TBI prognosis calculator: A mobile application to estimate mortality and morbidity following traumatic brain injury

• Prognostication following Traumatic Brain Injury is difficult, but relevant.
• Multiple traumatic brain injury prognostic models exist and are reviewed.
• The development of a mobile application incorporating selected models is presented.
• The pros and cons of using models to inform clinical decision-making is discussed.

ObjectiveTraumatic Brain Injury (TBI) is a significant public health problem and a leading cause of worldwide mortality and morbidity. Although effective evidence-based guidelines are available to help with management, the first question clinicians and family face is whether or not it is appropriate to intervene at all. To facilitate prognostic assessment and family counseling, we developed mobile application integrating validated TBI prognostic models.MethodsThe medical literature was reviewed to identify existing and validated prognostic models of mortality and morbidity following TBI. After approbation by the selected original model authors, a mobile application incorporating these models was developed.ResultsOf more than 100 published models, we identified the MRC CRASH trial-derived models as the most appropriate TBI prognosis tools for mobile use. These were integrated into an application we called “TBI Prognosis Calculator”, which allows quick and interactive estimation of 14-days mortality and 6-months mortality and morbidity using demographic, clinical and radiologic variables. The application was programmed both for iOS-and Android-compatible devices and released as free applications in the platforms’ respective distribution channels.ConclusionsPrompt and accurate prognosis estimation in TBI is promising. Mobile applications have the potential to enable easier and quicker point-of-care access to validated models, providing additional information to improve management and family counseling. We anticipate that clinicians will find “TBI Prognosis Calculator” useful as an adjunct in their prognostic assessment and family counseling.