CompletedInterventional

Virtual Engagement Rehabilitation Assistant (VERA) in the community

This study is about a new digital helper called VERA (Virtual Engagement Rehabilitation Assistant) designed for people recovering from conditions affecting their brain or nerves. VERA is an app on an iPad that gives you personalised resources, such as exercise videos and appointment reminders, to support your rehabilitation. The main goal is to find out how useful and easy VERA is for patients in community health services. We're also checking how rehabilitation staff find using it. If you join, you'll use VERA for up to six weeks, get training, and share your experiences. This research could help improve how people recover from neurological conditions in the future.

At a glance

Status

Completed

Sponsor

University of Central Lancashire

Enrolment target

Start

21 Jul 2025

Estimated completion

31 Mar 2026

Neurological rehabilitation

What is this study about?

Imagine having a personal assistant on an iPad to help you with your recovery journey after a condition affecting your brain or nerves. That's what VERA, the Virtual Engagement Rehabilitation Assistant, aims to be. VERA is a new digital tool developed to provide easy access to things like exercise videos, reminders for appointments, and questionnaires to track how you're feeling, all tailored to your specific needs.

This study wants to see how well VERA works in real-life community settings. It will involve people who are already receiving rehabilitation for neurological conditions, as well as the staff who support them. By understanding whether VERA is helpful and easy to use, researchers hope to improve how people recover and manage their conditions at home.

Ultimately, this research could lead to better tools and support for people across the UK dealing with neurological conditions, helping them achieve their rehabilitation goals more effectively.

Key takeaways

The study explores a new iPad app, VERA, for rehabilitation.
It's for adults with conditions affecting their brain or nerves.
Participation involves using VERA for up to six weeks and sharing your experience.
Possible benefits include easy access to personalised rehabilitation tools.
The main commitment is your time and effort.
You can withdraw from the study at any point without it affecting your care.

Who may be eligible?

To take part in this study, you would need to be an adult (18 or over) who is currently receiving or waiting for rehabilitation for a condition affecting your brain or nerves. Your therapist would need to agree that VERA could help you with your recovery goals, and you'd need to be able to use the VERA iPad, either on your own or with some help. Because VERA is currently only in English, you'd also need to understand English or have someone with you daily who can translate.

Healthcare staff can also take part if they are an allied health professional (like a physiotherapist or occupational therapist) or work in a support role. They would need to have worked with patients who have used VERA during the study.

There are also some reasons why you might not be able to join. For patients, if you're unable to understand what the study involves, even with support, or if you're under 18, you won't be able to take part. For staff, if you work less than seven hours a week with patients in community neurological rehabilitation or if you're under 18, you also wouldn't be able to join.

Could this study suit you?

Answer these quick questions to see if you may be eligible. This is a guide only — the research team makes the final call.

Are you 18 years old or older?
Are you currently receiving or waiting for rehabilitation for a condition affecting your brain or nerves?
Does your therapist think VERA could help you with your recovery goals?
Can you understand written English or do you have someone who can help you translate daily?
Are you able to use an iPad effectively, either on your own or with support?

Answer every question to see your result.

What does participation involve?

If you decide to take part in this study, you'll receive an iPad with the VERA system pre-installed. You'll get training on how to use VERA so you feel comfortable with it. Over the next six weeks, you'll use VERA as part of your regular rehabilitation, accessing personalised resources that your rehabilitation team sets up for you. During this time, information will be collected about your background, your health and wellbeing, and your feedback on the VERA training. At the end of the six weeks, you’ll have a chat with a researcher to talk about your experiences using VERA.

Potential risks and benefits

You might find that VERA helps you by giving you easy access to your rehabilitation exercises and information, which could support your recovery and make it easier to manage your condition. The main 'risk' involved is simply the time and effort it takes to learn how to use VERA and to use it regularly for six weeks. You are always free to leave the study at any time, for any reason, without it affecting your usual care.

Locations (2)

Some site locations are approximate. We're improving this — please verify with the trial team before travelling.

Lancashire & South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust
City only
Preston, England
Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
City only
Liverpool, England

Common questions

What is VERA?

VERA stands for Virtual Engagement Rehabilitation Assistant. It’s a digital tool on an iPad designed to help people with neurological conditions in their recovery.

What kind of conditions is this for?

It's for people who have conditions that affect their brain or nerves and are receiving rehabilitation for them.

How long would I use VERA?

You would use VERA for up to six weeks as part of your rehabilitation programme.

Do I need to be good with technology?

You'll get training on how to use VERA, and you can take part even if you need some help using an iPad, as long as you can communicate effectively.

Will I get paid for taking part?

The study information doesn't mention any payments for participants, but the main goal is to help improve future rehabilitation care.

How to find out more

Kathryn Jarvis

KJarvis1@uclan.ac.uk +44 1772 892782 Official trial record

Always speak to your GP or specialist before deciding to take part in a study.