Stroke rehabilitation
Providing a virtual fatigue management course has enabled participants to attend from their own home without the need to travel . This has also meant that therapists have been able to provide the course from a fixed base , saving on both travel time and costs .”
Stroke rehabilitation
Feature
T he Community Stroke Rehabilitation Team in Leeds is a multidisciplinary team that provides up to 12 weeks of input to achieve rehabilitation goals .
In 2022 , we set up our first virtual fatigue management group . With restrictions on shared opportunities both during and after the COVID-19 pandemic , and having run face-to-face groups previously , we identified virtual groups as an opportunity for providing information and shared learning with patients experiencing fatigue as a result of their stroke .
Rationale and preparation
The group was to be available to patients accessing the community service , with referrals coming via the multidisciplinary team . Criteria was shared within the team and referral processes were available electronically . Quality measures included a service evaluation , the Modified Fatigue Impact Scale and Quality of Life , and were shared both electronically and paper based .
The format of the groups would make use of strategies and information previously used with face-to-face groups and which would reflect the particular impact of fatigue associated with stroke . A Band 5 occupational therapist would oversee the group , while Band 4 therapy assistant practitioners would deliver the course once established .
Group format
The initial group , facilitated by the occupational therapist and two therapy assistant practitioners , ran with five patients .
The format followed the same as the faceto-face sessions : weeks one to four saw group based sessions on MS Teams ; in weeks five to six , patients would explore the advice and strategies provided independently ; and in week five , a group based review session took place , following a twoweek gap .
The groups have continued to run with an average of five patients attending for each course ; and we have seen a total of 42 patients over the first 14 months .
The therapy assistant practitioners have continued to run the sessions with occupational therapy involvement for referrals , initial sessions and covering for eventualities , such as annual leave .
Information was provided via a presentation , with opportunities throughout the session for group discussion , and sent out in paper format by the therapy assistant practitioners . A link was initially sent out to cover all sessions , however this was later changed to a weekly reminder .
Following what we felt to be a successful 12 months running the group , it was decided within the team to complete a service review to identify whether the group was effective and / or efficient . Feedback provided by patients ( via surveys and within sessions ) was used to review service delivery , while efficiency was measured by comparing time ( clinical and travel ) between the virtual group and what would have been provided in direct one-to-one sessions in the community .
94 %
of respondents identified that they were satisfied with the service provided in 2023
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Providing a virtual fatigue management course has enabled participants to attend from their own home without the need to travel . This has also meant that therapists have been able to provide the course from a fixed base , saving on both travel time and costs .”
September 2023 OTnews 41