6 Tips to Build Trust with Stroke Patients

NeuroRehab Team
Friday, March 3rd, 2023

Suffering from a neurological injury such as stroke can be a long and hard battle. Having the right team in place can make a significant impact on the success of one’s recovery. Being comfortable with one’s clinical team can set patients up for great success. Health professional building that immediate trust is key to a positive outcome.

Listed below are 6 ways clinicians can build trust with stroke survivors

1. Empathize. Assure your patients that you are listening and support them during this season. Many patients suffer from physical and psychosocial limitations. Both deserve equal attention.

2. Explain. Discuss how their brain was affected. Review the cortical healing process and the power of neuroplasticity. It is going to be HARD work – they need to understand that. It is shocking how many patients have not received a thorough explanation regarding their type of stroke, latest research, and one-to-twelve-month action plan.

3. Educate. Summarize the Brunnstrom stages of recovery in digestible bite-size pieces.  Explain what stage they are currently in and how to progress, what to expect at every stage, and goals so they can celebrate along the way.

4. Evidence. Discuss the latest advances in neurorehabilitation research. Share studies via https://lnkd.in/gSbiR7yh and clinicaltrials.gov that will help the patient and their caregivers understand what happened and what lies ahead. Great research summary resources like www.ebrsr.com and strokeengine.com are also helpful.

5. Endure. Explain “micro” plateaus. Just like athletes and musicians, many stroke survivors will have periodic and temporary setbacks as they continue to improve. Temporary plateaus are real and will occur. Encourage them to change up their routine to push through to the next rung in the recovery ladder.

6. Experience. Knowledge is power! No matter what profession, folks love to be guided by experts. Adding neuro certifications, staying up-to-date on the monthly journal summaries, and getting your hands on hundreds of patients are just a few of the ways to build your knowledge base.

We have worked with thousands of stroke survivors over a 25-year period; hearing feedback from the patient/family point of view, we are optimistic that clinicians are trending in the right direction offering trust, encouragement and advanced care.