Veterans with Traumatic Brain Injury-related Ocular Injury and Vision Dysfunction: Recommendations for Rehabilitation

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology and Optometry
• Neuroscience
• Rehabilitation Medicine

Background:

• Traumatic brain injury (TBI) frequently causes vision impairment and ocular symptoms.
• Understanding healthcare utilization for these symptoms is crucial for effective treatment access and clinical training.

Purpose of the Study:

• To report on rehabilitation, glasses/contacts, and imaging recommendations for veterans with TBI.
• To analyze healthcare utilization patterns following the Department of Veterans Affairs' mandated TBI vision examination.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of 2458 veterans with TBI from 2008-2017.
• Utilized natural language processing and statistical analysis of examination data.
• Examined recommendations for vision rehabilitation, corrective lenses, and imaging.

Main Results:

• Vision rehabilitation recommended for 24%, glasses/contacts for 57%, and imaging for 58% of veterans.
• Referrals included blind rehabilitation (37%), occupational therapy (16%), and low-vision clinics (3%).
• Over 50% of referrals could have been managed by these specialized services; specific symptoms correlated with different recommendations.

Conclusions:

• Findings outline available service delivery models for veterans with TBI-related vision impairment.
• Addresses the challenge of fragmented care pathways from TBI diagnosis to vision rehabilitation and community reintegration.