Clinician Perspectives on Essential Competencies for Family Caregivers of Post-Stroke Patients in Indonesia: A Delphi...

The study aimed to establish an expert consensus on the essential skills that family caregivers (FCGs) must possess to provide post-stroke patient care, using the Delphi approach.

The research utilised the classical Delphi method, encompassing a three-round e-Delphi study designed to achieve consensus among a panel of experts. This panel consisted of 48 professionals, including neurologists, medical rehabilitation specialists, experienced nurses specialising in the care of post-stroke patients and physiotherapists from various hospitals in East Java, Indonesia. The study was conducted from 14 November 2023 to 5 December 2023. Of the 48 experts invited to participate, 41 (85.4%) completed all three rounds of the study.

In the first round, participants were asked to list their top five competencies, which were then prioritised in the second round. The third round involved the experts re-prioritising the competencies based on the priorities identified in the second round. The final list of competencies was determined by achieving at least 70% agreement among the participants. As a result of the study, the team identified 14 core competencies of FCGs for caring for post-stroke patients.

This study represents a significant contribution to the literature on family caregivers' (FCGs) competencies for post-stroke patients. It provides a comprehensive description of these competencies, which can serve as a useful benchmark for FCGs in their caregiving role. Additionally, these competencies can be leveraged to develop educational programmes for FCGs, aimed at improving the quality of care delivered to post-stroke patients. Overall, this study underscores the importance of recognising and supporting the vital role that FCGs play in managing post-stroke care.