Co-designing and testing a management programme with peer support for post-stroke fatigue: Nottingham fatigue after...

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Rehabilitation Medicine
• Psychology

Background:

• Post-stroke fatigue is a common and debilitating condition affecting stroke survivors' quality of life.
• Current management strategies for post-stroke fatigue are limited, necessitating the development of novel interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and preliminarily test a novel, co-designed program to support post-stroke fatigue management.
• To assess the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy of the intervention for future clinical trials.

Main Methods:

• A staged approach involving co-design groups, facilitator training, and a feasibility study.
• The intervention involved a fatigue management program delivered with support from trained 'buddies'.
• Feasibility was assessed through recruitment, retention, engagement, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy measures via questionnaires and interviews.

Main Results:

• The program was co-designed with 23 stakeholders and 10 individuals supported training development, with 7 trained as buddies.
• In phase 4, 15 participants were recruited, and 13 completed the program, demonstrating good feasibility.
• Preliminary findings showed reduced fatigue severity, increased activity, and improved mood, with positive feedback from participants and buddies.

Conclusions:

• The post-stroke fatigue management program is acceptable and feasible for delivery in community and online settings.
• Preliminary evidence suggests potential efficacy, warranting further investigation in a larger clinical trial.
• Identified issues require refinement for optimal design in future research endeavors.