Factors Related to Quality of Life among Traumatic Brain Injury Patients after Discharged

Abstract

          Quality of life of patients with TBI is an indicator of continuing of care. The purpose of this study was to explore the QOL of patients with TBI and related factors, which included social support and disability among patients with TBI after discharge from Songklanakarind Hospital. Seventy TBI patients were purposively selected after discharge from Songklanakarind Hospital for at least 1 month. They were interviewed using the Quality of Life after Brain Injury (QOLIBRI) questionnaire, the Medical Outcomes Study scale (MOS) and the Disability Rating Scale (DRS). Data were analyzed using Pearson correlation coefficient.

          The sample comprised 48 males and 22 females with mean age 41 years (SD = 15.6). On average they had a history of traumatic brain injury more than 9 months previously. Initial diagnosis was reported as mild TBI (51.4%), followed by severe TBI (34.3%). Regarding the patients’ status before discharge assessed by Glasgow Outcome Score (GOS), nearly half had at a moderate disability (45.7%) and 34.3% had good outcome. Mean QOL of
TBI patients was 70.71 (SD = 14.70) and 62.9% were at a high level. DRS was negatively significantly correlated with QOL (r = -0.30, p < 0.05) while MOS scale was a positively significantly correlated with QOL (r = 0.52, p < 0.01)

          Nurses should promote the QOL of TBI patients by increasing social support dimension from family and community and focusing on continuing rehabilitation program for TBI patients.