Home/community monitoring using telephonic follow-up

Service members who have had a traumatic brain injury (TBI) in a war theatre [ Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) and Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF)] may have associated injuries far different and/or more complex (i.e., polytrauma) than injuries obtained outside the theatre of operation. This article expands on what has been learned from monitoring patients injured during peacetime to the newly injured war veterans being monitored in the home setting via routine telephonic follow-up. As Tanielian et al. state TBI, post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and major depression may occur during and following deployment/s which then pose a significant health risk to these veterans. This is particularly important as veterans of these two conflicts may incur these "invisible wounds of war." Thus, safe and effective monitoring of these veterans by nurses/case managers in the home/community setting becomes important in the recovery process.