Heba Care: Prototype Development and Clinical Testing of a Digital Care Coordination Platform for adults with Acquired Brain Injury.

Heba is a digital care coordination platform originally developed to support families managing the care of children with developmental differences. The app offers 1.) care management tools to track, store and share information collaboratively alongside 2.) an AI-enabled assistant to navigate available care support options. This project focuses on developing a version of Heba for adults with Acquired Brain Injury (ABI), aligning with the NIHR i4i FAST call for innovations in ABI by facilitating monitoring of brain injury in the community, rehabilitation and continuity of care as an individual returns to normal life . The innovation aims to address the unmet need for effective care coordination in ABI, a condition that affects over 1.3 million people in the UK each year [1], resulting in 350,000 hospital admissions [1,2] and costing £26Bp.a. [3]. ABI patients often require long-term, multidisciplinary care, which can be difficult to navigate due to the fragmented nature of services. Care spans neurorehabilitation consultants in tertiary settings, to occupational therapists in community care, to social care workers and informal caregivers in the home. These are across the public, private and third sector. 53% of ABI patients and their families struggle to navigate these systems, leading to missed opportunities for early interventions, emotional strain, and inefficiencies [2]. There is no clinically validated, scalable solution for ABI care coordination, despite the well evidenced positive impact of care coordination [4] – studies demonstrate reductions in hospital admissions by 27% [5,6] Heba has already demonstrated proof-of-concept in paediatric care, with over 1,500 monthly active users, 100,000 app sessions recorded to date, and endorsement from several NHS teams, including West London NHS Trust and Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust. A feasibility study in 2024 funded by Innovate UK, which tested Heba s efficacy in coordinating care for children with autism, found that 90% of families adhered to the app over 12 weeks, and 92% would recommend it to others. The platform has achieved a 4.9/5-star rating from 160+ app store reviews It is well established that care coordination improves care and economic outcomes in the ABI population [6,7]. We will now develop Heba for ABI care, incorporating new features such as 1.) tracking tools to monitor ABI specific metrics and 2.) developing the AI-based assistant to deliver ABI appropriate guidance. Crucially, feedback from Heba s existing user base has indicated that the app is already being used by adults to manage adult ABI care, despite Heba not having yet developed the platform for this use case. Public and patient involvement (PPI) has been integral to Heba s development from the beginning. Over 500 families participated in the design process in 2023. Preparatory research into the applicability of Heba for adult ABI has been undertaken via interviews with clinical staff at CERU, workshops at the Meath Epilepsy Charity (ABI residential care) and in interviews with existing Heba users who are adapting the tool themselves for adult ABI care. Via partnership with CERU we will ensure that Heba remains patient-centred and responsive to the challenges faced by the ABI community.