Provider-Recommended Strategies to Support Caregiver Needs After Inpatient Rehabilitation for Pediatric TBI

Caregivers of children with traumatic brain injury (TBI) often report unmet healthcare needs following their child’s injury. The objective of this study was to survey medical and educational professionals in focus groups to respond to caregiver perceived gaps in care and service provision for children with TBI identified in a prior qualitative study. Subjects included 29 medical and educational providers. Reflexive thematic analysis of responses included inductive and deductive analysis and iterative consensus among the authors. Themes identified included (1) improving education and care in the hospital, (2) preparing families to go home, (3) improving behavioral health care, (4) navigating schools, (5) empowering caregivers with resources and (6) medical and system barriers. These solutions require implementation at the individual, hospital, and broader systemic levels. Overall, provider solutions illuminate a greater need to improve care coordination to navigate a child’s long-term medical needs and transition back to school, as well as the need to train more pediatric brain-injury-aware providers and improve policy and support systems.