How do people experience risk in stroke rehabilitation?

  • Research type

    Research Study

  • Full title

    Risk in stroke rehabilitation: what is the experience of people post-stroke, their families and caregivers, and stroke healthcare workers?

  • IRAS ID

    325246

  • Contact name

    Sharon M Jackson

  • Contact email

    shae.jackson@porthosp.nhs.uk

  • Sponsor organisation

    The University of Southampton

  • Duration of Study in the UK

    1 years, 7 months, 30 days

  • Research summary

    After a stroke, many people have trouble getting back to doing things that are important to them. This qualitative research will look at decision-making around risks in relation to resuming valued activities during stroke rehabilitation. People who have had a stroke will be recruited from two different inpatient stroke rehabilitation units. These organisations also provide early supported discharge services. To understand how decisions are made about risk and resuming valued activities, the researcher will talk to people who have had a stroke at two time-points:

    1. During their inpatient rehabilitation stay; and
    2. When they go home with support from the Early Supported Discharge team.

    The researcher will ask the person who has had a stroke to identify other people who are important to their rehabilitation. This might be family members, caregivers, stroke healthcare workers, or others identified as being important to the stroke recovery journey. These people will also be asked if they would like to take part in this study. If they agree, the researcher will talk to them about their perspectives on decision-making around risk and resuming valued activities during stroke rehabilitation. The researcher will also ask the participants for permission to observe rehabilitation activities. This might include rehabilitation therapy sessions and team meetings.

    To reduce the likelihood that participants will change their behaviours in relation to risk, they will not be told that this is the study focus. Instead, they will be told it is a more general study, looking at how decisions are made about resuming valued activities in stroke rehabilitation. After the study ends, they will be told of the focus on risk and offered the opportunity to ask questions and raise any concerns. This research will have NHS and University of Southampton ethical approvals before it begins.

    Data generated in this study will be analysed to identify themes to explain the decision-making processes in play during stroke rehabilitation. Two people who have had a stroke have been recruited to act as research advisors for this study. They have provided advice on the research design, and will meet regularly with the researcher to talk about the data analysis. The confidentiality of study participants will be respected at all times.

    The findings of this research will be shared with individuals and organisations who have an interest in stroke rehabilitation through publications, presentations and conferences. This includes people with lived experience of stroke, stroke charities, NHS services that provide stroke rehabilitation and study participants, if they have agreed to this.

  • REC name

    Yorkshire & The Humber - Leeds West Research Ethics Committee

  • REC reference

    24/YH/0269

  • Date of REC Opinion

    24 Jan 2025

  • REC opinion

    Further Information Favourable Opinion