IJERPH, Vol. 19, Pages 9341: Volunteer Engagement in a Stroke Self-Management Program: Qualitative Analysis of a Hybrid Team of Healthcare Providers and Trained Volunteers

IJERPH, Vol. 19, Pages 9341: Volunteer Engagement in a Stroke Self-Management Program: Qualitative Analysis of a Hybrid Team of Healthcare Providers and Trained Volunteers International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health doi: 10.3390/ijerph19159341 Authors: Suzanne Hoi Shan Lo Janita Pak Chun Chau Ravneet Saran Stroke recovery is a complex, multidimensional and heterogeneous process. Volunteer engagement improves the delivery of interventions in stroke rehabilitation programs but is under-utilized due to poor role clarity and other program-related concerns. We evaluated healthcare providers’ and volunteers’ perceptions of volunteer engagement in an 8-week self-management program that provided self-management support for community-dwelling stroke survivors. Using a qualitative design, we conducted individual, semi-structured interviews with a purposive sample of 5 trained healthcare providers and 18 volunteers. The participants shared their experiences of supporting survivors, perceptions of volunteer engagement, and areas of improvement to optimize volunteer support. Three main themes and six subthemes emerged: bilateral exchange between healthcare providers/volunteers and survivors; adoption of individualized approaches; and suggestions for optimizing volunteer contributions. Volunteer engagement can be optimized by developing well-designed programs with sufficient role clarity, strengthened collaborations with healthc...
Source: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health - Category: Environmental Health Authors: Tags: Article Source Type: research