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How OBIS screens for brain injury: tools, steps and limits
Summary
NASHIA presenters described OBIS as an online, self‑ or provider‑administered screening tool that uses the OSU TBI‑ID and a nine‑section symptoms questionnaire (the 'Squibby') to flag likely histories and produce tip sheets; presenters emphasized OBIS is not diagnostic.
Presenters from the National Association of State Head Injury Administrators (NASHIA) walked webinar participants step‑by‑step through how the Online Brain Injury Screening and Support System (OBIS) works and what it does and does not do.
Haley Cushin, NASHIA's director of program management, said the platform is "an online system, and it's used to determine the likelihood of a brain injury, to have occurred and to identify associated challenges" for people aged 10 and up. OBIS first runs the Ohio State University TBI Identification Method (OSU TBI‑ID) and, for screens that flag a possible history, follows with a symptoms questionnaire (the 'Squibby') that assesses nine areas such as memory, attention, language and emotional regulation.
Presenters emphasized OBIS is a screening—not a diagnostic—tool. Haley said, "Please remember this is only a screening tool and not to be a diagnostic tool," and explained that tip sheets and strategies are automatically generated for participants and providers when the screener indicates potential challenges.
The platform supports multiple administration modes: participant self‑administered, provider‑assisted (including group administration), and provider‑led. Features include save‑and‑return, secure messaging of tip sheets, downloadable consent, and optional demographic pages (some subscribers may use a 'demographic lite' version that omits that screen).
