Healthcare professionals’ experiences of delivering a stroke early supported discharge service – an example from Ireland

Objective: To explore healthcare professionals’ experiences of the development and delivery of Early Supported Discharge for people after stroke, including experiences of the COVID-19 pandemic. Design: Qualitative descriptive study using one-to-one semi-structured interviews. Data were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. Setting: Nine Early Supported Discharge service sites in Ireland. Participants: Purposive sampling identified 16 healthcare professionals. Results: Five key themes were identified (1) Un-coordinated development of services, (2) Staff shortages limit the potential of Early Supported Discharge, (3) Limited utilisation of telerehabilitation post COVID-19 pandemic, (4) Families need information and support, and (5) Early Supported Discharge involves collaboration with people after stroke and their families. Conclusions: Findings highlight how Early Supported Discharge services adapted during the COVID-19 pandemic and how gaps in the service impacts on service delivery. Practice implications include the need to address staff recruitment and retention issues to prevent service shortages and ensure consistent access to psychology services. Early Supported Discharge services should continue to work closely with families and address their information and support needs. Future research on how telerehabilitation can optimally be deployed and the impact of therapy assistants in Early Supported Discharge is needed.