Pediatricians' Knowledge, Attitudes, and Behaviors to Screening Children After Complicated Mild TBI: A Survey

Abstract

To understand pediatricians' attitudes, knowledge, and behaviors about the care of children with complicated mild traumatic brain injury (TBI). A total of 3500 pediatricians randomly selected from the American Medical Association Master File. It was a cross-sectional survey. A survey developed to assess pediatricians' attitudes toward following children with complicated mild TBI for cognitive and behavioral sequelae; their knowledge of TBI sequelae; and their usual evaluation and management of children after TBI. There were 576 (16.5%) completed responses. Most pediatricians (51%) see 1 or 2 patients with complicated mild TBI annually. Most do not think that pediatricians are the correct clinician group to be primarily responsible for following children with complicated mild TBI for cognitive (74%) or behavioral sequelae (54%). Pediatricians report difficulty referring children for cognitive (56%) and behavioral (48%) specialty services. Pediatricians have good knowledge of short-term complications of complicated mild TBI. Pediatricians do not think they are the clinicians that should primarily care for children after hospitalization for complicated mild TBI; however, other clinicians are frequently not accessible. Pediatricians need educational and referral support to provide surveillance for injury sequelae in this group of children.