Digital Graphic Follow-up Tool (Rehabkompassen) for Identifying Rehabilitation Needs Among People After Stroke: Randomized Clinical Feasibility Study
Authors: Hu Xiaolei , Jonzén Karolina , Lindahl Olof A , Karlsson Marcus , Norström Fredrik , Lundström Erik , Sunnerhagen Katharina Stibrant 
Published: June 2022

Background

Stroke is a leading cause of disability among adults, with heavy social and economic burden worldwide. A cost-effective solution is urgently needed to facilitate the identification of individual rehabilitation needs and thereby provide tailored rehabilitations to reduce disability among people who have had a stroke. A novel digital graphic follow-up tool Rehabkompassen has recently been developed to facilitate capturing the multidimensional rehabilitation needs of people who have had a stroke.

Objective

The aim of this study was to evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of conducting a definitive trial to evaluate Rehabkompassen as a digital follow-up tool among people who have had a stroke in outpatient clinical settings.

Methods

This pilot study of Rehabkompassen was a parallel, open-label, 2-arm prospective, proof-of-concept randomized controlled trial (RCT) with an allocation ratio of 1:1 in a single outpatient clinic. Patients who have had a stroke within the 3 previous months, aged ≥18 years, and living in the community were included. The trial compared usual outpatient visits with Rehabkompassen (intervention group) and without Rehabkompassen (control group) at the 3-month follow-up as well as usual outpatient visit with Rehabkompassen at the 12-month follow-up. Information on the recruitment rate, delivery, and uptake of Rehabkompassen; assessment and outcome measures completion rates; the frequency of withdrawals; the loss of follow-up; and satisfaction scores were obtained. The key outcomes were evaluated in both groups.

Results

In total, 28 patients (14 control, 14 Rehabkompassen) participated in this study, with 100 patients screened. The overall recruitment rate was 28% (28/100). Retention in the trial was 86% (24/28) at the 12-month follow-up. All participants used the tool as planned during their follow-ups, which provided a 100% (24/24) task completion rate of using Rehabkompassen and suggested excellent feasibility. Both patient- and physician-participants reported satisfaction with the instrument (19/24, 79% and 2/2, 100%, respectively). In all, 2 (N=2, 100%) physicians and 18 (N=24, 75%) patients were willing to use the tool in the future. Furthermore, modified Rankin Scale as the primary outcome and various stroke impacts as secondary outcomes were both successfully collected and compared in this study.

Conclusions

This study demonstrated the high feasibility and adherence of the study protocol as well as the high acceptability of Rehabkompassen among patients who have had a stroke and physicians in an outpatient setting in comparison to the predefined criterion. The information collected in this feasibility study combined with the amendments of the study protocol may improve the future definitive RCT. The results of this trial support the feasibility and acceptability of conducting a large definitive RCT.

Trial Registration

ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04915027; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04915027