A new smartphone and tablet app has been developed to help victims of acquired brain injuries (ABIs) manage their daily routine.

The Brain in Hand app, which features a diary, access to coping strategies and an anxiety monitor, provides users with better symptom management and more independence. The app also aims to help victims gain a better understanding of their symptoms.

Although originally designed for people with autism, the app has since been redeveloped to provide support for those with other brain injury conditions.

It is hoped that the app will help reduce current NHS costs by lowering the amount of clinical support required by brain injury victims.

Statistics from brain injury charity Headway show that someone is taken to hospital with a brain injury every 90 seconds. There are currently more than one million ABI victims across the UK.

Samantha Hemsley, national head of the serious injury and clinical negligence teams at Thompsons Solicitors, said: “At Thompsons we know how important rehabilitation is for victims of brain injury and, working with support groups such as Headway, we ensure our clients are supported both as soon as possible after their injury but also where necessary through long-term rehabilitation.

“Following a serious brain injury, a patient may face an extensive psychological recovery programme, and their rehabilitation will include support from a range of experts to help them recover from the cognitive, emotional and behavioural effects of their injury.

“While technology such as the Brain in Hand app cannot replace a traditional psychological rehabilitation programme, it may offer an alternative and accessible method of helping brain injury survivors manage their lives and regain a degree of independence beyond their initial rehabilitation period.”