Quality standard

Quality statement 7: Community rehabilitation services for people (aged 16 and over) with traumatic brain injury

Quality statement 7: Community rehabilitation services for people (aged 16 and over) with traumatic brain injury

Quality statement

Community‑based neurorehabilitation services provide a range of interventions to help support people (aged 16 and over) with continuing cognitive, communicative, emotional, behavioural or physical difficulties as a result of a traumatic brain injury.

Rationale

Community‑based neurorehabilitation services can be important in helping people (aged 16 and over) who have had a traumatic brain injury regain independence and return to their normal daily lives (for example, going back to work or continuing their education).

Quality measures

The following measures can be used to assess the quality of care or service provision specified in the statement. They are examples of how the statement can be measured, and can be adapted and used flexibly.

Structure

Evidence of local arrangements to provide community‑based neurorehabilitation services supplying a range of interventions to support people (aged 16 and over) with continuing cognitive, communicative, emotional, behavioural or physical difficulties as a result of a traumatic brain injury.

Data source: No routinely collected national data for this measure has been identified. Data can be collected from information recorded locally by healthcare professionals and provider organisations, for example from service protocols.

What the quality statement means for different audiences

Service providers (primary care and community rehabilitation services) ensure that systems are in place to offer community‑based neurorehabilitation services providing a range of interventions to people (aged 16 and over) with continuing cognitive, communicative, emotional, behavioural or physical difficulties after a traumatic brain injury.

Healthcare professionals ensure that they offer community‑based neurorehabilitation services providing a range of interventions to people (aged 16 and over) with continuing cognitive, communicative, emotional, behavioural or physical difficulties after a traumatic brain injury.

Commissioners ensure that there is sufficient capacity for community‑based neurorehabilitation services to provide a range of interventions to help support people (aged 16 and over) with continuing cognitive, communicative, emotional, behavioural or physical difficulties after a traumatic brain injury.

People aged 16 and over who have had a head injury that has left them with problems with their memory, concentration or communication, or with emotional or physical difficulties, are offered a programme of rehabilitation after they leave hospital to help them recover their independence and return to their normal daily lives.

Source guidance

Definitions of terms used in this quality statement

Traumatic brain injury

Traumatic brain injury is defined as a traumatically induced structural injury and/or physiological disruption of brain function as a result of an external force that is indicated by new or worsening of at least 1 of the following clinical signs, immediately after the event:

  • any period of loss of or a decreased level of consciousness

  • any loss of memory for events immediately before or after the injury

  • any alteration in mental state at the time of the injury (such as confusion, disorientation or slowed thinking)

  • neurological deficits (such as weakness, loss of balance, change in vision, praxis, paresis or plegia, sensory loss or aphasia) that may or may not be transient

  • intracranial lesion.

[SIGN's guideline on brain injury rehabilitation in adults]

Range of interventions

Interventions to provide rehabilitation after a traumatic brain injury can include neuropsychological therapy, cognitive behavioural therapy, occupational therapy, physiotherapy, speech and language therapy, family interventions and vocational interventions. [SIGN's guideline on brain injury rehabilitation in adults]

Equality and diversity considerations

Provision should be made to ensure access to services for people (aged 16 and over) who find it difficult to travel long distances because of disability, financial barriers or other factors.