Related Experiment Video
Updated: Sep 9, 2025
Using Visual and Narrative Methods to Achieve Fair Process in Clinical Care
Published on: February 16, 2011
Global Outcomes Across 20 Years After Inpatient Rehabilitation for Traumatic Brain Injury.
Gale G Whiteneck1, John D Corrigan, Jessica M Ketchum
1Author Affiliations: Craig Hospital Research Department, Englewood, Colorado (Drs Whiteneck and Ketchum); Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio (Dr Corrigan); H. Ben Taub Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Baylor College of Medicine, and Brain Injury Research Center, TIRR Memorial Hermann, Houston, Texas (Dr Sander); Department of Medicine, Indiana School of Medicine and Regenstrief Institute, Indianapolis, Indiana (Dr Kroenke); and Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana (Dr Hammond).
Outcomes after traumatic brain injury (TBI) vary significantly based on Glasgow Outcome Scale - Extended (GOS-E) scores at one year and age at injury. Visualizing these GOS-E changes over 20 years aids in predicting long-term TBI recovery.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Rehabilitation Medicine
- Public Health
Background:
- Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a leading cause of disability worldwide.
- Long-term outcomes after TBI are complex and influenced by various factors.
- Understanding outcome trajectories is crucial for patient care and resource allocation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To visually represent the longitudinal distribution of Glasgow Outcome Scale - Extended (GOS-E) scores after TBI.
- To explore how GOS-E at Year 1 postinjury and age at injury influence long-term outcomes.
- To introduce a novel visualization method for TBI outcome patterns.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of a prospectively collected longitudinal database of 14,010 individuals from the TBI Model Systems.
- Cross-sectional analysis of GOS-E scores at 1, 2, 5, 10, 15, and 20 years post-TBI.
- Utilized 100% stacked bar graphs to display outcome distributions stratified by Year 1 GOS-E and age at injury.
Main Results:
- GOS-E at Year 1 and age at injury significantly impact long-term TBI outcomes.
- Worsening GOS-E at Year 1 correlates with decreased good recovery and increased severe disability.
- Older age at injury is associated with higher mortality rates over time.
Conclusions:
- A novel visual approach effectively displays TBI outcome trajectories over 20 years.
- The visualizations highlight the prognostic value of early GOS-E scores and age at injury.
- Further evaluation of these visual tools with stakeholders is recommended to assess their utility in communicating TBI outcomes.
