Understanding Health-Related Quality of Life in Caregivers of Civilians and Service Members/Veterans With Traumatic Brain Injury: Reliability and Validity Data for the TBI-CareQOL Measurement System.

The computer adaptive test scores were simulated from full item banks, not collected from actual adaptive administration. Most caregivers were Caucasian, female, and spouses, so the results may not apply to other caregiver groups. The person with TBI had to be at least 1 year post injury, so the findings do not cover caregivers of people with acute injury. Civilian and service member/veteran caregiver eligibility differed. The service member/veteran sample included uncomplicated mild and equivocal TBI, while the civilian sample did not. TBI severity was not documented for 60% of the military sample. Retest participants differed from the full sample. They were about 4 years younger, more highly educated, and more likely to be caring for someone younger and more impaired. The study did not test responsiveness to treatment or clinically relevant cut-points linked to diagnoses and referrals.

The article lists NIH extramural and U.S. government non-PHS research support. The supplied text gives no author conflict of interest statement.

Do not treat a score of 60 or higher, or a score of 70 or higher, as a clinical diagnosis. The paper says these scores may warrant follow-up or referral, but responsiveness and diagnosis-linked cut-points still need further work.