Difficulties with multitasking on return to work after TBI: a critical case study.

Work performance research highlights that psychometric cognitive measures and cognitive component information processing measures are strong predictors of success in multitasking work environments [14]. People with a mild to moderate traumatic brain injury (TBI) returning to a job requiring multitasking, may have difficulty succeeding despite pre-morbid equivalent cognitive scores. A critical case study is presented to begin to determine what aspects of information processing contribute to difficulties in multitasking work performance, for people with a TBI. The Perceive Recall Plan and Perform (PRPP) System of Task Analysis: Workplace Interview (i.e. PRPP@WORK) is used with the employer to obtain information processing scores. Results indicate substantial information processing deficits were perceived by the employer for the employee with a TBI. Future larger studies of people with a TBI who return to work that requires multitasking are needed to more clearly indicate: the level of multitasking they perform; what aspects of information processing hinder their work performance; the impact on performance of perceived cognitive load by the person with a TBI and the type and impact of support provided to improve their work performance.

Cognitive and behavioural assessment of people with traumatic brain injury in the work place: occupational therapists' perceptions.

Cognitive and behavioural impairments, in the absence of severe physical disability, are commonly related to poor return to work outcomes for people with traumatic brain injury (TBI). Along with other health professionals, occupational therapists make judgements about cognitive and behavioural dimensions of work capacity of clients with TBI during the return to work process. Unlike many physical functional capacity evaluations, there is no standard method that therapists use to assess the ability of people with TBI to perform cognitive operations required for work. Little is known about what information occupational therapists use in their assessment of cognitive and behavioural aspects of client performance within the work place. This study employed qualitative research methods to determine what information is utilised by 20 therapists who assess the work capacity of people with TBI in the workplace. Results indicated that the process of making judgements about cognitive and behavioural competence within the work place is a multifaceted process. Therapists triangulate client information from multiple sources and types of data to produce an accurate view of client work capacity. Central to this process is the relationship between the client, the job and the work environment.