A digital self-management system to support people who need help remembering things, making decisions, planning, or managing anxiety has been awarded £800,000 in funding.
Funded by NHS England & NHS Improvement, Brain in Hand has won a Small Business Research Initiative (SBRI) Healthcare award to support digital services for autistic people, both pre- and post-diagnosis.
The digital approach aims to transform the model of care for autistic people through user-led self-management. Results from a 2019 evaluation report showed 9 out of 10 users reported an increase in wellbeing within 7 months and the technology proved cost efficiencies for service providers, with an average direct cost saving of £2,800 per user.
The company said: “Following a first-phase feasibility fund awarded in 2019, this phase two funding will help to increase access to its combined digital and human based self-directed support services. It will allow Brain in Hand to continue to advance the product’s capabilities, enhancing functionality, usability, and the overall experience to users and service providers, improving daily management and providing greater independence.”
“It will also fund clinical and health economic impact research enabling Brain in Hand to demonstrate the system’s effectiveness in meeting needs in autism services.”
Dr Louise Morpeth, CEO of Brain in Hand, said: “We are over the moon to be SBRI grantees and to have the opportunity to demonstrate the value of our system for autistic people. We are grateful to our partners for joining us on this exciting project, and especially pleased to be waving the flag for the south west! The pandemic has shown that it is time to embrace the potential of technology to support those who are so often excluded or overlooked. We look forward to seeing digital health solutions take their proper place in the continuum of care.”
Dr Rohit Shankar MBE, FRCPsych, Consultant in Adult Developmental Neuropsychiatry (CFT) and Hon. Associate Clinical Professor, University of Exeter Medical School, said: “We owe autistic people necessary tools and support to ensure they gain and maintain independence and to improve their quality of life in the challenging world we live in. The financial costs and lack of resource to support autistic people are significant and interventions that will aim to reduce this is extremely valuable.”
“We face many challenges with mental health services in the NHS and must provide different types of access and support, especially now during the COVID-19 pandemic, where services are reduced and access is limited, compounding the difficulties that these individuals face. Autistic people due to their neurodiversity have higher incidence and prevalence of mental health concerns. Therefore, there is even more urgency to provide an effective, technologically advanced and cost-effective solution that can be quickly implemented, like Brain in Hand.”
