Experiencing lack of energy and tiredness after a stroke is very common and can be one of the most difficult and upsetting problems that people have to manage. Improving management of post-stroke fatigue has been identified as a high priority by NHS England.
The research programme has been awarded 拢2 million by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) and Stroke Association. It builds on an existing intervention developed at the University of Bournemouth to help patients with multiple sclerosis, called . This includes elements of cognitive behavioural therapy, education and energy effectiveness techniques.
The Birmingham team will work together with people affected by stroke, caregivers, clinicians and other experts to adapt FACETS for the stroke community and web-based delivery. Importantly, the team will include people who are often under-represented in research (for example, people with stroke-related impairments and ethnic minority groups).
鈥淲e don鈥檛 know the best way to manage fatigue after stroke, and many people don鈥檛 receive any information or support,鈥 explained lead investigator, Dr Grace Turner. 鈥淲ith around 50 per cent of people who have had a stroke experiencing fatigue, this is clearly an important area to tackle.
鈥淔atigue self-management programmes have been shown to be effective in managing fatigue in other conditions and we hope it could be a solution for post-stroke fatigue that can be implemented within current NHS care pathways.鈥
