Information provision to clients with stroke and their carers: self-reported practices of occupational therapists.
BACKGROUND
The literature promotes the use of a wide range of educational materials for teaching and training clients with chronic conditions such as stroke. Client education is a valuable tool used by occupational therapists to facilitate client and carer ability to manage the stroke-affected upper limb. The aim of this study was to identify what information was provided to clients and carers, how this information was delivered, when the information was delivered and the client factors that influenced the method of information provision.


METHODS
Convenience and snowball sampling was used to recruit occupational therapists working in stroke. Twenty-eight participants completed the study questionnaire anonymously and their responses were summarised descriptively.


RESULTS
There was a clinically important trend for carers to receive less information than clients. Written and/or verbal information was the favoured method for delivering information related to handling (57%), soft-tissue injury minimisation (46.4%) and oedema management (50%). Information was delivered with decreasing frequency from admission (86%) to discharge (64%). More than 90% of participants indicated that the client's cognitive ability, visual ability, level of communication, primary language and perceptual ability were considered prior to the delivery of information.


CONCLUSIONS
Participants regularly conveyed information to clients and carers with respect to management of the stroke-affected upper limb. However, an increased emphasis on the development of practical self-management skills, awareness of the impact of personal factors and a timeline for information provision may prove useful.
Gustafsson
Louise
L
Division of Occupational Therapy, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. l.gustafsson@uq.edu.au
Hodge
Anna
A
Robinson
Mia
M
McKenna
Kryss
K
Bower
Kylie
K
D001364:Awareness; D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D033181:Information Dissemination; D009788:Occupational Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D011369:Professional-Patient Relations; D011594:Psychometrics; D012648:Self Care; D057566:Self Report; D020521:Stroke / Q000523:psychology; D000071939:Stroke Rehabilitation; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D034941:Upper Extremity