Congenital and acquired brain injury. 4. Outpatient and community reintegration.
This self-directed learning module highlights the rehabilitation aspects of care for people with traumatic brain injury (TBI) after the acute phase. It focuses on issues important to community reentry, outpatient care, and return to work. It is part of the chapter on TBI medicine in the Self-Directed Physiatric Education Program for practitioners and trainees in physical medicine and rehabilitation. This article specifically focuses on the formulation of rehabilitation plans to address the issues of cognitive dysfunction, behavioral disturbances, and community reintegration. Topics covered include pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic approaches to cognitive and affective disorders, intimacy, social isolation, mobility, and return to work. Finally, the critical issues of legal competency and obtaining informed consent in the population with cognitive impairment are discussed.


OBJECTIVE
To summarize the issues that affect outpatient care, independence, and community reentry after traumatic brain injury.
Elovic
Elie P
EP
Kessler Medical Rehabilitation Research and Education Center, West Orange, NJ 07052, USA. eelovic@kmrrec.org
Kothari
Sunil
S
Flanagan
Steven R
SR
Kwasnica
Christina
C
Brown
Allen W
AW
D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000523:psychology* / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D011788:Quality of Life; D011998:Recreation