Striking a balance: The critical importance of sense-making and values-congruent partnerships between general practitioners and patients following stroke

Abstract

Objective People with a recent experience of stroke commonly rely on general practice for assistance to manage everyday consequences and associated disability. In this study, we were interested in qualitatively exploring how the relationship between these people and their general practitioners assisted daily self-management. Methods One hundred twenty-six participants were involved in five in-depth interviews over an 18-month period after discharge from an acute care setting. Data were thematically analyzed by two independent researchers. Results Three themes comprehensively accounted for the expectations participants had about their interactions with general practitioners. They were (1) the critical sense-making role of general practitioners, (2) the requirement for collaborative partnerships in which personhood was validated, and (3) the importance of confirming self-management actions. Conclusion To comprehensively assist people to adjust to living with the residual consequences of a recent stroke, general practitioners need to engage in collaborative, person-centered interactions.