Stroke rehabilitation: benefits of educational initiatives

The supportive education of stroke survivors and their carers has been identified as a key area of interest to rehabilitation nurses. The Audit Commission recommends the widespread use of stroke units within the NHS (Audit Commission, 2000). The aim of this review is to determine the authority of available evidence and to discuss how such evidence might influence practice. The literature tended to assume that education had a positive effect on the outcome of rehabilitation. Various education interventions were attempted, including information-giving through the use of written material as well as more supportive and facilitative approaches. Factors that may affect the ability to learn or absorb information were identified and attempts have been made to evaluate the effect of educational interventions.