Invited Speaker Australian and New Zealand Stroke Organisation Conference 2025

The value of research culture within stroke rehabilitation centres – exploring criterion from International Stroke Recovery and Rehabilitation Alliance Centres for Clinical Excellence (122955)

Thoshenthri Kandasamy 1 2 , Rachel C Stockley 3 , Jeroen M Hendriks 4 5 6 , Elizabeth A Lynch 2
  1. Riverland Academy of Clinical Excellence (RACE), Riverland Mallee Coorong Local Health Network, South Australia Health, Murray Bridge, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
  2. Caring Future Institute, College of Nursing and Health Sciences, Flinders University, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
  3. Stroke Research Team. School of Nursing, University of Central Lancashire, Preston, UK
  4. Department of Nursing, Maastricht University Medical Centre+, Maastricht, The Netherlands
  5. Department of Health Services Research, Care and Public Health Research Institute, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
  6. Centre for Heart Rhythm Disorders, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia

Background:

Research culture within a healthcare organisation underpins evidence-based practice, innovation and improvement in patient care and service. It is also a defining criterion of the International Stroke Recovery and Rehabilitation Alliance Centres of Clinical Excellence.

 

Aim: To investigate how international stroke rehabilitation centres demonstrate research culture and explore the factors that influence this.  

 

Methods: 

Clinical teams from 15 stroke rehabilitation centres from 10 countries and diverse socioeconomic settings participated. Six centres completed an online survey, and nine centres participated in semi-structured interviews. Teams were asked how research culture was demonstrated at their centres. Data were analysed thematically using the Framework Analysis method and coded to the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR).

 

Results: 

All participants recognised the importance of research culture within their centres. However, engagement in research activities was commonly constrained by limited funding (CFIR: Outer Setting), lack of protected research time, and inadequate infrastructure and resources (CFIR: Inner Setting). Activities that demonstrated a strong research culture included having research responsibilities in job descriptions (CFIR: Innovation), collaborations with universities (CFIR: Outer Setting) and implementing research findings into clinical practice (CFIR: Inner Setting). Centres with stronger research cultures tended to have organisational support, academic partnerships and research explicitly recognised in professionals’ roles.

 

Conclusion: 

Local resources, organisational structures, and external collaborations influenced research culture in the international stroke rehabilitation centres. Addressing identified barriers and strengthening facilitators, such as embedding research within clinical roles, fostering academic partnerships, and supporting research-enabling infrastructure, can enhance research capacity to improve stroke rehabilitation outcomes.