Service users’ views of the assessment process in stroke rehabilitation

Abstract

Objective: To investigate the service users’ (stroke survivors and care-givers) experiences and views of the rehabilitation assessment process. Design: Qualitative data analysis from three focus groups using a content analysis to identify the major themes. Setting: Participants were recruited from stroke support groups and community rehabilitation services in a large UK city. Subjects: Seventeen community-dwelling stroke survivors who had completed their rehabilitation within the previous year and six care-givers. Results: Five themes emerged: understanding the purpose of the assessment; repetition of assessments; feedback about assessments and progress; format of feedback and barriers to feedback. While all participants reported undergoing assessment, some felt their purpose was not always explained and resented unexplained repetitions of tests. Some participants reported a positive experience, but most wanted more information about their progress and predictions of recovery. They wanted regular, consistent, objective information presented in layman’s terms; verbally and in writing. Some carers reported difficulty accessing information particularly as a result of confidentiality policies. While some participants accepted these short-comings, others considered them due to staff’s disinterest or ineptitude, which undermined their trust in the team. Conclusions: Stroke service users require clear information about the purpose of assessments and regular, consistent, objective feedback about their progress using layman’s language both verbally and in writing.