Recruiting Participants
The CAReS research study was approved by the institutional review boards (IRBs) of the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston and the Baylor College of Medicine and the individual IRBs of the five healthcare systems from which participants were recruited in the Texas Medical Center (TMC). Stroke survivors in rehabilitation settings were invited to participate if they had experienced a stroke within the last 12 months, were at least 50 years of age and spoke English, lived within 50 miles of TMC, and were to be discharged home with a spouse (or significant other). Stroke survivors were excluded if they were under hospice care or had physical or psychiatric disabilities that prohibited them from participating in the educational aspects of the study (e.g., global aphasia or dementia) or if they did not have a spouse or significant other who was willing to participate in the study. Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) waivers and written informed consents were obtained from stroke survivors and their spousal caregivers before program participation. The 159 couples who agreed to participate were randomly assigned to a group that received the at-home educational program described in this article or information delivery by mail. Of the 79 couples randomized to the home-intervention group, 72 completed the 6-month intervention using the educational guidelines described here. Further information on recruitment and retention of the sample can be found in a separate journal article (Schulz, Wasserman, & Ostwald, 2006).
J Neurosci Nurs. 2008;40(3):173-179,191. © 2008 American Association of Neuroscience Nurses
Cite this: Evidence-Based Educational Guidelines for Stroke Survivors After Discharge Home - Medscape - Jun 01, 2008.
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