Exploring self-management within hospital-based stroke care: current and future opportunities

Abstract

Purpose

This study explored stroke self-management within a tertiary hospital setting from the perspectives of health professionals working across the continuum of stroke care.

Materials and methods

A qualitative descriptive design guided five focus groups in the acute stroke service (n = 2), inpatient rehabilitation (n = 2), and outpatient day hospital service (n = 1). Focus groups were transcribed verbatim and analysed using thematic analysis.

Results

Twenty-eight health professionals participated representing medical, nursing, and allied health services. Two themes emerged from the data: Pieces of the puzzle illustrates the inconsistent understanding about self-management with elements of the puzzle described but rarely within the full concept of self-management; Readiness for self-management highlighted that although self-management should commence in the acute setting, there were many factors influencing why this was not always happening.

Conclusions

A consistent conceptualisation and approach to stroke self-management in the hospital setting is required. Interprofessional education and shared intentional language can enhance understanding and practice.

IMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATION

• Understanding and application of stroke self-management varies among members of hospital-based stroke teams.

• Health professionals working in hospital-based stroke care should use the term self-management with their patients.

• Education of healthcare teams is necessary to develop knowledge about self-management and develop consistent practices across the continuum of care.

Keywords:

• Multidisciplinary team
• acute setting
• rehabilitation
• focus groups
• phenomenology

Acknowledgements

The author would like to acknowledge the contribution of all the clinicians who gave their time to participate in this study.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

The present research was financially supported by Honours research funding from Griffith University.