Assessment of information needs among working-age stroke survivors after discharge at a 6-week follow-up clinic
Emma Richards, Kirsty Harkness, Simon M Bell, Amanda JonesBackground:
Advances in stroke care, including new interventions, prevention strategies and changes in care settings, have shifted the information needs of stroke survivors. At the same time, growing use of online resources and social media has altered how patients access information. This service evaluation explored the experiences of working-age stroke survivors with mild stroke regarding information provided before discharge, as well as their preferences for when and how it should be delivered.
Aims:
Explore stroke survivors’ experiences of health information during recovery.
Methods:
The evaluation was conducted over a 2-month period in a new one-stop clinic for working-age stroke survivors with mild stroke. Each clinic listed five patients, and 1 week before their 6-week follow-up appointment, patients were invited to complete a telephone questionnaire after providing verbal consent. The questionnaire included open-text responses, enabling participants to describe their information needs in their own words.
Results:
All 20 eligible patients completed the questionnaire. Participants were aged 23–68 years, with equal gender distribution, and 25% identified as Black Asian and minority ethnic. Findings showed substantial unmet information needs, particularly regarding continence and intimacy. Many participants reported feeling overwhelmed during their hospital stay, which limited their ability to absorb information given early in the admission, and which was often poorly retained.
Conclusions:
Most participants ( n =11) felt that a follow-up telephone call 1 week after discharge would be the most helpful time to discuss initial concerns, as waiting until the 6-week review created unnecessary anxiety. These findings highlighted the need for timelier, patient-centred information delivery and support further research into improving post-stroke information strategies.
Implications for practice:
Responsibility for information giving can be shared across the multidisciplinary team. Findings point to the need for stroke education that is timely, inclusive, patient-centred and flexible, both in content and delivery method.