Internet and Social Media Use After Traumatic Brain Injury: A Traumatic Brain Injury Model Systems Study.

The sample excluded individuals with mild TBI and those with severe TBI who could not self-report, so findings do not apply to the full spectrum of injury severity. Participants were drawn from a rehabilitation database, meaning they all had access to inpatient care, which may skew the population toward those with better initial resources or insurance coverage. The study measured the quantity of internet use but not the quality or appropriateness of the interactions, leaving open the question of whether online engagement was beneficial or problematic. Pre-injury familiarity with technology was not assessed, so it is unclear if non-use is a new deficit or a continuation of prior habits.

The study was funded by the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR). The authors declared no conflicts of interest.

Do not conclude that TBI itself is the primary barrier to internet access. The study found no significant difference in internet use based on injury severity or time since injury. Instead, barriers were largely socio-economic (age, income, education). Assuming a patient is offline because of cognitive deficits may lead you to overlook the actual issues of access or digital literacy related to their background.