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: McCarthy
authors.forename: John F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Ditunno
authors.forename: Carol
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Forrester-Staz
authors.forename: Gary S
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Gruen
authors.forename: Donald W
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Marion
authors.forename: William C
authors.initials: WC
authors.lastname: Schwab
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology*; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009104:Multiple Trauma / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology*; D011788:Quality of Life