The feasibility of a community-university based physiotherapy programme for stroke patients for student learning and patient care

Introduction: There is a need for long term community physiotherapy based stroke care. An innovative pilot scheme involving students contribute to achieve this – benefiting both students and patients.
Methods: This report considers the use and value of an innovative pilot programme which provided community stroke rehabilitation utilising student volunteers. Eight students, 4 stroke patients and 1 carer completed a post pilot project scheme.
Results: Three themes; (1) The Value of the Programme (2) The Outcomes from the Programme (3) Development of the Programme. Key benefits for students included the long-term interaction with patients in a friendly and secure environment that focussed upon patient care and practice of clinical skills with formative, rather than summative assessment. The key benefit for the patients was the supported long term nature of the programme.
Conclusion: There is an urgent need to consider an extended version of this project that is able to adapt to the needs of the patient and student and consider the value (educational, economical and clinical) of such a programme long-term.