Baker Anne, Unsworth Carolyn A, Lannin Natasha A
Department of Occupational Therapy, Faculty of Health Sciences, La Trobe University, Victoria, Australia.
Aust Occup Ther J. 2015 Feb;62(1):50-5. doi: 10.1111/1440-1630.12172. Epub 2014 Dec 11.
BACKGROUND/AIM: Occupational therapists work together with their medical and nursing colleagues to ensure that patients are able to return to safe and legal driving upon discharge from the emergency department after a range of illnesses and/or injuries. This study aimed to determine the type of information that is provided nationally in emergency departments to people after mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI), with respect to fitness-to-drive.
Cross-sectional electronic survey mailed to all emergency departments in Australia (N = 110). Responses were invited from medical, nursing, and allied-health professionals. The survey asked respondents to comment about the existence and use of fitness-to-drive management guidelines, as well as their opinion on when clearance should be given to return to driving post injury.
104 clinicians completed the survey; the majority of respondents were medical staff (n = 46, 51%) followed by allied-health staff (n = 23, 25%), with the highest response rate provided from Victoria (n = 41, 45%). Just over one-third of respondents' emergency departments (n = 34, 36%) recommended a period of 'no driving' after mTBI, and within these departments, this recommendation was usually provided by medical staff (n = 25, 80%). Consensus was not displayed with respect to the safest time to return to driving after mTBI. Opinions from respondents strongly suggested that a review of fitness-to-drive management guidelines was required for mTBI patients (n = 78, 88%).
No consensus exists in the fitness-to-drive recommendations provided to patients after mTBI, and clinicians have reported the need for a review of fitness-to-drive management guidelines in Australian emergency departments. With their understanding about the complex interplay of the skills required for safe driving, occupational therapists are positioned to help guide the development of protocols in this area.
背景/目的：职业治疗师与医学和护理同事共同努力，确保患者在一系列疾病和/或受伤后从急诊科出院时能够安全合法地恢复驾驶。本研究旨在确定澳大利亚急诊科全国范围内针对轻度创伤性脑损伤（mTBI）患者提供的关于驾驶适宜性的信息类型。
向澳大利亚所有急诊科（N = 110）邮寄横断面电子调查问卷。邀请医学、护理和专职医疗专业人员回复。该调查要求受访者评论驾驶适宜性管理指南的存在和使用情况，以及他们对受伤后何时应获准恢复驾驶的意见。
104名临床医生完成了调查；大多数受访者是医务人员（n = 46，51%），其次是专职医疗人员（n = 23，25%），维多利亚州的回复率最高（n = 41，45%）。略超过三分之一的受访者所在急诊科（n = 34, 36%）建议mTBI后有一段“禁止驾驶”期，在这些科室中，这一建议通常由医务人员提出（n = 25，80%）。对于mTBI后恢复驾驶的最安全时间未达成共识。受访者的意见强烈表明，mTBI患者需要对驾驶适宜性管理指南进行审查（n = 78，88%）。
对于mTBI后向患者提供的驾驶适宜性建议不存在共识，临床医生报告称澳大利亚急诊科需要对驾驶适宜性管理指南进行审查。鉴于职业治疗师了解安全驾驶所需技能的复杂相互作用，他们有能力帮助指导该领域方案的制定。
