Traumatic brain injury management in Canada: changing patterns of care

Introduction: With growing awareness about traumatic brain injuries (TBI), there is limited information about population level patterns of TBI care in Canada. Methods: We examined data from the Canadian Community Health Survey (years 2004, 2009, and 2014) among all respondents ages 12 years and older. TBI management characteristics examined included access to care within 48 hours of injury, point of care, hospital admission, and follow-up. Results: We observed that many Canadians sought care within 48 hours of their injury, with no changes over time. We found a significant decline in the proportion of Canadians opting to visit an emergency department (p = 0.03, all ages), and a significant increase in youth opting to visit a doctor's office (p < 0.01). Conclusion: TBIs are an important and growing health concern in Canada. Care for such injuries appears to have shifted towards the use of health care professionals outside the hospital environment, including primary care doctors.