Stroke Survivors and Their Family Caregivers’ Experiences of Health Information Seeking: A Qualitative Study

Stroke is a significant and unpredictable event that affects physical and mental functions. A useful approach to returning to a normal life is to seek out health information. This study aimed to explore the experiences from health information seeking in the stroke survivors and their family caregivers.

This study was carried out using qualitative content analysis. Participants included five stroke survivors and fifteen family caregivers who were selected purposively from the Rofideh Rehabilitation Center and private physiotherapy centers in Tehran. Data were collected from semi-structured interviews. Data analysis was performed using Graneheim and Lundman’s method manually in Word software. Sampling was carried out in 2021.

Two main categories were extracted: 1) adapting and learning resulting from awareness including optimization of living environment and disease management, and 2) fear and inquietude on the information way including confused and insolvent in receiving information, and doubts about the accuracy of information.

The health information seeking created adaptability and relative stability in some stroke survivors and their family caregivers. However, in others, there was still a sense of anxiety and uncertainty. Thus, understanding health information seeking experiences helps health policymakers and administrators to provide information and training based on evidence and individual needs of the client and family.