All interviews were confidential. So that nothing our interviewees said could be traced back to them, names, names of organisations, and of any other people or places mentioned were changed.
STROKE SURVIVOR INTERVIEWEES
424 of you volunteered for the interview phase. 24 people were shortlisted and contacted to take part in an in-depth interview. These 24 were carefully selected to be representative of the total 672 questionnaire respondents through post-stroke work experience, gender, age, ethnicity, pre-stroke employment and time since stroke. They also had to fulfill the following criteria:
- Have worked since stroke, but do not need to be in work now
- Be under 55 years of age
- Be at least one year post-stroke
Interviews were conducted during 2001 by members of the team. All interviews were taped and fully transcribed, and themes were analysed using QSR NF computer software. Hindering factors included negative attitudes of healthcare professionals and inadequate therapy provision.
SUPPORTERS
Our interviewees were also allowed the opportunity to nominate a "supporter" for an additional interview. "Supporters" included family members, rehabilitation professionals (both health and employment based) and employers. The total 28 supporters you nominated consisted of:
- 7 family members
- 14 rehab workers
- 7 employer supporters
EMPLOYER INTERVIEWS
Issues from the interviews were then raised in interviews with other employers (2002). The selection of 12 further employers to interview was heavily influenced by the interviewees' experience. An advert was placed on the Different Strokes website asking members to nominate employers to us for interview.
These interviews were about employers' perspectives on work after stroke. We wanted to find out their points of view on some of the issues you raised in the questionnaires and in our interviews. We wanted to know what works well and what employers and managers need by way of information, advice and/or services in relation to employees who are stroke survivors.
