Table 3 Summary of qualitative studies

1

Nilsson I, Jansson L, Norberg A. 1997 [45]

To meet with stroke: Patients’ experiences and aspects seen through a screen of crises.

Sweden

n =10

Narrative interviews one month and two months after discharge. Phenomenological hermeneutic analysis.

9 male, 1 female

Age: 53-81

2

Pound P, Gompertz P, Ebrahim S. 1998 [49]

Illness in the context of older age: The case of stroke.

UK

n =40

In-depth semi-structured interviews. Grounded theory and constant comparison.

21 male, 19 female

Age: 40-87

Predominantly working-class elderly

3

Pound P, Gompertz P, Ebrahim S. 1998 [57]

A patient-centred study of the consequences of stroke.

UK

As above

As above

4

Wyller, T.B; Kirkevold, M. 1999 [58]

How does a cerebral stroke affect quality of life? Towards an adequate theoretical account.

Norway

n =6

Interviewed three years after stroke. Thematic analysis

4 male, 2 female.

Age: 65-85

5

Pilkington F. 1999 [59]

A qualitative study of life after stroke.

Canada

n =13

32 interviews at 3 time points: during acute stay, 1 month and 3 months after stroke. Longitudinal descriptive exploratory analysis.

9 male, 4 female

Age: 40-91

6

Secrest J, Thomas S. 1999 [46]

Continuity and discontinuity: the quality of life following stroke.

US

n =14

Interviewed between nine months and 23 years after stroke. Existential phenomenological methodology.

7 male, 7 female

Age: 40-93

7

Ellis-Hill CS, Payne S, Ward C. 2000 [51]

Self-body split: Issues of identity in physical recovery following a stroke.

UK

n =8

Life narrative approach, interviews during hospital stay, 6 months and one year post-discharge. Twenty four interviews in total.

5 male, 3 female

Age: 56-82

8

Bendz M. 2000 [53]

Rules of relevance after a stroke

Sweden

n =10

Interviews three to four months after incident. Medical records also analysed. Discourse analysis.

6 male, 4 female

Age: 58-65

1^st time stroke survivors

9

Dowswell GP, Lawler JP, Dowswell TP, Young JF, Forster AP, Hearn JP. 2000 [60]

Investigating recovery from stroke: A qualitative study.

UK

n =30

Interviews after an RCT, 13-16 months post-stroke. Thematic analysis.

stroke patients

15 caregivers

10

Burton CR. 2000 [39]

Living with stroke: A phenomenological study.

UK

n =6

Tracked for 12 months after stroke. 73 interviews in total. Phenomenology and grounded theory methods.

2 male, 4 female

Age: 52-81

11

Eaves YD. 2000 [50]

`What happened to me’: Rural African American elders’ experiences of stroke

US

n =8

Descriptive narrative analysis.

2 male, 6 female

Age: 56-79

African American elders

10 care-givers

12

O’Connell B, Hanna B, Penney W, Pearce J, Owen M, Warelow P. 2001 [38]

Recovery after stroke: A qualitative perspective.

Australia

Stroke survivors

Five focus groups, three with stroke survivors, 2-180 months after stroke, one with carers, and one with key informants. Total of 40 participants. Content analysis

Age: 20-89

Carers and key informants

13

Kirkevold M. 2002 [61]

The unfolding illness trajectory of stroke.

Norway

n =9

63 interviews. First interview 1-2 weeks after onset. Prospective and longitudinal case studies

mild to moderately affected stroke patients

14

Hilton E. 2002 [54]

The meaning of stroke in elderly women: a phenomenological investigation.

US

n =5

Interviewed twice in non-institutionalised settings at least 1 year post-stroke. Hermeneutic phenomenology.

Elderly women

Age: 66-80 years

15

Gubrium JF, Rittman MR, Williams C, Young ME, Boylstein CA. 2003 [62]

Benchmarking as everyday functional assessment in stroke recovery.

