Use of a portable voice organizer to remember therapy goals in traumatic brain injury rehabilitation: a within-subjects trial.
OBJECTIVE
To test the efficacy of a portable voice organizer in helping people with traumatic brain injury (TBI) to recall therapy goals and plans discussed with their clinical case managers.


METHODS
Prospective within-subjects trial, in which individualized therapy goals were randomly assigned to intervention or no intervention.


METHODS
Comprehensive postacute TBI rehabilitation program.


METHODS
Ten people with moderate to severe TBI enrolled from 3 months to 18 years after injury.


METHODS
Memory for therapy goals. Clinicians generated statements describing six current therapy goals, half of which were randomly assigned to be recorded on a voice organizer during the next case management session. Participants selected three times per day to listen to the recorded goals, prompted by an alarm. One-week recall was tested using both free- and cued-recall formats.


RESULTS
Recorded goals were recalled better than unrecorded goals and appeared to be associated with better awareness or follow-through with therapy objectives.


CONCLUSIONS
Portable electronic devices have the potential to assist with treatment areas beyond tasks involving prospective memory.
Hart
Tessa
T
Moss Rehabilitation Research Institute, Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Jefferson Medical College, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. thart@einstein.edu
Hawkey
Karen
K
Whyte
John
J
D000328:Adult; D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000150:complications* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D004582:Electronics, Medical / Q000295:instrumentation*; D005260:Female; D006040:Goals; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008569:Memory Disorders / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D011939:Mental Recall / Q000502:physiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D010349:Patient Compliance; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D017010:Reminder Systems / Q000295:instrumentation*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D013997:Time Factors; D014831:Voice