Collecting Outcomes Digitally for ADHD (CODA) is a three-year programme of work funded by the NIHR Mental Health Translational Research Collaboration Mission, and NIHR MindTech HealthTech Research Centre, launched in February 2025.

The aim is to investigate how remote, digital tools can be used to collect assessment data with people with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

There are a range of ways of measuring the symptoms, impacts, and severity of ADHD, for example, outcome questionnaires completed by the person with ADHD, their parent or caregiver, or school. Being able to accurately screen, assess, and monitor ADHD can ensure timely diagnosis, care, and treatment.

ADHD symptoms, impacts, and severity are measured using a range of tools, including questionnaires completed by the individual, their parent or caregiver, or their school. Accurate screening, assessment, and monitoring are essential for diagnosis, care, and treatment. However, there are significant obstacles to routine collection and use of these measures. These include time constraints within neurodevelopmental and mental health clinics for staff to administer and interpret scores, and difficulties for the person with ADHD in completing and returning paper forms.

In CODA we are exploring how we can use remote, digital assessments within ADHD care for children, young people, and adults.

CODA explores how remote, digital assessments can be used in ADHD assessment and care for children, young people, and adults. First, we are investigating current clinical practice for collecting assessment data through a large-scale survey of approximately 200 healthcare professionals working in ADHD services across England. The survey examines which measures are used, with whom, and for what purpose, and whether digital health technologies are already in use.

We are then inviting 20 respondents of the survey to complete an interview with a researcher, where we will explore these topics in more depth. We hope to understand how remote, digital assessments would work in services with people with ADHD, including what barriers there are to their use, and what could help overcome these barriers.

Our initial findings indicate that there is a wide variation in both the measures used across all services, and how they are collected. Respondents have told us that they think there is a need for digital tools to help collecting assessments, however this should be managed carefully to ensure that a digital tool would fit into service’s resources.

By understanding the current landscape of how services his research will provide important context to how remote, digital assessments could be used, and the considerations for implementing a platform to manage this. We will apply for some more funding to explore if the implementation of a digital assessment platform improves access to services and care for people with ADHD.