US

Male stroke survivors of various ages and from three ethnic groups (Hispanic, African American, and non-Hispanic White)

40 in-depth qualitative interviews one month following discharge

16

Kvigne K, Kirkevold M. 2003 [41]

Living with bodily strangeness: Women’s 17experiences of their changing and unpredictable body following a stroke.

Norway

n =25

Interviewed three times: during 1^st 6 weeks, 6 months and one year post-stroke. Phenomenological and feminist study.

25 female

Age: 37-78

Women in rural Norway

17 partnered

17

Kvigne K, Kirkevold M, Gjengedal E.2004 [42]

Fighting back - struggling to continue life and preserve the self, following a stroke.

Norway

As above

As above

18

Murray CD, Harrison B. 2004 [44]

The meaning and experience of being a stroke survivor: an interpretative phenomenological analysis.

UK

n =10

5 interviewed, 5 corresponded by e-mail. Averaged 9 years post-stroke. Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA)

4 male, 6 female

Mean age: 48.8 years

19

Carlsson G, Möller A, Blomstrand C. 2004 [48]

A qualitative study of the consequences of `hidden dysfunctions’ one year after a mild stroke in persons <75 years.

Sweden

n =15

Interviews analysed with grounded theory

8 male, 7 female

Age: 30-69

Patients with mild stroke living with spouse

20

Faircloth CA, Boylstein C, Rittman M, Gubrium JF. 2005 [52]

Constructing the stroke: Sudden-onset narratives of stroke survivors.

US

n =111

In-depth interviews. Data collected at months1, 6, 12, 18 and 24 after discharge, but only data from 1, 6, and 12 reported here. Narrative interpretive method.

Male veterans

Average age: 67

From 3 ethnic groups: Puerto Rican Hispanic; African American, and non-Hispanic White.

21

Clarke P, Black SE. 2005 [55]

Quality of life following stroke: Negotiating disability, identity, and resources.

Canada

n =8

Interviewed 7 months to 8 years post stroke. Selected principles of grounded theory used.

3 male, 5 female

Age: 60 and above

Living in a community dwelling

22

Lobeck M, Thompson AR, Shankland MC. 2005 [43]

The experience of stroke for men in retirement transition.

UK

n =7

Interviewed more than 6 months post-stroke. Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis.

7 male

Age: 64-70

From a working class background.

23

Stone SD. 2005 [56]

Reactions to invisible disability: The experiences of young women survivors of hemorrhagic stroke.

Canada

n =22

Open ended in-depth interviews. Constant comparison method.

22 female

Age: 8-49 at the time of stroke

Age: 19-57 at the time of interview

From four different countries: Scotland, England, U.S. and Canada, majority Caucasian

24

Olofsson A, Andersson SO, Carlberg B. 2005 [63]

`If only I manage to get home I’ll get better’-Interviews with stroke patients after emergency stay in hospital on their experiences and needs.

Sweden

n =9

Interviews with patients with experience of stroke approximately 4 months previously. Thematic analysis.

Age: 64-83

25

Alaszewski A, Alaszewski H, Potter J. 2006 [37]

Risk, uncertainty and life threatening trauma: Analysing stroke survivor’s accounts of life after stroke.

UK

n =31

Interviews with survivor or carer in individual interviews or in focus groups. Analysis based on grounded theory.

Age: 38-89

26

Boylstein C, Rittman M, Hinojosa R. 2007 [47]

Metaphor shifts in stroke recovery.

US

n =49

War veterans from Florida and Puerto Rico. In-depth interviews at month 1 and 6 post stroke. Grounded theory

49 male

27

Jones F, Mandy A, Partridge C. 2008 [40]

Reasons for recovery after stroke: A perspective based on personal experience. Disability and Rehabilitation.

UK

n =10

Interviewed between 6 weeks and 13 months after onset. Phenomenological approach

6 male, 4 female

Mean age: 61.8

28

Popovich JM, Fox PG, Bandagi R. [64]

Coping with stroke: Psychological and social dimensions in U.S. Patients.

US

n =60

Interviewed within the first two weeks after their stroke. Thematic analysis.

Age: 51-89

Ethnicity: Black