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Part
I - Brain Injury
Federal
Government
Interagency Task Force Report
Interagency Head Injury Task Force Report
The
Congress addressed the issues of Traumatic Brain Injury (then referred to as
Head Injury) in the Fiscal Year 1988 Budget for the Department of Health and
Human Services. In Report Language, the House Committee on Appropriations
states:
"The
Committee encourages the Secretary to consider the establishment of an
Interagency Head Injury Task Force to be made up of key government
administrators whose purpose would be to identify the gaps in research,
training and service delivery and to recommend solutions in addressing the
needs of the traumatic head injured. In addition, attention should be directed
to research, which could develop a system of care, from acute trauma management
to extended rehabilitation programs that would provide individuals an opportunity
to return to an optimum level of function.
The
Committee urged that the Task Force address the development of a
well-coordinated national data base system for traumatic brain injury that will
address epidemiology research, neural recovery, acute medical management and
rehabilitation, extended rehabilitation services, and needs assessment for
community reentry support services. The Committee urges the Department of
Health and Human Services and Department of Education to develop basic and
applied research in rehabilitation and technology." (House Report
No.100-256, page 71)
In
addition, in its report on the Fiscal Year 1988 Budget for the Department of
Health and Human Services, The Senate Committee on Appropriations states:
"The
Committee encourages the National Institutes of Health to increase efforts to
coordinate with other Government agencies in identifying gaps in research,
including service delivery research, and national data in the area of traumatic
head injury." (Senate Report No.100-189, page 103).
The
Department of Health and Human Services produced the Interagency Head Injury
Task Force Report in February 1989. The Task Force recommended "a series
of actions that would represent the core of a national strategy for dealing
with TBI. In addition, the Task Force has identified issues to be addressed in
the implementation of a national strategy."
Recommendation
1: Establish "traumatic brain injury" as a category in reporting
systems.
Recommendation
2: Designate a lead Federal agency with responsibility to foster overall
coordination and planning for Federal, state and private sector activities and
establish a government-private sector advisory group to assist the effort.
Recommendation
3: Encourage the establishment of working groups at the state and local
level to provide leadership and coordination.
Recommendation
4: Create a national network of 15 comprehensive regional head injury
research centers, beginning with the immediate establishment of five centers
and adding five additional centers per year for the next two years.
Recommendation
5: Organize a decentralized system of care networked with regional head
injury research centers to ensure accessibility to appropriate care. Inform TBI
victims and their families about the availability of such service facilities.
Recommendation
6: Study and document the financial issues relevant to patient and family
services, societal cost and related economic impact of TBI.
For more information contact:
Brain Injury Association, Inc.
703.236.6000 www.biausa.org
Creating a better future through brain injury prevention, research,
education and advocacy
(Posted: June 2000)