Measuring Rehabilitation Service Use After Traumatic Brain Injury: Development and Initial Validation of the Rehabilitation Utilization Measure (RUM) 0591

No comprehensive, feasible, or validated measure of rehabilitation service use exists—until now. Rehabilitation service use may be a key factor influencing recovery from traumatic brain injury (TBI) but the lack of a rigorous measurement tool precludes research progress. We present results from our NICHD-funded study to develop and conduct initial validation of a caregiver-report measure of rehabilitation service use after pediatric TBI, the Rehabilitation Utilization Measure (RUM). Audience members will have the opportunity to ask questions and provide feedback on the RUM for additional measure refinement. This effort serves as a critical first step toward examining whether variance in rehabilitation utilization accounts for significant outcome heterogeneity following pediatric TBI. Future directions for the RUM include use in comparative effectiveness studies to identify effective rehabilitation therapies, use as a clinical tool to improve patient outcomes, and adaptation for research and clinical use in children and adults from wide-ranging rehabilitation populations.