TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY 5
TraumaticBrain Injury
Theresearch problem in this article is that, little is understood aboutthe needs and experiences of (TBI) victims andtheir family members. This is in relation to the victims’ abilityto drive. There lacks a clear understanding about the transitionperiod which covers interruption to driving, return to driving, orpermanent cessation of driving. This is despite the considerationthat driving is the most important concern for people with (TBI)above any other functional limitation. The authors present a problemthat is little understood about the transition process in terms ofneeds and experiences of TBI victims. Having the knowledge about thevictims’ needs and experiences would improve rehabilitationapproaches and hence successful transition. Poor or lack ofunderstanding of the transition process and generalized assessment ofpeople with TBI driving abilities, are possible contributors of highrates of accidents.
Theevidence of this as a research problem is presented through thereview of literature whereby a gap is presented. The authors observethat, most of the research studies and clinical attention focus moreon the methods of predicting safe driving performance of people withTBI. While citing relevant and current sources, of between year 2000and 2008, the authors demonstrate that there is increased awarenessabout challenges faced by people who are unable to return to drivingor who have had an extended period without driving. There are alsoconcerns on ability to achieve community reintegration withoutdriving and its potential impact on mood and identity. Additionally,the authors observe increasing awareness about the potentiallong-term risks associated with being a non- driver.
Whilejustifying using relevant literature, the researchers alsodemonstrate that the impact of non- driving has been extensivelydocumented within other populations. Examples of such populationsinclude the elderly, and the victims of stroke and spinal cordinjury. Therefore, the gap presented is that there are no previousresearch studies that have been conducted about TBI victims inrelation to their driving abilities. In addition, the extensivestudies for the above stated populations have scarcely touched on thetransition process of either returning to driving or permanentcessation of driving.
Beinga descriptive research study, qualitative research approach wasapplied. The semi-structured interviews conducted either face to faceor over the telephone were used to collect qualitative data fromparticipants. Use of semi-structured interviews to collectqualitative data helped to have a broad exploration about theexperiences of the victims of TBI. During the analysis of thecollected data, the use of NVIVO, a program used to managequalitative data, and a thematic analysis were applied to analyze thecollected qualitative data.
Theresearch article bridged the knowledge gap about the transitionprocess for people with TBI. The research creates an understanding oftheir needs and experiences during the transition period. Theknowledge provided in the research article about the victims’ needsand experiences is important for health care providers when helpingthe victims during the rehabilitation process. For example, theknowledge that informational, support, and practical needs differ atdifferent times is vital for a successful rehabilitation process.
Havingthis understanding is also helpful not only to the health careproviders but also to individuals with TBI. This is because whenhealth care providers have a sound understanding of needs andexperiences of the victims, they are able to provide effective healthcare during the rehabilitation process (Liddle et al., 2011). As aresult, this would ensure successful transition process for thevictims.
Theknowledge is also helpful in dealing with some problems encounteredin the occupational therapy process. An example is the problem oflack explicit basis for determining cessation of driving for TBIvictims. An understanding of the needs and experiences of the TBIvictims would help in therapy process. This is because the victimswould be adequately prepared to deal with the effects and outcomes ofthe TBI in relation driving.
Basicallythe knowledge from the research article can be useful in improvingthe rehabilitation process for the TBI victims and hence successfuloutcomes.
Reference
Liddle,K, Fleming, J., McKenna, K., Turpin, M., Whitelaw, P., & Allen,S. (2011). Driving and driving cessation after traumatic braininjury: Processes and key times of need. Disability and Rehabilitation, 33(25-26),2574-2586.