ABSTRACT
Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic has been hugely affecting access to the health care system and quality of services for all patients including for those who had a stroke during the pandemic. It is important to explore the experiences and issues that patients and providers faced during the pandemic to identify deficits in the system. Further, we need to identify possible strategies to tailor stroke care for the benefit of those who faced challenges during the pandemic and for future patients in case of a severe wave. The aim of this study is to explore experiences of people with stroke, therapists' experiences, patients' needs and rehabilitation priorities after their stroke during the pandemic. Method(s): Semi-structured interviews were conducted using two separate topic guides for therapists who treated patients with stroke and the people who had a stroke during the pandemic. Qualitative data were analysed using a reflexive thematic analysis approach. Each interview was coded and categories were developed by two independent researchers and cross checked by a third researcher. Findings from therapists' interviews were triangulated with findings from survivors' interviews. Result(s): 22 participants (12 therapists and 10 patients) from stroke acute, subacute, and chronic settings were interviewed. The quantity and quality of care for people post-stroke has been affected by the impact of the pandemic to various extents including earlier discharge patients from acute care facilities and lack/limited care post discharge from hospital. There has been a variability in the organisational and individual responses to the changes in the care practice. Patients needed more support to address their physical and mental health issues. Remote rehabilitation and self-management strategies were facilitated by care teams as a new approaches to deliver care for stroke population. However, therapists seemed unsatisfied with the quality of care delivered and suggested that the system should be better prepared to deal with similar situations in the future. Conclusion(s): The findings of this study demonstrate the impact of the pandemic on stroke care and provide suggestions for optimal delivery of care in similar situations. Future research is warranted to examine the efficacy of new strategies such as reducing the time for acute care and remote delivery of rehabilitation for people with mild to moderate impairments post stroke.