Is E-health the Future for Stroke Rehabilitation? Health Professionals’ Experiences of Implementation of a Mobile Phone-supported and Family Centred Rehabilitation Intervention After Stroke in Uganda

Abstract

Background Stroke is currently increasing in low-income countries and hence it is of importance to develop modes of stroke rehabilitation adapted to the context. Information and communication technology can potentially improve stroke rehabilitation, yet mostly studied in high-income countries. The increasing usage of mobile phones in sub-Saharan region calls for studies of the implementation and use of telerehabilitation in stroke. Research concerning health professionals’ experience regarding use of telerehabilitation for stroke is lacking. The aim was to explore health professionals’ experiences of implementing a mobile phone-supported and family-centred rehabilitation after stroke, F@ce 2.0, in Uganda. An additional aim was to describe health professionals’ views of how to further develop and optimise implementation of e-health. Method Data were collected in semi-structured interviews with nine health professionals participating in F@ce 2.0. The data was analysed using qualitative content analysis with an inductive approach. Results The intervention was delivered according to the predetermined design. The findings revealed several mediators and challenges in the implementation process. Three categories emerged: Bridging gaps in rehabilitation, Barriers in the implementation of the intervention and Facilitators in the implementation of the intervention. An additional independent category Improving the model and enabling sustainability emerged regarding the participants’ views regarding implementation of future e-health interventions in stroke rehabilitation. Conclusions The health professionals appear positive to implement tele-rehabilitation for people within the sub-Saharan context. This study contributes to knowledge on how implementation processes for similar interventions could be improved in the future and encourages further studies to be conducted in this field of research.