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Perceptions of post- stroke fatigue among health care practitioners: A qualitative interview study

Kontou, Eirini
Abstract
Background and Objectives: Post-Stroke Fatigue (PSF) is a complex, multidimensional, debilitating condition that affects almost half of all stroke survivors. This study explored the perceptions of physiatrists, physiotherapists, and occupational therapists about PSF and their experiences in managing patients with PSF in Saudi Arabia. Materials and Methods: Qualitative semi-structured interviews were conducted with participants from three different groups: eight physiotherapists (PTs), eight occupational therapists (OTs), and eight physiatrists (DRs). Using purposive sampling, participants with at least one year of experience in the field of PSF management were invited to take part. The data were analysed using inductive thematic analysis. Results: Twenty-four health care participants (eight PTs, eight OTs, eight DRs) were recruited. Five overarching themes encompassing various subthemes and sub-subthemes were generated: 'knowledge about post-stroke fatigue', 'diagnosing post-stroke fatigue', 'treatment approach', 'lack of awareness about post-stroke fatigue', and 'domains to improve'. The data indicated that participants used various strategies to manage PSF, including dietary changes, sleep hygiene, exercise, and energy conservation. Conclusions: Participants acknowledged that they lacked PSF-related management skills, despite possessing adequate knowledge about the management of stroke. Their openness to participating in activities that would improve their ability to diagnose and manage PSF was particularly striking.
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Date
2023
Type
Article
Subject
Stroke
 Delivery of health care
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NottsHC Cardiovascular Conditions
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Alahmari, W. S., Basuodan, R. M., Shalabi, K. M., Alhowimel, A. S., Alotaibi, M., Kontou, E., Logan, P. & Coulson, N. (2023). Perceptions of post- stroke fatigue among health care practitioners: A qualitative interview study. Medicina, 59 (12), pp.2146.
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https://mider.dspace7.openrepository.com/handle/20.500.12904/18068
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© 2023 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https:// creativecommons.org/licenses/by/ 4.0/).
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