Effective Rehabilitation for Children and Adolescents With Brain Injury: Evaluating and Disseminating the Evidence

OBJECTIVE: To develop and evaluate literature reviews of the effectiveness of rehabilitation interventions for children with brain injury. DESIGN: We wrote 6 research summaries, which were evaluated by study participants. SETTING: Community. PARTICIPANTS: A convenience sample that included 18 parents of children with brain injury, 18 service providers, and 12 insurance industry representatives. INTERVENTIONS: Not applicable. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Questionnaire designed for the evaluation of printed material. RESULTS: Few articles were found that focused on evaluation of rehabilitation interventions for children with brain injury. Study participants were representative of a broad range of educational and professional backgrounds. Before reading the research summaries, service providers reported greater familiarity with the topics than did parents and insurance representatives. Despite this finding, there were no significant between-group differences in the format, content, and impact ratings provided by the 3 participant groups. CONCLUSIONS: Research summaries written in a clear, straightforward manner are appropriate for people with different educational and professional backgrounds. Further research into the effectiveness of rehabilitation interventions is needed to support informed decision-making that results in the best outcomes for children with brain injury.