Head trauma rehabilitation: program evaluation

Thirty-five patients admitted to a head trauma unit with a diagnosis of traumatic head injury were evaluated from admission to discharge for functional and cognitive outcomes. Long-term outcomes after discharge to home from the rehabilitation hospital were also investigated. Significant functional and cognitive gains were made by patients at the time of discharge. Eighty-nine percent of the patients were discharged home. The length of coma significantly correlated with the length of rehabilitation days but did not correlate with either functional or cognitive improvement. The majority of the patients discharged were independent in their daily activities and did not require medical or nursing care more than every three months. However, problems seemed to exist in jobs, at school, with finances, and in relationships with friends.