The Brain Injury Screening Tool (BIST) was designed by a working group of GPs, trauma clinicians, allied health professionals, academics, Māori advisors, people with lived experience and service providers to help clinicians assess and manage suspected brain injury (or concussion) in people 8 years of age and older.
The BIST takes about 6 minutes to complete.
The BIST-3 can be used in any healthcare setting, including emergency departments, inpatient settings, primary care and allied health services.
Download to read an overview of the changes made to the BIST based on research evidence and clinical implementation learnings.
Once completed, the BIST will provide a recommendation as to whether the person is at risk of a prolonged recovery. This recommendation is only a guide, and final decision-making lies with the clinician.
Use of the tool can be halted at any time if an urgent hospital referral is indicated. Some questions do not need to be asked if the injury was less than 24 hours ago.
We completed a study of how the BIST was working as an outcome measure in a concussion service as part of a project looking at measuring patient outcomes using a digital platform.
We completed a feasibility study of implementing the BIST in the Middlemore Emergency Department.
If you have any questions about the use and
effectivity of BIST, contact Alice Theadom.