The role of the occupational therapist in the stroke unit

doi:10.15406/mojgg.2025.10.00335

MOJ

eISSN: 2574-8130

Gerontology & Geriatrics

Opinion Volume 10 Issue 1

The role of the occupational therapist in the stroke unit

Antonio Duarte

Verify Captcha

Regret for the inconvenience: we are taking measures to prevent fraudulent form submissions by extractors and page crawlers. Please type the correct Captcha word to see email ID.

Coordinator of the Department of Occupational Therapy, Hospital Center of Algarve, Portugal

Correspondence: Antonio Duarte, Licensed in Occupational Therapy Coordinator of the Department of Occupational Therapy Hospital Center of Algarve, Portugal

Received: March 24, 2025 | Published: April 21, 2025

Citation: Duarte A. The role of the occupational therapist in the stroke unit. MOJ Gerontol Ger. 2025;10(1):26‒27. DOI: 10.15406/mojgg.2025.10.00335

Download PDF

Abstract

Objectives: To identify the occupational therapist’s role in stroke unities, within a multidisciplinary team, clarifying what are the advantages of having this professional in the team.

Methods: We have used a qualitative approach, using a semi structured interview script with 39 health professionals considering 4 different aspects: The adult’s description, their opinion on the process used in the Stroke Unity, the contribution of each professional within the Stroke Unit, and the development and progress.

Results: The themed analysis of each interview lead to the conclusion that the majority of the professionals that participated in this study recognize the role of the occupational therapist in a Stroke Unity, as well as its value. However, the professionals from the Faro Unity showed a greater knowledge of the role of this professional within the referred context.

Discussion: The relations proposed by the authors were confirmed by data analysis, considering that the majority of the professionals that participated in this study recognize the role of the occupational therapist in a Stroke Unity, as well as its value.

Conclusions: The results show the importance of these professionals as members of the multidisciplinary team, since the majority of the people surveyed consider that their presence is an advantage to the patients in a severe phase in their rehabilitation.

Keywords: stroke unities, health professionals, early rehabilitation, occupational therapy

Opinion

Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death throughout Europe, including Portugal. They encompass a wide range of clinical conditions that affect the circulatory system in different locations. Among them, Cerebral Vascular Accident (CVA) should be highlighted for its special relevance.¹ In view of the proportion of people incapacitated after a stroke, there has been a need to consider new approaches to the problem, including better care during hospitalization, better monitoring in outpatient clinics and coordination with other public or private institutions that contribute to ensuring and maintaining a quality life.² The Stroke Units (UAVC) have been identified as one of the ways that have contributed most to these gains.

The term UAVC designates a system for organizing care for stroke patients in a well-defined geographic area. The advantages of its operation are decisive, as it makes it possible to develop protocols and apply routines that have an impact not only on cerebrovascular mortality, but also on limiting cognitive and motor sequelae, which are often devastating at a personal and family level.¹ The purpose of these units is to reduce admissions to acute hospitals, reduce functional incapacity, avoid post-stroke complications and reduce the number of patients requiring care. This study is a qualitative, descriptive and cross-sectional investigation. The researchers considered the semi-structured interview to be a unique method for collecting data, through which information would be gathered through the communication of different health professionals.

Using the Bardin (2009) method, the different phases of content analysis were followed, organized into three stages. The first relates to pre-analysis, where the information was organized and indicators were drawn up to support its interpretation. The second refers to the exploration of the material through coding based on the recording units, and finally, the third, the treatment of the results, inference and interpretation, where categorization was carried out, which consists of classifying the elements according to their similarities and classification by differentiation, with subsequent regrouping according to common characteristics. According to the European Stroke Organization (2008), regular education and training programs should be provided for the multidisciplinary team. This is one of the aspects mentioned as essential for ensuring quality in the continuity of care. As such, it is also emphasized that the patient is the center of care for these professionals, all working as a team for the good of the patient.

In this way, the teams that make up the CVICUs develop coordinated procedures to formulate and apply a care and rehabilitation plan, based on the needs and problems of the patient, on the notion of stroke as a medical emergency and on close collaboration between the various specialties.¹

According to the Directorate-General for Health,¹ all UAVCs should include occupational therapy professionals. Their approach is based on analyzing the activities of daily living of individuals who have suffered a stroke. Together with the user, family/caregiver, when possible, they evaluate, plan and intervene using techniques specific to their field.³ These techniques should be centered on activities or occupations that are meaningful to the individual and graduated according to the degree of difficulty, thus influencing neuroplasticity and resulting in a faster recovery (Cunha, 2014). To this end, the occupational therapist generally uses antispastic mobilization techniques, functional training and cognitive and sensory stimulation.¹ It was possible to conclude that the aim of the study was achieved, since the role of the occupational therapist in the UAVC was identified. The analysis showed that for most of the professionals interviewed, it is essential for this professional area to be an integral part of the team, even mentioning the benefits it brings to users. From the authors' point of view, and based on the results obtained, the existence of these professionals in stroke units in Portugal is an asset for users.^4-6