Brain Injury Awareness Month gives us an opportunity to raise awareness and support for service members, veterans and families whose lives are affected by traumatic brain injury (TBI). As DCoE’s deputy director for TBI, I work with many others including the Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center to improve TBI care delivered to service members in deployed and non-deployed environments. The Defense Department made significant advancements in TBI management during the past several years and we’re continuing to learn as we treat. Navigating the clinical challenges that providers face in the field is critical to ensure we’re employing state-of-the-art care for all levels of TBI severity, from concussion to severe and penetrating brain injuries.
The department is aggressively working to improve the diagnosis and treatment of TBI in-theater. By issuing the Directive Type Memorandum (DTM) “Policy Guidance for Management of Concussion/Mild TBI in the Deployed Setting,” commanders or their representatives are required to assess all service members involved in potentially concussive events, to include those without apparent injuries, using the Injury/Evaluation/Distance from Blast (I.E.D.) checklist.
By Kathy Helmick
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