This week marks National Burn Awareness Week, organized by the American Burn Association. When this annual campaign comes around, we turn to the Burn Model System Centers and nearly 30 years of research in burn injury rehabilitation. These centers conduct research on the spectrum of rehabilitation care from acute rehabilitation in a hospital setting to integration back into the community. The current centers are focusing on understanding the trajectory of recovery and community re-integration for burn survivors, physiologic outcomes from massive burn injuries, Vitamin D and burn recovery, and using virtual reality in home rehabilitation, among other projects.

We have covered several Burn Model System studies in our Research In Focus series. These articles demonstrate the variety of areas where these products focus their efforts:

• People with Inhalation Injuries After Burn May Have Additional Challenges Returning to Work
• Burn Injury Survivors May Face Racial or Ethnic Gaps in Community Integration After injury
• A Coordinated Rehabilitation Program May Help Workers with Burn Injuries Get Back to Work
• Large Burns Can Cause Lasting Movement Problems, Long-Term Rehabilitation Interventions May Help
• For People with Severe Burn Injuries, Cognitive and Communication Problems May Be Common
• Telemedicine Can Help Care Teams Focus on Recovery After Burn Injury

In addition to conducting research, these centers also collaborate with the Model Systems Knowledge Translation Center to develop information products like factsheets, infocomics, video series, and hot topic modules for burn injury survivors, caregivers, and professionals who support recovery. These research-based publications also cover a wide array of topics from healthy eating to managing psychological distress to returning to work and school. Burn survivors, caregivers, and health professionals can help test new publications to ensure they are meeting the information needs of the community. Learn how you can help!