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 Yet Recruiting

• 2 other identifiers: 2026-61-AAB2026-A01386-45
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 150
• Locations: 0 countries
• Sites: N/A

Brief 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.

Conditions

Medical Rehabilitation

Keywords

Numerical Score; Medical Rehabilitation Care; Autonomy; Digital

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Change in TSHN-SMR Total Score Between Admission and Discharge

  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.

  Between admission and discharge from the SMR unit (average duration approximately 3 weeks, variable according to clinical condition)

Secondary Outcomes (7)

• 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)

• 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)

• 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)

• 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)

• 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)

Study Arms (1)

Trial participants

EXPERIMENTAL

Digital 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.

Other: TSHN-SMR (Test Standardisé d'Habileté Numérique sur Dispositif Dédié); Other: Barthel scale

Interventions

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)

Trial participants

TSHN-SMR (Test Standardisé d'Habileté Numérique sur Dispositif Dédié) OTHER

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.

Also known as: Standardized Test of Digital Skills on a Dedicated Device

Trial participants

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 65 Years+
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• 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.

You may not qualify if:

• 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.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Artois Private Hospital: lead

Study Officials

• Jean Abou Ayache, MD

  Artois Private Hospital

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Central Study Contacts

Marion Mandon, PhD

CONTACT

+33 6 78 27 76 72; DRC@vivalto-sante.com

Emma Escoffier, Master

CONTACT

+ 33 6 88 92 33 17; eescoffier@vivalto-santé.com

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: NA
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: HEALTH SERVICES RESEARCH
• Intervention Model: SINGLE GROUP
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: October 8, 2026
• First Posted: October 21, 2026
• Study Start (Estimated): October 30, 2026
• Primary Completion (Estimated): September 30, 2027
• Study Completion (Estimated): September 30, 2027
• Last Updated: October 21, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-10

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share