Unpacking the black box of nursing and therapy practice for post-stroke shoulder pain: a precursor to evaluation.
OBJECTIVE
To describe current nursing and therapy interventions for the prevention and treatment of post-stroke shoulder pain and to explore the extent of their reported use in England.


METHODS
Semi-structured, the med interviews followed by a postal questionnaire.


METHODS
Six nurses, five occupational therapists (OTs) and six physiotherapists (PTs) were interviewed. Twelve nurses, 12 OTs and 12 PTs were sent the pilot questionnaire and the main questionnaire was posted to 332 nurses, 332 OTs and 332 PTs.


METHODS
NHS Trusts in England which provide acute stroke care/rehabilitation.


METHODS
Two researchers independently condensed the transcripts of the interviews into a list of interventions which were then transformed into a pilot postal questionnaire. Following the pilot small changes were made. Participants sent the main questionnaire were given three weeks to return it before being posted a reminder. After a further two weeks a researcher gave a telephone reminder.


RESULTS
One hundred and seventy-five different types of interventions were identified. The main questionnaire (57.8% response rate) found that all of the interventions were used by at least one respondent and that only 22.9% of the interventions were used to the same extent by nurses, OTs and PTs. The data also suggest variation in reported use within professions.


CONCLUSIONS
This study has found a large number of interventions for post-stroke shoulder pain which are reported to be used. This might reflect different causes of shoulder pain or variation between clinicians. Answers to these questions are expected to guide future evaluative research.
The Stroke Association's Therapy Research Unit, The University of Manchester, UK. Vpomeroy@fs1.ho.man.ac.uk
V M
VM
Pomeroy
D S
DS
Niven
S
S
Barrow
E B
EB
Faragher
R C
RC
Tallis
D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006801:Humans; D009788:Occupational Therapy; D010146:Pain / Q000451:nursing* / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D012046:Rehabilitation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012785:Shoulder Joint / Q000473:pathology*; D020521:Stroke / Q000150:complications / Q000451:nursing*; D000071939:Stroke Rehabilitation