Evidence map›Paper›PMID 35788224›Full record

ArticleBMC health services research2022

Healthcare choices following mild traumatic brain injury in Australia.

Jacinta Thorne, Shaun Markovic, HuiJun Chih, Elizabeth Thomas, Amanda Jefferson, Samar Aoun, Melinda Fitzgerald, Sarah Hellewell

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMC health services research, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
1.1field-weighted citation impact, top 23% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed, 7 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Article
  2. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors at 3 institutions in 2 countries.

Jacinta ThorneSchool of Allied Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, Curtin University, Bentley, WA, 6102, Australia.
Shaun MarkovicCentre for Healthy Ageing, Health Futures Institute, Murdoch University, Murdoch, WA, 6150, Australia.
HuiJun ChihSchool of Population Health, Curtin University, Bentley, WA, 6102, Australia.
Elizabeth ThomasSchool of Population Health, Curtin University, Bentley, WA, 6102, Australia.
Amanda JeffersonCurtin Medical School, Faculty of Health Sciences, Curtin University, Bentley, WA, 6102, Australia.
Samar AounPerron Institute for Neurological and Translational Science, Nedlands, WA, 6009, Australia.
Melinda FitzgeraldPerron Institute for Neurological and Translational Science, Nedlands, WA, 6009, Australia.
Sarah HellewellPerron Institute for Neurological and Translational Science, Nedlands, WA, 6009, Australia. sarah.hellewell@curtin.edu.au.
Curtin University · AUPerron Institute for Neurological and Translational Science · AUAvenir Health · US

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundAccurate data on the types of healthcare people seek in the early stages following mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) in Australia is lacking. We sought to investigate the types of healthcare people seek following mTBI, including seeking no care at all; ascertain the demographic, pre- and peri-injury factors, and symptom characteristics associated with the care that people access; and examine whether choice of care is associated with symptomatic recovery and quality of life.

methodsAn online retrospective survey of Australians aged 18 to 65 years who had experienced a self-reported 'concussion' (mTBI) within the previous 18 months. Types of healthcare accessed were investigated, as well as those who did not seek any care. Data were analysed using frequency and percentages, chi-squared tests and logistic regression models.

resultsA total of 201 respondents had experienced a self-reported 'concussion' but 21.4% of the respondents did not seek any care. Of the 183 respondents who sought healthcare, 52.5% attended a hospital Emergency Department, 41.0% attended a general practitioner and 6.6% accessed sports-based care. Compared to their counterparts, those who had a lower level of education (p = 0.001), had experienced previous mTBI (p = 0.045) or previous mental health issues (p = 0.009) were less likely to seek healthcare, whilst those who had experienced loss of consciousness (p = 0.014), anterograde (p = 0.044) or retrograde (p = 0.009) amnesia, and symptoms including drowsiness (p = 0.005), nausea (p = 0.040), and feeling slow (p = 0.031) were more likely to seek care. Those who did not seek care were more likely to recover within one month (AOR 4.90, 95%CI 1.51 - 15.89, p = 0.008), albeit the relatively large 95%CI warrants careful interpretation. Compared to seeking care, not seeking care was not found to be significantly associated with symptom resolution nor quality of life (p > 0.05).

conclusionsThis study provides unique insight into factors associated with healthcare utilisation in the early stages following mTBI, as well as outcomes associated with choice of care, including not seeking care. Delivering targeted community education on the signs and symptoms of mTBI, and the advantages of seeking care following injury is an important step forward in the management of this challenging condition.

Indexed as

Brain ConcussionAustraliaDelivery of Health CareHumansQuality of LifeRetrospective StudiesCare choiceConcussionEpidemiologyIncidenceMild traumatic brain injuryPopulation

Identifiers

PMID35788224
PMCPMC9254542
OpenAlexW4283809086

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.