Impact of Functional Rehabilitation on Digital Independence: Validation of a Novel Smartphone Use Score as an Indicator of Discharge Readiness in Medical Care and Rehabilitation.

NCT07886021 — Not applicable, Not yet recruiting, 150 participants, Artois Private Hospital

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RegistryNCT07886021, acronym ICARE
StatusNot yet recruiting
PhaseNot applicable
Study typeInterventional; na, single group, masking: none, health services research
Enrollment150 (Estimated)
SponsorArtois Private Hospital (Other)
ConditionsMedical Rehabilitation
InterventionsTSHN-SMR (Test Standardisé d'Habileté Numérique sur Dispositif Dédié), Barthel scale (Other)
Datesstart 2026-10-30 (estimated), primary completion 2027-09-30 (estimated), completion 2027-09-30 (estimated), first posted 2026-10-21, last updated 2026-10-21

Related Papers Related Patents Related Grants Related Experts
All trials for Medical Rehabilitation All trials of TSHN-SMR (Test Standardisé d'Habileté Numérique sur Dispositif Dédié) All trials of Barthel scale

-Summary

Patients' independence in Medical Care and Rehabilitation (SMR) settings is typically assessed using functional scales such as the Barthel Index. However, these tools give little consideration to digital skills, which have become essential in everyday life (communication, access to healthcare, information seeking, and administrative procedures).

The Digital Skills Score ("Score d'Habileté Numérique", TSHN-SMR) was developed to provide a simple and standardized assessment of a patient's ability to use a smartphone through several common tasks that simultaneously involve cognitive and motor functions.

This study aims to determine whether digital skills constitute a relevant and ecologically valid indicator of functional independence in rehabilitation patients. Ultimately, the TSHN-SMR could complement traditional assessment tools by providing a measure that more closely reflects activities actually performed in daily life within an increasingly digital environment.

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+Arms and interventions

ArmTypeInterventionsDescription
Trial participantsExperimentalOther: TSHN-SMR (Test Standardisé d'Habileté Numérique sur Dispositif Dédié); Other: Barthel scaleDigital technology use will be assessed at baseline using a self-reported question, allowing patients to be classified into one of three categories: regular, occasional, or infrequent users. Patients will undergo two assessments during their stay in the Medical and Rehabilitation Care (SMR) unit: the Barthel Index and the TSHN-SMR (Standardized Test of Digital Skills on a Dedicated Device). Both assessments will be administered twice, first upon admission to the rehabilitation service and again at discharge, in order to evaluate changes in functional independence and digital skills over the course of rehabilitation.
  • TSHN-SMR (Test Standardisé d'Habileté Numérique sur Dispositif Dédié) (Other), also known as Standardized Test of Digital Skills on a Dedicated Device: The TSHN-SMR score (Standardized Test of Digital Skills on a Dedicated Device) is a proposed assessment tool that we aim to investigate in this study. The test is performed using a standardized smartphone provided by the rehabilitation unit and contains no personal digital data. The score comprises six domains: * Immediate/procedural memory and motor skills * Language, executive functions, and accuracy * Planning and visual attention * Fine motor skills and coordination * Planning, temporal orientation, and fine motor skills * Short-term memory and social recognition For each domain, the patient is asked to complete a task on the smartphone corresponding to an activity they may be required to perform on their personal device in everyday life : * Unlock a phone, * Send a text message , * Search on the internet, * Zoom on a personal photo, * Set up an alarm, * Call a contact , Patients may choose between an Android or iOS smartphone according to their usual device preference.
  • Barthel scale (Other): The Barthel Index is a validated measure of functional independence in activities of daily living. It assesses ten domains, including feeding, bathing, grooming, dressing, bowel and bladder control, toilet use, transfers, mobility, and stair climbing. Scores range from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating greater independence. Widely used in rehabilitation settings, the Barthel Index provides a simple and reliable assessment of functional status and is commonly employed to monitor recovery and support discharge planning. (≈ 490 characters)

+Outcome measures

Primary outcomes

  • Change in TSHN-SMR Total Score Between Admission and Discharge [Between admission and discharge from the SMR unit (average duration approximately 3 weeks, variable according to clinical condition)]: Change in digital skills performance measured by the TSHN-SMR (Standardized Test of Digital Skills on a Dedicated Device) between admission and discharge from the SMR unit.

Secondary outcomes

  • Correlation between the TSHN-SMR score measured at discharge and the occurrence of rehospitalization within 3 months following discharge ( [Between admission and discharge from the SMR unit (average duration approximately 3 weeks, variable according to clinical condition)]: (binary outcome: yes/no) Rehospitalization will be defined as any unplanned admission to a healthcare facility within 3 months after discharge from the SMR unit. The primary reason for rehospitalization will be collected when available from the medical record.
  • Predictive performance of the discharge TSHN-SMR score, [Between admission and discharge from the SMR unit (average duration approximately 3 weeks, variable according to clinical condition)]: Assessed using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis and estimation of the area under the curve (AUC).
  • Identification of a discharge TSHN-SMR score threshold [Between admission and discharge from the SMR unit (average duration approximately 3 weeks, variable according to clinical condition)]: Identification of a discharge TSHN-SMR score threshold associated with an increased risk of rehospitalization.
  • Correlation between the TSHN-SMR score (at admission and/or discharge) and patient characteristics [Between admission and discharge from the SMR unit (average duration approximately 3 weeks, variable according to clinical condition)]: Relationships between the TSHN-SMR score (at admission and/or discharge) and patient characteristics, including age, Barthel Index score, and level of digital technology use.
  • Inter-rater reliability of the TSHN-SMR score [Between admission and discharge from the SMR unit (average duration approximately 3 weeks, variable according to clinical condition)]: Inter-rater reliability of the TSHN-SMR score, assessed by two independent evaluators.
  • Correlation between the TSHN-SMR score and the Barthel Index [Between admission and discharge from the SMR unit (average duration approximately 3 weeks, variable according to clinical condition)]
  • Correlation between the TSHN-SMR score and the level of digital technology use [Between admission and discharge from the SMR unit (average duration approximately 3 weeks, variable according to clinical condition)]

+Eligibility

Sex: All, ages: 65 Years to any

Inclusion Criteria:

* Reason for admission: Any patient admitted to an SMR unit for a neurological condition (e.g., stroke or mild traumatic brain injury) or an orthopedic condition (e.g., joint replacement or fall-related injury) requiring functional rehabilitation.
* Ownership of a smartphone for at least 6 months prior to admission, to ensure that the assessment measures the recovery of previously acquired digital skills rather than the learning of a new device.

Exclusion Criteria:

* Major sensory impairment: Blindness or profound untreated hearing loss that makes smartphone use impossible.
* Pre-existing motor impairment: Advanced Parkinson's disease or severe digital osteoarthritis (deforming stage) that could bias the assessment of acute functional recovery.
* Cognitive impairment: Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) score < 20/30, as a score below 20 may indicate that the patient is unable to understand the simple instructions required to complete the test.
* Language barrier: Inability to understand instructions in French, unless the smartphone is configured in the patient's native language.

+Investigators