Background: Evidence shows that quality indicators such as the structure and process of stroke rehabilitation can influence patient outcomes. However, not much attention has been paid to the study of these issues in low- and middle-income countries such as Ghana.Objectives: Our study evaluated the structure and process of stroke rehabilitation in primary, secondary and tertiary hospitals in the Greater Accra Region of Ghana.Method: A cross-sectional survey was conducted involving 111 healthcare professionals. The World Health Organization (WHO) situational analysis and Measure of Processes of Care for Service Providers for Adults (MPOC-SP[A]) questionnaires were administered to gather information on the structure and process of stroke rehabilitation. Descriptive statistics were used to summarise data, and chi-square and Kruskal–Wallis tests were used to establish associations and comparisons, respectively.Results: A stroke unit was only available in the tertiary hospital. Although all three hospitals had a multidisciplinary team approach to care, the constituents differed. Length of hospital-stay, duration of treatment and basis for discharge from acute care were not associated with the hospitals. Therapy sessions, access to computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanning were dependent on the hospitals.Conclusion: The structure and process of stroke rehabilitation across the three hospitals were similar in some constructs and different in others.Clinical implications: Data gathered will help to provide information on the available structure and processes of stroke rehabilitation, which could help assess the quality of care provided.
Background: Return to pre-stroke life is of great importance to stroke survivors, their families and communities as stroke affects their ability to perform activities of daily living. It is therefore important to understand the impact of stroke rehabilitation on the community life of stroke survivors in Ghana as there are limited data.Objectives: Our study aimed to explore and describe the views of stroke survivors on the impact of stroke rehabilitation on their community life.Method: A descriptive qualitative study was conducted among 15 stroke survivors recruited from three selected hospitals in the Greater Accra Region of Ghana. Individual in-depth interviews were conducted using a semi-structured interview guide. Interview transcripts were analysed using thematic analysis and this gave rise to several themes.Results: The authors found that stroke left most of the survivors with functional limitations and they required various degrees of assistance to perform their activities of daily living. As the stroke survivors received rehabilitation, most of them mentioned improvements in function. However, most participants were still unable to return to work and enjoy social or leisure activities.Conclusion: Our study shows that attention needs to be given to the occupational and social management in rehabilitation as much as it is given to the physical management, to improve community integration post-stroke.Clinical implications: Our study highlights the need to take into consideration the occupational and social aspects of life as part of the rehabilitation process for stroke survivors.
Background: Ensuring quality in the structure and process of stroke rehabilitation helps to attain a good outcome. However, knowledge on this is limited in resource-constrained settings such as Ghana.Objectives: This study aimed to explore healthcare professionals’ (HCPs) views and experiences of the structure and process of stroke rehabilitation in three selected hospitals in Ghana.Method: A qualitative study was carried out involving 26 HCPs directly involved in stroke rehabilitation from three selected hospitals in the Greater Accra Region of Ghana representing the different levels of healthcare. Interviews were conducted using an interview guide to understand participants’ views and experiences of the structure and process of stroke rehabilitation. Interview transcripts were analysed using thematic analysis.Results: HCPs reported limitations with the structure of stroke rehabilitation with regards to the availability of rehabilitation units, bed capacity, approach to care, availability of protocol, staff capacity development and payment systems. With respect to the process of rehabilitation, the primary and secondary level hospitals were found not to have computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanning equipment. Participants also reported limitations with discharge planning, basis for discharge and post-discharge care across all three hospitals.Conclusion: This study found limitations in the current structure and process of stroke rehabilitation, which when given some considerations for improvement, can help improve the quality of care and thereby improve the outcome of stroke patients in Ghana.Contribution: This study provided data which helps to assess the quality of stroke rehabilitation in Ghana.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.