Introduction to Traumatic Brain Injury Course

Course Information

• Course Type - Free, Open, Online
• Course Co-ordinators - Rachael Lowe, Naomi O'Reilly, Anna Zeimer, Wendy Walker
• Institution - Physiopedia
• About this course - This online course will develop knowledge of traumatic brain injury.
• Who can take part- This course is aimed at Physiotherapy and Physical Therapy professionals, clinicians, students and assistants; other interested health care professionals interested in this subject are more than welcome to participate. 
• Date of next course - 21 October 2019
• Time commitment - approximately 16 hours over 4 weeks
• Language - the course will be in [# English]
• Requirements - You will complete online learning activities, engage with additional resources, take part in the conversation online and complete the course evaluation.
• Assessment - There will be a final quiz.
• Awards - Physioplus completion certificate and CPD points. CEUs in the USA and in South Africa.

Course Access

Th course will be available from 21 October here:

• [# English version]

Introduction

Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), also known as Acquired Brain Injury (ABI), is defined as a non-progressive injury to the brain, which occurred as a result of trauma. It occurs when an external force impacts the brain, & is most often caused by a blow, bump, jolt or penetrating wound to the head.

Traumatic brain injury is a leading cause of death and disability worldwide, with enormous economic consequences. The presentation depends on the areas of the brain which have been damaged. Signs and Symptoms may include loss of consciousness; cognitive issues such as problems with concentration, attention, memory, speed of processing, language comprehension, confusion, impulsive behaviour; Speech and language issues such as receptive aphasia (ie. not understanding the spoken word), expressive aphasia (difficulty with/inability to talk), and slurred speech; Vision Issues such as blindness or partial blindness, blurred vision, double vision (diplopia), photophobia, and light sensitivity; Hearing Issues such as Deafness, or reduction in hearing, tinnitus (ringing in the ears), increased sensitivity to sounds (hyperacusis, phonophobia); Issues with smell and taste such as reduced or loss of sense of smell and/or taste, reduced appetite; Emotional and Social Issues such as irritability, aggression, depression, apathy, inhibition, lack of insight, reduced motivation, mood swings.

Traumatic brain injury is also associated with a risk of developing secondary conditions that can be debilitating and even life-threatening including deep vein thrombosis, urinary tract infections, osteoporosis, pressure ulcers, chronic pain, and respiratory complications. Acute care, rehabilitation services and ongoing health maintenance are essential for prevention and management of these conditions.

Traumatic brain injury is a complex pathology with many different clinical presentations. Best practice requires skills in assessment, treatment and rehabilitation when working with individuals with acute and chronic impairment as a result of a traumatic brain injury. Traumatic brain injury is a large topic area, and can be studied as an area of clinical specialism within Physiotherapy, therefore this course is by no means exhaustive.

This learn topic will provide an overview of physiotherapy practice relating to traumatic brain injury to develop a foundation of knowledge that will enable you to assess and treat individuals with acute and chronic impairment as a result of traumatic brain injury. This topic aims to give you a deeper understanding of the anatomy, structure, clinical presentation, assessment and management of traumatic brain injury based on the latest evidence available. The global network formed through this course will allow for shared knowledge and experiences to support good health care and a better quality of life for individuals with a traumatic brain injury around the world.

Aim

This course aims to provide a basic theoretical understanding of the management of traumatic brain injury in order to equip physiotherapists with sufficient knowledge to manage a person following a traumatic brain injury. This includes assessing impairments, activity limitations and participation restrictions, setting appropriate goals of treatment, formulating an evidence-based treatment plan, implementing treatment and evaluating its success.

Intended Audience

This course is aimed at Physiotherapy and Physical Therapy professionals, clinicians, students and assistants; other interested health care professionals interested in this subject are more than welcome to participate. 

Learning Objectives

At the end of this course you will be able to:

• Discuss the current burden of traumatic brain injury
• Understand the risk factors and complex causes for traumatic brain injury
• Understand and recognise the various clinical prentations of traumatic brain injury
• Select appropriate assessment techniques and outcomes measures for traumatic brain injury
• Evaluate the information gathered from the assessment of an individual with a traumatic brain injury in order to formulate a treatment plan
• Demonstrate clinical reasoning when presented with impairments related to traumatic brain injury
• Demonstrate an understanding of the range of therapeutic interventions for the management of traumatic brain injury
• Critically analyse the literature related to traumatic brain injury assessment, management and rehabilitation

Course Structure

This course will be divided into 4 sections and it is suggested (but not required) that each section be completed over the duration of approximately a week. Please note that no deadlines are applied and this course can be started and completed according to your own schedule. We expect the required elements of each section/week to take around 4-6 hours depending on your schedule and learning style. Additionally there are many optional resources provided and if you choose to review these the course could take significantly longer to complete.

It’s not going to be easy, we’ll expect you to work hard for your completion certificate! You won’t be sitting back and watching webinars, we’ll expect you to undertake reading tasks, complete quizzes, perform literature searches and other learning activities. You’ll need to reflect on your own experiences and make written contributions to the discussion forum. This forum is where we can learn from each other’s experiences and knowledge from all around the world! At the end of the course, when you have completed all of the required elements, you will be able to download a certificate of completion and 16 Physioplus points will be added to your personalised learning dashboard.

Course Outline

• Section 1: Introduction to Traumatic Brain Injury; Epidemiology, Anatomy & Clinical Presentations;
• Section 2: Assessment of Traumatic Brain Injury including Outcome Measures;
• Section 3: Management of Traumatic Brain Injury including Clinical Guidelines
• Section 4: Therapeutic Interventions for Traumatic Brain Injury
• Section 5: Final Tasks and Optional Assignment
• Section 6: Optional extra module on Concussion.

Types of learning activity involved

Reading Physiopedia pages, journal articles, book chapters. Watching videos. Attempting quizzes. Participating in an international discussion forum.

Cost

This course is FREE!

Where

This is a completely online course which will take place in Physiopedia's complimentary e-learning platform Physioplus - you can see the course details here. You will need need to set up a trial account to access the course which will become available on the site on 21 October 2019.

Time Commitment

Completing this course will involve approximately 16 hours of learning activities that can be completed online on a participant’s own schedule.

Language

This course will be in English. For the English course - although participants will only require basic English skills (reading skills are more important than conversational skills). Participants will be encouraged to be respectful and empathetic to those for whom English is not their first language (e.g. in the discussion forum).

Accreditation, Assessment and Certification

The course will be accredited in 32 States in the USA, Australia and South Africa.

On the successful completion of this course each participant will be provided with a Physioplus Certificate of Completion and PP+ Points (our own Physioplus points which are equivalent to CPD Points/CEUs). These will be awarded provided you:

1. Be part of the Physiopedia Plus Community Culture.
2. Log as completed all the required learning activities.
3. Actively and appropriately participate in the course discussions.
4. Pass a final quiz with a score of 80% or more.
5. Complete a course evaluation form.

Thanks!

We would like to extend a massive thank you to the private donation that has funded this course. The donors are individuals that wish to empower rehabilitation professionals all over the world to effectively manage people with traumatic brain injury.