Investigating recovery from stroke: a qualitative study

A recent randomized controlled trial evaluated the effects of specialist nu rses providing information, advice and support to caregivers and patients a t home during the first year after a stroke. Reported here are the results of a complementary study which used qualitati ve methods to examine the experience of patients and caregivers during the year of recovery after a stroke. We used semi-structured interviews with a purposively selected sample of 30 patients and 15 caregivers at the end of a randomized controlled trial (13 -16 months post-stroke). Patients and caregivers provided vivid descriptions of the recovery process . Recovery was perceived in terms of the degree of congruence patients iden tified between their lives before, and after, stroke. Patients therefore ha d individual and personal yardsticks for measuring their recovery. In conclusion, further research and interventions must consider the diverse , complex, dynamic and highly personal character of stroke recovery. Tradit ional outcome measures are too simplistic to capture patients' and caregive rs' experiences. There do not appear to be single or simple solutions to th e problems of facilitating psycho-social adjustment.