An E-rehabilitation Team Helps Caregivers Deal with Stroke

Objective: The purpose of this report is to present the findings from a secondary analysis of email questions from adult caregivers of persons with stroke directed to a nurse specialist and members of an electronic (E)-rehabilitation team. This analysis explored what caregivers new to the role asked in dealing with the outcomes of stroke. Materials and Method:Thirteen caregivers submitted questions and had them answered through use of Caring~Web©, a web-based intervention for caregivers of persons with stroke. Data were gleaned from email messages on Ask-the-Nurse, a one-on-one discussion with the nurse specialist, and Caretalk, an email discussion with the entire group. These data constituted the content for the qualitative analyses. QSR N 5, previously known as NUD*IST, was the qualitative data management program used to enter, track, explore, code and search all narrative data. Results: The caregivers’ questions centered on: 1) medication management (19%), 2) community and government services (23%), and 3) stroke and related issues in dealing with stroke (58%). These findings, using Friedemann’s framework of systemic organization as a guide, indicated that the caregivers were seeking new knowledge [individuation in Friedemann’s terms] along with supporting one another [coherence], as they sought to maintain themselves and their care recipients [system maintenance]. Conclusion: These are important topics for which information was needed as caregivers sought to maintain themselves and their care recipients in the home.