Table 1 Project questions

 1. Which factors might delay admission to medical facility after suffering a stroke at home? ^c

 2. What is the optimal time for referral to rehab since admission to hospital? ^4,3,2,1

 3. What is the optimal time for commencement of rehab since suffering a stroke? ^4,3,2,1

 4. What are the factors indicating when it’s safe for rehab to commence? ^4,3,2,1

  • EB assessment planning ^4,3,2,1

   • Which factors should be assessed?

   • Which outcome tools should be used?

 5. Best practice recording method for assessment, treatment and goal setting when treating a stroke patient? ^4,3,2,1,h,p

 6. What is critical to record when assessing and treating a stroke patient? ^{4,3,2,1, h, s}

 7. What is the best, locally relevant communication platform for improving communication between levels of care; medical personnel; therapists; therapist/patient; therapists/family; therapist/employer? ^{4,3,2,1, h, s}

 8. What should be communicated with medical personnel, other rehab therapists, patient and carer/family? ^4,3,2,1,h,p

 9. What are the EB guideline on setting rehab goals and how to record these goals? ^{4,3,2,1, h, s}

 10. EB discharge planning: ^{4,3,2,1, h}

  - When should it start for a stroke patient?

  - Who should be involved?

  - What should it include?

 11. Which rehab professional should first see the patient? ^{4,3,2,1, h}

  • What is the EB most critical first step?

  • What are the EB criteria for referral between therapists?

  • What is the best practice communication between therapists (devises, discharge planning and care continuation)?

 12. According to the evidence, which therapist should communicate with the family? ^{4,3,2,1, h, s}

 13. What is the EB role of the physiotherapist, occupational therapist and speech therapist when assessing and treating a stroke patient? ^4,3,2,1

 14. How does the model of care differ between the different points of entry (primary; secondary; tertiary; quaternary level)? ^4,3,2,1

 15. What are the EB rehab interventions at each level of care? ^{4,3,2,1, h, s}

 16. What are the best outcome measures for SA context for all levels of care as well as urban, suburban and urban settings? ^{4,3,2,1, h, s}

 17. When should family education commence? ^{4,3,2,1, h, s}

  • Which communication channel is most appropriate?

  • How is family incorporated into discharge planning?

  • Who should be communicating?

  • What should be included in the communication and in which format?

 18. What is the EB criteria for referral to other professions such as social workers/psychologists? ^{4,3,2,1, h, s}

 19. Which rehab professional should take responsibility for planning and monitoring continuation of care? ^{4,3,2,1, h, s}

 20. What are the EB rehab criteria for discharge from rehab as an in-patient and out-patient? ^{4,3,2,1, h, s}

 21. What is the EB information for the best next level of care? ^{4,3,2,1, h, s}

 22. What are the EB interventions for longer term care ^{h, s}

  – rehab facility

  – Community Health Center (CHC)

  – long term home care

  – home or community

 23. What are the EB ways of communicating with patient/family/other professionals? ^{4,3,2,1, h, s}

 24. What are the EB rehab outcome measures for longer term care? ^{h, s}

 25. What is the EB education linked to complications of stroke (aspiration pneumonia/ secondary strokes etc.) ^{4,3,2,1, h, s}

 26. How should Traditional healers be incorporated into the medical system? ^{c, h}

 27. What training should traditional healers received to appropriately refer a stroke patient? ^c,h

 28. What are EB criteria for ending rehab? ^{h, s}

  • Ongoing monitoring?

 29. What is the evidence for the swallow test? When should it be done and by whom? ^4,3,2,1

 30. What are the EB criteria for assistive technology? ^{4,3,2,1, h, s}

  – Walking Aids

  – Slings

  – AFO’s

  – Wheelchairs

  – Splints

  – OT tools???

 31. What is the EB approach to re-integrating stroke patient into the community, society, leisure and work (participation)? ^{h, s}

 32. How should rehab therapists liaise with other sectors (transport/labour/social) for facilitated participation? ^{h, s}

 33. How should the community/general public be educated to facilitate societal participation of a person who has suffered a stroke? ^{h, s}

 34. Therapists are not trained for inter-sectorial integration when it comes to general care/rights of a person who has suffered a stroke. What is the best practice to address this issue? ^{h, s}

 35. “Work hardening”; aerobic capacity, effort and tolerance: ^{4,3,2,1, h, s}

  - When should treatment or focus on these factors start?

  - What is the evidence based strategy to address this?

 36. Self-efficacy – compliance to medication and self-care:^{4,3,2,1, h, s}

  - When should this start?

  - Which therapist should be responsible for educating patient?

 37. Best practice to work with mental health professionals or issues???? ^{4,3,2,1, h, s}

 38. Best practice to equip/educate rehab therapist to deal with bereavement and depression after stroke? ^{4,3,2,1, h,}