Exploring the Future of Melo: Co-Creating a Patient & Family Version
With Melo, we’re always striving to ensure that the voices of people affected by brain injury are central to how we build and shape our technology.
Last week, we had the privilege of running a dedicated Patient and Public Involvement (PPI) workshop in collaboration with James Piercy from NIHR HealthTech Research Centre - Brain Injury. The session brought together a group of individuals who are either living with a brain injury or supporting a family member who is.
Our focus? Exploring how Melo – originally developed to support clinical teams managing challenging behaviours after brain injury – might evolve into something equally valuable for patients and their families.
Why This Matters
Melo is already used by multidisciplinary teams in hospitals across NHS and Private settings to track and understand behaviour, mood, and progress over time. But the journey doesn’t end at hospital discharge. For many, the hardest part begins when they return home – facing a complex mix of ongoing symptoms, reduced support, and uncertainty about the future.
We wanted to explore whether Melo could be extended to support patients and families in those critical moments – offering tools for reflection, communication, and empowerment beyond the clinical setting.
What We Heard
The session was wide-ranging, honest, and full of insight. Participants welcomed the idea of a patient- and family-facing app, but with important caveats that go beyond the technical challenges:
Personalisation is key – People’s needs, capacities, and preferences vary hugely after a brain injury. A one-size-fits-all app won’t cut it. Some might want daily prompts and structured input; others might prefer occasional reflections or even voice notes instead of text.
Trust and data security matter – Understandably, there were concerns about how information would be stored, who could see it, and whether data input by patients would be treated with the same weight as clinician data. Clear consent and ownership frameworks will be critical.
Fluctuating capacity is a real challenge – Families shared accounts of how mental capacity can change day to day, and how difficult it is to involve someone in decisions or data-sharing when they’re not always able or willing to engage. Any app must account for this complexity and avoid causing distress or harm.
The clinician-patient relationship is delicate – Several participants highlighted that if both parties can see each other’s entries, it might affect what’s shared. We’ll need to consider whether separate spaces – or selectively shared data – make more sense.
Reward and motivation mechanisms could help – Some suggested that gamification or small incentives might support patient engagement, especially for younger users or those resistant to traditional forms of assessment.
Integration with NHS systems would be ideal – Participants expressed frustration at having to repeat their stories or data across appointments. If Melo can help streamline this by offering an accurate, patient-owned log of progress, it could be a game-changer.
Next Steps
We left the workshop energised, with a clear set of ideas to explore further and keen to stay connected with the individuals who joined the workshop, many of whom expressed interest in co-designing future features or testing early versions.
Building With – Not Just For – the Community
This session was a powerful reminder that the best products are built with the people they’re intended for, not just for them. We’re incredibly grateful to everyone who shared their time and perspectives so generously.
As we continue to shape the future of Melo, patient and family voices will remain at the centre.
