As the Defense Department continues efforts to equip providers with tools and resources to improve the quality of care and clinical outcomes for patients, they’ve released a new quick reference guide for your smartphone: the Mild TBI Pocket Guide Mobile Application. Developed by DCoE and National Center for Telehealth and Technology (T2), the app is a comprehensive resource for primary care providers, on the treatment and management of patients with mild TBI and related symptoms.

"This new tool is about providing clinicians with quick and convenient access to clinical guidelines for concussion care. It not only allows the clinician to provide evidenced-based care but maximizes time spent with the patient," said Katherine Helmick, DCoE deputy director for traumatic brain injury.

The mobile app offers a wide range of diagnostic, treatment and information resources. Key features of the application include:

• Interactive decision trees: Helps identify the best interventions and timing of services for patients to optimize quality of care and clinical outcomes
• Symptom management: Identifies guidelines for managing common symptoms following mild TBI
• Provider assessments: Provides frequently-used assessments and scoring tools used in treating patients with mild TBI
• Relevant Defense Department ICD-9 coding: Consolidates appropriate codes for efficient documentation
• Interactive links: Provides direct access to additional tools and resources

An electronic version of the Mild TBI Pocket Guide is also available for download on the DCoE website under TBI Clinical Documents. There, you’ll also find clinical practice guidelines and clinical guidance documents. For hard copies of these documents, contact the Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center (DVBIC) at info@dvbic.org or 800-870-9244.

For information on additional mobile applications for behavioral health care purposes, check out the list of mobile apps available on the T2 website here: www.t2health.org/apps.

The Mild TBI Pocket Guide mobile application is free and available on Android smartphones.

Recently, the business of 'brain-training' software has rapidly grown in profile. Earlier this year, the the Department of Defense awarded a $2 million grant to study the effectiveness of Posit Science software in restoring memory and attention in victims of traumatic brain injury. The company Luminosity has secured a grant through the Navy to study how its brain training games can improve cognitive ability and fluid intelligence.

Can game-like software really help adults with brain injury improve memory, attention and language skills, over the long-term?

Early research looked promising, but critics doubt that short-term improvements in memory would last longer than the three-month period observed in most studies. The randomized clinical trial through the DoD would test 132 service members with mild TBI over a six month period – the final test would be 3 months after the end of cognitive training.

In short, more research needs to be done to gauge the impact of 'brain-training' on cognitive skills in specific populations (e.g. adults with brain injury), over a longer period of time.

Recent articles:

New York Times/The Bay Citizen – Turning to Software to Help Treat Brain Injuries

Ars Technica – Brain Training Boosts Working Memory, But Only In Some People

Fast Company – Why "Brain Gyms" May Be The Next Big Business

Blogs.Forbes.com – Luminosity Looks to Make Military Smarter with Navy Grant

New this week, the Department of Defense has released a mobile application for health care professionals, the Mild Traumatic Brain Injury Pocket Guide. The tool aims to provide clinicians with quick and convenient access to clinical guidelines for concussion care, allowing the clinician to provide evidenced-based care and maximize time spent with the patient.

The mobile application is free and available for download on Android smart phones. Key features of the app include: 

• Interactive decision trees
• Symptom management guidelines
• Provider assessments
• Relevant DoD ICD-9 Coding
• Interactive links

https://market.android.com/details?id=org.t2health.mtbi. 

Hard copies of the pocket guide can be ordered by contacting the Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center at info@dvbic.org or 1-800-870-9244.