Patients’ Experiences of the Treatment Received During Their Stay in the Stroke Unit at Spanish Healthcare Centers: A Qualitative Approach

<i>Background and Objectives</i>: Stroke is a condition that seriously impairs the personal, family, social and professional lives of those affected. The aim of this study was to explore the perceptions of patients who have experienced a stroke and received care in stroke units across va...

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Main Author: Sagrario Pérez-de la Cruz
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-06-01
Series:Medicina
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/1648-9144/61/7/1185
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author Sagrario Pérez-de la Cruz
author_facet Sagrario Pérez-de la Cruz
author_sort Sagrario Pérez-de la Cruz
collection DOAJ
description <i>Background and Objectives</i>: Stroke is a condition that seriously impairs the personal, family, social and professional lives of those affected. The aim of this study was to explore the perceptions of patients who have experienced a stroke and received care in stroke units across various health centers in Spain, as well as to gain insight into their rehabilitation process. <i>Materials and Methods</i>: A qualitative study was carried out with individual interviews involving 30 patients who voluntarily wished to collaborate, recounting their personal experience of the treatment and professionalism with which they were treated in these units. <i>Results</i>: Four themes emerged in this study: healthcare, the role of health professionals in the rehabilitation process, the professional–patient relationship, and barriers and facilitators of this relationship. The participants showed the variability in the care protocols for acute stroke patients, as well as the importance of a close relationship with physiotherapists and the demand for professionalism. <i>Conclusions</i>: The heterogeneity in the implementation of action protocols by healthcare professionals in stroke units has been demonstrated, leading to inequality in the approach and treatment of these patients. These findings may be useful to identify ways of approaching acute patients in stroke units and to design a comprehensive and coordinated rehabilitation program for these patients.
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spelling doaj-art-46b64d4e058743eb92440d6ff404686d2025-08-20T03:35:38ZengMDPI AGMedicina1010-660X1648-91442025-06-01617118510.3390/medicina61071185Patients’ Experiences of the Treatment Received During Their Stay in the Stroke Unit at Spanish Healthcare Centers: A Qualitative ApproachSagrario Pérez-de la Cruz0Department of Nursing, Physiotherapy and Medicine, University of Almería, 04120 Almería, Spain<i>Background and Objectives</i>: Stroke is a condition that seriously impairs the personal, family, social and professional lives of those affected. The aim of this study was to explore the perceptions of patients who have experienced a stroke and received care in stroke units across various health centers in Spain, as well as to gain insight into their rehabilitation process. <i>Materials and Methods</i>: A qualitative study was carried out with individual interviews involving 30 patients who voluntarily wished to collaborate, recounting their personal experience of the treatment and professionalism with which they were treated in these units. <i>Results</i>: Four themes emerged in this study: healthcare, the role of health professionals in the rehabilitation process, the professional–patient relationship, and barriers and facilitators of this relationship. The participants showed the variability in the care protocols for acute stroke patients, as well as the importance of a close relationship with physiotherapists and the demand for professionalism. <i>Conclusions</i>: The heterogeneity in the implementation of action protocols by healthcare professionals in stroke units has been demonstrated, leading to inequality in the approach and treatment of these patients. These findings may be useful to identify ways of approaching acute patients in stroke units and to design a comprehensive and coordinated rehabilitation program for these patients.https://www.mdpi.com/1648-9144/61/7/1185strokequalitative researchphysiotherapytreatmenthealthcarerelationship
spellingShingle Sagrario Pérez-de la Cruz
Patients’ Experiences of the Treatment Received During Their Stay in the Stroke Unit at Spanish Healthcare Centers: A Qualitative Approach
Medicina
stroke
qualitative research
physiotherapy
treatment
healthcare
relationship
title Patients’ Experiences of the Treatment Received During Their Stay in the Stroke Unit at Spanish Healthcare Centers: A Qualitative Approach
title_full Patients’ Experiences of the Treatment Received During Their Stay in the Stroke Unit at Spanish Healthcare Centers: A Qualitative Approach
title_fullStr Patients’ Experiences of the Treatment Received During Their Stay in the Stroke Unit at Spanish Healthcare Centers: A Qualitative Approach
title_full_unstemmed Patients’ Experiences of the Treatment Received During Their Stay in the Stroke Unit at Spanish Healthcare Centers: A Qualitative Approach
title_short Patients’ Experiences of the Treatment Received During Their Stay in the Stroke Unit at Spanish Healthcare Centers: A Qualitative Approach
title_sort patients experiences of the treatment received during their stay in the stroke unit at spanish healthcare centers a qualitative approach
topic stroke
qualitative research
physiotherapy
treatment
healthcare
relationship
url https://www.mdpi.com/1648-9144/61/7/1185
work_keys_str_mv AT sagrarioperezdelacruz patientsexperiencesofthetreatmentreceivedduringtheirstayinthestrokeunitatspanishhealthcarecentersaqualitativeapproach