Technology to improve mental health after an acquired brain injury? A cohort study of research priorities identified by service users, carers, and healthcare professionals in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic

Research on health-technology for people with acquired brain injury (ABI) is evolving rapidly and accelerated during the COVID-19 pandemic. But there is little information on what ABI stakeholders want from this research. We conducted a mixed methods study using an online survey with data collected twice, before and during, the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants were 18 + from three self-identified stakeholder groups: (1) people with ABI, (2) ABI carers, and (3) ABI healthcare professionals. There were 252 participants (55.8%) before the COVID-19 pandemic and 200 (44.2%) during the COVID-19 pandemic. Half (49.3%, n = 223) were healthcare professionals, one third (33.6%, n = 152) people with ABI, and the remainder (17.0%, n = 77) carers. Most had experience with technology (97.8%, n = 224) and acknowledged its value in supporting mental health. Nine key research priorities were identified pre-pandemic, spanning innovative technologies for specific purposes (aiding cognition, managing emotions, accessing support groups, and gaining information), and general barriers and facilitators to using technology. These themes were also present during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the second cohort were less enthusiastic about, and some (medics, physiotherapists, and social workers) were less willing to use technology to support mental health, highlighting challenges that were not previously apparent.