title: Assessment of veteran and caregiver knowledge about mild traumatic brain injury in a VA Medical Center.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine the accuracy of knowledge about mild traumatic brain injury (TBI) of veterans and their friends/family members.
  
  
  METHODS
  VA Medical Center.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred veterans and 50 of their friends/family members.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional survey.
  
  
  METHODS
  A 60-item questionnaire was created by drawing both from the Neurobehavioral Symptom Inventory and from a brain injury knowledge survey developed for use with the general public.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Both groups were equally able to identify true mild TBI items, but both also endorsed numerous items not typical of a mild injury. Self-reported prior TBI and receipt of TBI education were unrelated to the level of knowledge. For both groups, knowing another individual with TBI was unrelated to other aspects of mild TBI knowledge. Only 1 in 5 veterans endorsed receiving brain injury education while in the military.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Results of this study may assist in the development of targeted TBI educational interventions for veterans and their friends/family members within the Veterans Affairs system. Ultimately, increased knowledge about mild TBI improves the likelihood that veterans receive care congruent with their needs and may potentially improve outcomes for those with mild TBI.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Division of Medical-Clinical Psychology, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham (Ms Block, Drs Fabrizio and Labbe); and Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, Birmingham Veterans' Affairs Medical Center, Birmingham, Alabama (Drs Bagley, Hannah, and Lokken and Mss Camp and Mindingall).
authors.forename: Cady
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Block
authors.forename: Katherine
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Fabrizio
authors.forename: Beau
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Bagley
authors.forename: Joanna
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hannah
authors.forename: Susan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Camp
authors.forename: Nazaren
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Mindingall
authors.forename: Don
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Labbe
authors.forename: Kristine
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Lokken
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001294:Attitude to Health; D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology*; D017028:Caregivers / Q000193:education / Q000523:psychology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003469:Culture; D003625:Data Collection; D005260:Female; D033062:Friends / Q000523:psychology*; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D007600:Judgment; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States; D014728:Veterans / Q000193:education / Q000523:psychology*