OBJECTIVES: This paper presents consensus work conducted with an international group of expert stroke recovery and rehabilitation researchers, clinicians, and people living with stroke to identify and define criteria and measurable indicators for Centers of Clinical Excellence (CoCE) in stroke recovery and rehabilitation. These were intentionally developed to be ambitious and internationally relevant, regardless of a country's development or income status, to drive global improvement in stroke services.
METHODS: Criteria and specific measurable indicators for CoCE were collaboratively developed by an international panel of stroke recovery and rehabilitation experts from 10 countries and consumer groups from 5 countries.
RESULTS: The criteria and associated indicators, ranked in order of importance, focused upon (i) optimal outcome, (ii) research culture, (iii) working collaboratively with people living with stroke, (iv) knowledge exchange, (v) leadership, (vi) education, and (vii) advocacy. Work is currently underway to user-test the criteria and indicators in 14 rehabilitation centers in 10 different countries.
CONCLUSIONS: We anticipate that use of the criteria and indicators could support individual organizations to further develop their services and, more widely, provide a mechanism by which clinical excellence can be articulated and shared to generate global improvements in stroke care.
METHODS: Drawing on ethnographic research from rural Malaysia, this descriptive article explores ethnic Malaysian-Chinese stroke survivors' lay understandings of stroke. Eighteen community-dwelling stroke survivors aged 50-83 took part in the study.
RESULTS: Causation of stroke was derived from cultural, biomedical and social sources. Participants also drew simultaneously from both biomedical and traditional explanations of stroke to develop their own understanding of etiology. Similarities with biomedical causation and other studies from different cultures were found. Participants' typically focused on the more immediate effects of stroke and often do not attribute causation and association with their comorbid conditions which are also risk factors of stroke.
CONCLUSION: Lack of knowledge about stroke and its symptoms was evident in participants' account. Findings emphasize the importance of knowledge based health interventions, especially in health education strategies for stroke survivors to reduce delays to diagnosis and potentially improve health outcomes post-stroke. Implications for rehabilitation Stroke survivors often form explanatory models of stroke that draw from both biomedical and traditional explanations of stroke. Understanding how people derive lay understandings of stroke can contribute towards developing the goals and activities that facilitate recovery and rehabilitation in similar settings. Health practitioners in the community should strengthen communication regarding the identification, etiology and risk factors of stroke with stroke survivors and their carers to improve compliance to medication, exercise and diet for better recovery. Sustained health education which is culturally relevant is recommended. Communication should also include non-physical impact of stroke (such as cognitive deficits and emotional difficulties) as the stroke survivors were unlikely to relate such symptoms to stroke.
METHODS: Participants (N=142) in this randomized controlled trial were office workers aged 20-50 years old with neck, shoulders, and lower back pain. They were randomly assigned to either the ergonomic modification group, the exercise group, the combined exercise and ergonomic modification group, or the control group (no-treatment). The exercise training group performed a series of stretching exercises, while the ergonomic group received some modification in the working place. Outcome measures were assessed by the Cornell Musculoskeletal Disorders Questionnaire at baseline, after 2, 4, and 6 months of intervention.
RESULTS: There was significant differences in pain scores for neck (MD -10.55; 95%CI -14.36 to -6.74), right shoulder (MD -12.17; 95%CI -16.87 to -7.47), left shoulder (MD -11.1; 95%CI -15.1 to -7.09) and lower back (MD -7.8; 95%CI -11.08 to -4.53) between the exercise and control groups. Also, significant differences were seen in pain scores for neck (MD -9.99; 95%CI -13.63 to -6.36), right shoulder (MD -11.12; 95%CI -15.59 to -6.65), left shoulder (MD -10.67; 95%CI -14.49 to -6.85) and lower back (MD -6.87; 95%CI -10 to -3.74) between the combined exercise and ergonomic modification and control groups. The significant improvement from month 4 to 6, was only seen in exercise group (p<0.05).
CONCLUSION: To have a long term effective on MSDs, physical therapists and occupational therapists should use stretching exercises in their treatment programs rather than solely rely on ergonomic modification.
CLINICAL TRIAL ID: NCT02874950 - https://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02874950.