Quality of care indicators for the rehabilitation of children with traumatic brain injury.

OBJECTIVE

To develop measurement tools for assessing compliance with identifiable processes of inpatient care for children with traumatic brain injury (TBI) that are reliable, valid, and amenable to implementation.

DESIGN

Literature review and expert panel using the RAND/UCLA Appropriateness Method and a Delphi technique.

SETTING

Not applicable.

PARTICIPANTS

Children with TBI.

INTERVENTIONS: Not applicable.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Quality of care indicators.

RESULTS

A total of 119 indicators were developed across the domains of general management; family-centered care; cognitive-communication, speech, language, and swallowing impairments; gross and fine motor skill impairments; neuropsychologic, social, and behavioral impairments; school reentry; and community integration. There was a high degree of agreement on these indicators as valid and feasible quality measures for children with TBI.

CONCLUSIONS

These indicators are an important step toward building a better base of evidence about the effectiveness and efficiency of the components of acute inpatient rehabilitation for pediatric patients with TBI.