‘Wala kaming alam sa stroke care’ (we don’t know anything about stroke care): experiences of care providers delivering stroke rehabilitation care in the Philippines

Background
In the Philippines, rising stroke prevalence and healthcare inequalities present a concerning outlook. While acute stroke care is prioritised, rehabilitation remains undervalued. The experiences of healthcare providers who deliver stroke support are also under-researched.

Objective(s)
Our study aimed to explore the experiences and needs of care providers across multiple regions of the Philippines to inform the development of stroke support initiatives and programmes.

Methods
Forming part of the Tulong, Ugnayan ng Lingap At gabaY (TULAY) project, a qualitative descriptive design involving semi-structured interviews was used. Care providers with professional or voluntary community healthcare service delivery roles were recruited. Data were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis.

Results
Seventeen participants across five regions were interviewed between June and September 2024. Three high-level themes were constructed: 1) inequitable stroke care and rehabilitation services, 2) barriers to the provision and access of stroke services and 3) desires, needs and opportunities for improvement.

Conclusions
Traditionally multi-level (e.g. national, community) approaches offer solutions to enhancing stroke rehabilitation in the Philippines. However, due to the devolved healthcare system, community-based initiatives, cognisant of local contexts and built together with stroke survivors, offer a promising solution to improve the lives of Filipinos following stroke.