Experiences of an Online Version of a Group Education Programme for the Management of Post-Stroke Fatigue: A Qualitative Descriptive Focus Group Study
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Taylor and Francis Group
Abstract
Post-stroke fatigue (PSF) is a common symptom after stroke, without proven effective treatment. The Fatigue After STroke Educational Recovery (FASTER) randomized control trial evaluated a group-based, educational Fatigue Management Group (FMG) intervention. The current study explored the experiences of stroke patients, informal caregivers, and therapists when the FMG was delivered online (due to the COVID-19 pandemic). Participants included newly recruited adults (n = 6) with clinically significant fatigue (3-24 months post-stroke), their informal caregivers (n = 6), who attended as observers, and three therapists from the FASTER main trial. Separate online focus groups were conducted with each group, recorded, and analysed using inductive thematic analysis. Four key themes emerged: positive experiences of group membership, gaining understanding and strategies, navigating challenges in online setting, and future directions. Participants acknowledged the intervention for its educational value, normalization, cohesion, and emotional support, and appreciated new understanding of PSF. However, they also encountered challenges, including technological issues, difficulties concentrating, and therapists' struggles in addressing diverse participant needs and fatigue levels within time constraints. Suggested improvements to the intervention included extending its duration and including combinations of online and in-person sessions. Findings highlighted the importance of qualitatively examining intervention experiences in future trials for better optimization and effectiveness.Description
Keywords
Education, Fatigue, Intervention, Qualitative, 4203 Health Services and Systems, 4205 Nursing, 42 Health Sciences, Brain Disorders, Stroke, Clinical Trials and Supportive Activities, Cerebrovascular, Aging, Clinical Research, 7.1 Individual care needs, 11 Medical and Health Sciences, 17 Psychology and Cognitive Sciences, Rehabilitation, 3209 Neurosciences, 4201 Allied health and rehabilitation science, 5203 Clinical and health psychology
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Neuropsychological Rehabilitation, ISSN: 0960-2011 (Print); 1464-0694 (Online), Taylor and Francis Group, 22-22. doi: 10.1080/09602011.2025.2512204
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© 2025 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivativesLicense (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/), which permits non-commercial re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited, and is not altered, transformed, or built upon in any way. The terms on which this article has been published allow the posting of the Accepted Manuscript in a repository by the author(s) or with their consent.