JHTR, COMBI introduce 'Tools for Clinical Use'

Starting this month, The Journal of Head Trauma Rehabilitation (JHTR)—in partnership with The Center For Outcome Measurement in Brain Injury (COMBI)—introduces a new feature designed to support effective and informed use of standardized assessments for evaluation of brain injury. The official journal of the Brain Injury Association of America, JHTR is published by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, a part of Wolters Kluwer Health.

Beginning with the January, 2012 issue, the journal will include regular profiles of assessments and instruments, drawn from the COMBI, for use in treatment and program evaluation for patients with brain injury. "The more complex the behavior or activity we want to document, the more important it is to have an objective instrument for quantifying our observations," comments John D. Corrigan, PhD, ABPP, Professor of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at The Ohio State University and Editor-in-Chief of JHTR.

"The COMBI website has created a 'one-stop shop' to look for information about measurement tools, their use and how they were validated. And now, JHTR readers will have regular updates of both existing scales and new additions to the COMBI."

Feature Highlights 'Tools for Clinical Use' from COMBI
The COMBI is an online resource providing detailed information and support on assessments and outcome measures used in brain injury rehabilitation and assessment. The COMBI is a collaborative project of 16 brain injury facilities or centers, most of them Traumatic Brain Injury Model Systems, funded through grants from the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research. The COMBI is coordinated at Santa Clara Valley Medical Center, San Jose, Calif.

Under the new partnership, the JHTR will publish a new feature called 'Tools for Clinical Use.' The recurring feature will include profiles and updates on validated, standardized instruments from the COMBI. When possible, copies of the instruments will be made available on the JHTR website.

Although the COMBI averages over 1,000 visitors and 250 downloads per day, many professionals aren't aware of the wide array of resources offered. "Clearly there's a need to continue to disseminate this information," comments Stephanie A. Kolakowsky-Hayner, PhD, CBIST, of Santa Clara Valley Medical Center. "For professionals who don't know the COMBI is out there, JHTR is helping us spread this information farther and wider than it's ever been before."

Each installment of 'Tools for Clinical Use' will highlight one of the many resources available from COMBI, introduced and discussed by Dr. Kolakowsky-Hayner and Jerry Wright, MS, CBIST. The January JHTR provides an overview and update on the Patient Competency Rating Scale (PCRS). Originally developed in 1986, the PCRS is a valuable and widely used tool for assessing lack of awareness and insight—a common problem in people with brain injury, and one that can negatively affect their ability to participate in and benefit from rehabilitation.

The discussion includes an update on new developments and versions of the PCRS for use in different settings and situations. Current plans call for a new COMBI profile to be featured several times per year in JHTR.

The new feature will encourage all professionals to "speak the same language" when evaluating and discussing brain injury outcomes, says Dr Kolakowsky-Hayner. "Teaming up with JHTR will help the COMBI to gain more recognition, and help others who are out there to access this material."

Dr Corrigan adds, "Many of the tools used in rehabilitation have been proposed for use with patients who have had brain injury, but it is critical to know if a scale has actually been validated for this patient population. Again, the COMBI is easiest-to-access source of the latest information. We hope our readers find this collaboration both handy and informative."