Home is “a different planet” when transitioning from hospital after acquired brain injury: can digital technology help bridge the two worlds?

Published 10th June 2025

Purpose
Adjusting to life following an acquired brain injury (ABI) is challenging particularly navigating the timepoint of transitioning from hospital-to-home. Digital technology has been proposed to mitigate broader transitional issues, however whilst still in its infancy more research is recommended within the ABI population. It is important to understand individual experiences in healthcare design. This study aims to identify for people with ABI [1] their unique problems experienced when transitioning hospital-to-home, and [2] how they believe digital technological solutions could solve these issues.

Materials and Methods
Interpretive description guided the review of experiences of four participants with ABI from a larger participatory action research project, where co-design workshops explored digital technological solutions supporting the transition home from inpatient ABI rehabilitation. Comparative analysis was used to analyse the data and develop themes.

Results
Six themes emerged including “being told I was ready is different to being ready,” “home is a different planet,” digital technology can “help connect me to the real word” and “ensure everyone is on the same page.”

Conclusion
Participants’ desire to use tailored digital technology as a transition home strategy highlighted opportunities to manage expectations, and focus on unique preparation needs of participants, rather than organisational discharge goals.

 

IMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATION
People with an acquired brain injury experience home as a “different planet” to hospital with insight into this disparity evolving in the months post-discharge.
Rehabilitation teams should consider the unique needs of the individual and their support network with the therapeutic focus on transition rather than organisational discharge goals.
Digital technology innovations offer possible solutions to expose patients to more realistic and meaningful preparatory challenges.
Where possible, include patients in identifying and using digital technology that is unique to their needs and their support network to facilitate the transition home.

 

Citation

Spalding, K., Gustafsson, L., Hodson, T., Shirota, C., & Brough, R. (2025). Home is “a different planet” when transitioning from hospital after acquired brain injury: can digital technology help bridge the two worlds? Disability and Rehabilitation, 1–8.

Authors

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