Clinician Perceptions of a Novel Multicomponent Digital Care Assistant and Support Program for People After Stroke or Transient Ischemic Attack (CAPS) for the Secondary Prevention of Stroke: Qualitative Study.

BACKGROUND

We co-designed the novel multicomponent CAPS (Care Assistant and support Program for people after Stroke or transient ischemic attack) to augment the secondary prevention of stroke.

OBJECTIVE

Following completion of a feasibility study, we sought feedback from Australian clinicians and service provider representatives (the potential deliverers of CAPS) regarding their perceptions of CAPS for secondary prevention and the pathways to real-world adoption.

METHODS

This was a qualitative descriptive study of clinicians and service provider representatives involved in the delivery of stroke care around Australia. A pragmatic convenience sample was obtained by contacting previous CAPS co-design study participants; leveraging professional networks (eg, LinkedIn); and distributing study flyers and newsletters via primary health care networks, general practitioner (GP) networks, and social media posts (Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization's LinkedIn pages). Semistructured interviews and focus groups were conducted virtually with clinicians and representatives of the Stroke Foundation (Australia). Qualitative content analysis was undertaken.

RESULTS

Overall, 18 clinicians and 3 Stroke Foundation representatives participated from 5 Australian states, including medical specialists, GPs, nurses, and allied health professionals. We collected their perceptions of CAPS, categorized as potential benefits of the program for secondary prevention, and the considerations for facilitators and challenges to real-world program implementation. The perceived benefits of supporting self-management for patients and facilitating informed decision-making for clinicians were identified. Discussions regarding program implementation included program initiation and duration, patient support considerations, and workflow alignment, which involved consideration of the barriers and enablers to uptake within primary care practice and Stroke Foundation outreach support programs.

CONCLUSIONS

There was support from participants for the potential of CAPS to improve the secondary prevention of stroke. However, approaches for addressing the challenges raised by participants, including further implementation and integration considerations, such as sustainability of the model of care, are likely required for CAPS to be successfully embedded within clinical settings.