A survey of exercise professionals ’ barriers and facilitators to working with stroke survivors

This study aimed to investigate EPs’ opinions on working with SSs by rating their agreement of barriers and facilitators to working with SSs. The study also investigated EPs skills, interest and experience working with SSs and the relationship between EPs’ barriers and facilitators with their training on stroke. A descriptive cross‐sectional study was conducted using a researcher‐designed online survey between October and December 2015. Purposive sampling was used to survey EPs on the Register of Exercise Professionals in Ireland (n = 277). The response rate was 31% (87/277). Only 22% (19/86) of EPs had experience working with SSs. The primary barriers rated by EPs included insufficient training on psychological problems post‐stroke (84%; 61/73), unsuitable equipment for SSs (69%; 50/73) and the level of supervision SSs require (56%; 41/73). The primary facilitators rated included access to suitable equipment (97%; 69/71), practical (100%; 71/71) and theoretical training (93%; 66/71) on stroke. Respondents with no training on stroke were significantly more likely to agree that insufficient training on psychological problems post‐stroke and lack of experience were barriers. Seventy‐six per cent of EPs (58/76) were interested in one‐to‐one exercise sessions with SSs but only 53% (40/76) were interested in group sessions. Eighty‐two per cent of EPs (62/76) rated their motivational skills as good or very good but 42% (32/76) indicated having only acceptable ...
Source: Health and Social Care in the Community - Category: Health Management Authors: Tags: ORIGINAL ARTICLE Source Type: research