Healthcare professionals now have access to a critical new tool to aid in the assessment of mild traumatic brain injuries, also known as concussions: the mobile “Warfighter Brain Health Provider Toolkit” app. The Defense Health Agency released the app in May 2024.
“The WBH Provider Toolkit is an app that can be used on any smartphone, giving clinicians access to tools and resources to help assess, diagnose and treat patients with TBI or who are experiencing symptoms that pose a potential threat to their brain health,” explains Stephanie Maxfield Panker, who has a PhD in neuroscience and is director of clinical operations for DHA's Traumatic Brain Injury Center of Excellence. “Providers can download the app and use the tools, educational products and resources both online and offline.”
The app was developed in collaboration with developers by clinical subject matter experts from TBICoE, a branch of DHA's Directorate of Research and Engineering.
“The app guides healthcare professionals logically through the steps of a TBI assessment and provides summary information to help manage the injury,” Maxfield-Punker said.
“The app is intended to be used not only at the time of injury but also afterward,” added Gary McKinney, TBICoE's director of clinical practice and clinical recommendations. “The goal was to create an enterprise digital solution that would provide medical personnel, physicians and medics with clinically relevant information and education on concussion assessment and management.”
The app includes interactive versions of resources such as:
Military Acute Concussion Assessment 2 (MACE 2): Concussion assessment tool
• Clinical Recommendations for Graded Return to Activity: A resource for guidance on when service members can return to duty.
• Neurobehavioral Symptom Inventory: a self-report questionnaire to measure post-concussion symptoms.
Furthermore, MACE 2 and NSI are automated.
“We also provide clinical practice guidelines and educational materials,” he added. “These are static at the moment, but the goal is to eventually make them interactive.”
Being able to use the app in the field is a key factor.
“Once the app is downloaded to a user's device and they complete a simple sign-up process, the app is available for offline use,” McKinney notes. “Even if users are deployed and don't have network capabilities, they can still access their information. Updates to the app are pushed out when an approved network becomes available or is restored. We've developed a 'Quick Start Guide and FAQ' resource to help providers get started with the app.”
Maxfield-Punker emphasized that it is important to make these tools available and accessible to providers.
“Caregivers will have brain health resources at their fingertips in one place, whether they're deployed, stationed or home base, online or offline,” she said. “It's critical that caregivers always have access to the latest tools they need to assess and manage TBI and other threats to brain health, anytime, anywhere.”
According to McKinney, health care providers have been calling for improved systems for providing and accessing TBI information. “Advancements and availability of technology allow health care providers to prepare, protect and care for our Soldiers.”
“Before the WBH Provider Toolkit app, there was no one-stop shop for the comprehensive information we have here.”
Supporting DHA Strategic Planning
Maxfield Panker said the app is “directly aligned with the DHA strategic plan.”
“For example, the app ties into the priority of 'enabling combat support to joint forces in competition, crisis and conflict.' By providing easy and timely access to brain health tools, the app supports standardization of care across multiple settings.”
The app is one of the latest examples of DHA’s efforts to adopt new and emerging technologies in health care delivery.
“Automation, which we enable in garrison, combat operations and other crisis situations, will help modernize health care delivery, another priority for DHA,” McKinney said.
“The military health system is undergoing a phase of modernization focused on improving efficiencies and creating ways to create an integrated health system,” Maxfield-Punker added. “The toolkit supports this goal.”
The evolution of the WBH Provider Toolkit app
Improving and updating the app is a continuous process.
“There are some things we'd like to improve, like communicating with electronic health records, but we'll do it when the time is right,” McKinney said.
User reactions play a vital role in the process.
“We welcome feedback,” Maxfield-Punker said, “and if users would like to contact TBICoE about their experience with the app, they can submit feedback directly within the app or email [email protected].”
“I was a medic once,” McKinney added. “The battlefield has changed over the years, and just because I put on the uniform doesn't mean things aren't still the same. We need the eyes and ears of those on the ground to get feedback about their challenges and barriers to best understand how we can support them. Are we meeting their needs? Are we missing something? We can always improve.”
To learn more about the Military Health System's efforts to support warfighter brain health, visit the Warfighter Brain Health hub.
Date taken: August 29, 2024 Date posted: August 29, 2024 10:06 Story ID: 479755 Location: United States Web views: 4 Downloads: 0 Public domain
This work, “Defense Health Agency Launches New App to Help Providers Assess and Treat Traumatic Brain Injury Anytime, Anywhere,” is copyrighted by Ken Cornwell as identified by DVIDS and is subject to the restrictions set forth at https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
