From the Rehabilitation Sciences Institute, Faculty of Medicine (V.T.), University of Toronto, ON, Canada.
Department of Physical Therapy, Toronto Rehabilitation Institute-UHN (S.J.), University of Toronto, ON, Canada.
Stroke. 2019 Dec;50(12):3585-3591. doi: 10.1161/STROKEAHA.119.026660. Epub 2019 Oct 10.
Background and Purpose- Family caregivers play a central role in the recovery of people with stroke. They need support to optimize the care they provide and their own health and well-being. Despite support from the literature and best practice recommendations, healthcare systems are not formally adopting caregiver programs. This study aimed to describe system-level facilitators and barriers to caregiver support program implementation in a regional stroke system. Methods- Using a qualitative descriptive study design, focus groups were conducted with regional rehabilitation specialists, education coordinators, community and long-term care specialists, and regional/district program directors. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with regional medical directors, health professionals providing stroke care in acute care, rehabilitation and community settings, regional health executives, and primary care leaders. Data were analyzed using inductive thematic analysis. Results- Four focus groups (n=43) and 29 interviews were conducted. We identified 4 themes related to caregiver program implementation: (1) establishing the need for caregiver education and support in an integrated healthcare system; (2) incorporating caregiver programs into the system of care across the care continuum; (3) uncertainty regarding ownership and responsibility for implementation; and (4) addressing regional variations related to access, availability, and culture. Conclusions- This study provides a comprehensive understanding of organization and system-level considerations for implementing caregiver programs in a regional stroke system. Program implementation requires evidence to establish the need for caregiver programs, practical strategies, and establishing ownership to incorporate programs into existing healthcare systems, and consideration of regional variations across healthcare systems. Ultimately, adopting programs to support caregivers will improve recovery in people with stroke and caregiver well-being.
背景与目的- 家庭照顾者在脑卒中患者康复过程中起着核心作用。他们需要支持,以优化他们提供的护理,并保障自身健康和福祉。尽管有文献和最佳实践建议的支持,但医疗保健系统并未正式采用照顾者计划。本研究旨在描述区域脑卒中系统中照顾者支持计划实施的系统层面的促进因素和障碍。方法- 采用定性描述性研究设计,对区域康复专家、教育协调员、社区和长期护理专家以及区域/地区项目主任进行了焦点小组讨论。对急性护理、康复和社区环境中提供脑卒中护理的医疗专业人员、区域卫生行政人员和初级保健负责人进行了半结构化访谈。使用归纳主题分析对数据进行分析。结果- 进行了 4 个焦点小组(n=43)和 29 次访谈。我们确定了与照顾者计划实施相关的 4 个主题:(1)在综合医疗保健系统中确立照顾者教育和支持的需求;(2)将照顾者计划纳入整个护理连续体的系统护理中;(3)对实施的所有权和责任存在不确定性;(4)解决与获取、可用性和文化相关的区域差异。结论- 本研究全面了解了在区域脑卒中系统中实施照顾者计划的组织和系统层面的考虑因素。计划实施需要有证据来确定照顾者计划的需求,采用切实可行的策略,并确立所有权将计划纳入现有的医疗保健系统中,还需要考虑医疗保健系统中的区域差异。最终,采用支持照顾者的计划将改善脑卒中患者的康复和照顾者的幸福感。