Can a smartphone app replace paper instructions for shoulder surgery patients?
NCT ID NCT07725224
First seen Jul 24, 2026 · Last updated Jul 24, 2026
Summary
This trial tests whether a smartphone app can help patients follow pre- and post-surgery instructions better than the usual paper handouts. Adults scheduled for shoulder arthroscopy at Johns Hopkins are randomly assigned to receive instructions via app or on paper. The app tailors guidance to each patient's surgery details and medications, and lets them confirm when steps are completed. The goal is to see if the app improves how well patients remember and follow instructions, and whether it eases the burden on clinic staff.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Smartphone app-based digital patient instructions
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could point toward a simple, low-cost way to help patients follow surgical instructions more closely, potentially reducing complications and improving recovery.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early-stage trial at a single center, so results may not apply broadly. The app depends on patients having and using a smartphone, which could limit its reach.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
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About 100 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Expected to start
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Sep 2026
An estimate. Start dates often move.
- Expected to finish
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Mar 2028
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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18 years and older
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * scheduled for shoulder arthroscopy with participating surgeon Exclusion Criteria: \-
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As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
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