Therapists and the rehabilitation process after stroke

Therapists working in an experimental stroke unit were interviewed about how they set goals for rehabilitation, how they measure progress, and about problems of discharging patients. In addition the interview covered the topics of quality in rehabilitation, the relationship between patient and therapist, and therapists' evaluation of the stroke unit. The therapists felt that current outcome measurement instruments did not capture the kinds of results that they felt were important. They were process-oriented, and not only outcome-oriented as in traditional studies of stroke rehabilitation. This explorative study provides an insight into how therapists view the stroke rehabilitation process, and elaborates themes for future studies of physical and occupational therapy in rehabilitation.