title: The characteristics of patients who do not seek medical treatment for traumatic brain injury.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To identify factors associated with not seeking medical care for traumatic brain injury (TBI).
  
  
  METHODS
  Internet survey.
  
  
  METHODS
  The survey consisted of 17 questions related to demographics, TBI case ascertainment, location and mechanism of injury, type of treatment sought, and post-concussive (PC) symptoms. Logistic regression was used to identify factors associated with not seeking medical care.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 1381 survey respondents with TBI, 584 (42%) did not seek medical care. TBI respondents were less likely to seek care if they were older (OR 0.98, 95% CI 0.97-0.99), suffered a mild TBI grade 2/3 (OR 0.42, 95% CI 0.31-0.58), or were injured in the home (OR 0.53, 95% CI 0.36-0.78).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Several factors associated with not seeking medical care after TBI were identified. Raising public awareness of the signs and symptoms of TBI, and the benefits of medical care, could help increase the number of TBI patients who seek medical care.
authors.affiliation: The Elliot Hospital, Manchester, NH, USA.
authors.forename: Lon
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Setnik
authors.forename: Jeffrey J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Bazarian
mesh_terms: D000061:Accidents, Home / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001294:Attitude to Health; D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet; D008875:Middle Aged; D009518:New York / Q000453:epidemiology; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care; D038223:Post-Concussion Syndrome / Q000209:etiology; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013997:Time Factors; D015599:Trauma Severity Indices; D014474:Unconsciousness / Q000209:etiology