A Proposal for a Transitional Care Program for Effective Stroke Recovery: Feasibility and Acceptability of the Program Implementation at AUBMC

Abstract

Introduction and Background: Stroke is a major public health concern, and it is the second leading cause of death in Lebanon. In addition to the numerous potential post-stroke complications, and challenges faced by the stroke patient population during their discharge from the hospital, the Lebanese stroke population specifically, faces a series of barriers that prevent them from achieving optimal recovery. One effective method of overcoming these obstacles and improving stroke care was the implementation of evidence-based APRN-led “Transitional Care Programs”.

Goals: The project had two main goals. The first goal is to propose a “Stroke Transitional Care Program” for stroke patients to ensure a seamless transition from hospital care to home recovery. The second goal was to assess the feasibility and acceptability of implementing the “Stroke Transitional Care Program” at AUBMC from the perspective of healthcare providers.

Methods: A qualitative study was conducted whereby which neurology residents and registered nurses working in neuro-med and neuro-ICU units were interviewed regarding the feasibility and acceptability of implementing a “Stroke Transitional Care Program” at AUBMC. Invitations to participate in the study were sent via “LimeSurvey”; overall 9 healthcare providers were interviewed: 5 registered nurses and 4 neurology residents. The interview guide consisted of 9 open-ended questions that were developed based on similar studies assessing for feasibility and acceptability of such programs at other institutions. Each interview lasted approximately 30-40 minutes.

Results: The results of the interviews were promising. All the participants agreed that “Stroke Transitional Care Program” is very comprehensive and it is a great addition to the services already provided in the hospital. However, some barriers regarding the feasibility of implementing such a program were identified. The participants reported that the lack of available APRN, staff shortages and lack of available educational pamphlets within the hospital, are significant barriers that can affect the implementation of such a program.

Conclusion: Due to its comprehensive nature, the program was regarded as highly acceptable and a great addition to stroke services available at AUBMC, however, the feasibility of implementing such a program was a potential issue.