Six months of Life After Stroke Digital Pathway
As we enter the new year, our Life After Stroke pathway pilot, developed in collaboration with Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland and NHS Lothian, will reach its six-month milestone.
This innovative programme is breaking new ground in how we approach stroke recovery, be ensuring survivors receive highly personalised, ongoing support that’s tailored to their unique needs and recovery journey.
For many, a stroke can be a profoundly isolating and life-altering event. Recovery often requires navigating complex health information, adjusting to new physical or cognitive limitations, and finding ways to rebuild day-to-day life. The Life After Stroke pathway was designed to address these challenges directly, by connecting stroke survivors with health information and support that’s entirely customised to their personal experiences and symptoms.
How it works
When patients join the Life After Stroke Pathway, they complete a self-assessment questionnaire that helps identify their specific symptoms, concerns, and goals. Every two months, patients complete another short questionnaire, allowing them to track changes in symptoms, report new concerns, and access targeted guidance.
Based on each patient’s responses, our platform delivers short, focused presentations—known as “Tailored Talks”—covering essential medical insights, recovery tips, and information about further resources. These presentations are stored in an online portal that patients can access anytime, providing a lasting resource for support whenever it’s needed most. And to ensure patients aren’t overwhelmed, they receive only the information that’s relevant to them, empowering them to focus on what matters for their own recovery.
In addition to this digital content, the Life After Stroke Pathway is backed by the dedicated Stroke Nurse team at Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland through Advice Line integration. This allows people recovering from a stroke to receive care and support in a way that works for them.
Looking forward
Over the past six months, the pilot has been expanded within NHS Lothian, covering multiple hospitals. We now hope to expand the pilot to NHS Fife, as we continue to evaluate the impacts of the pilot. Over the past six months, we have been encouraged by early feedback and inspired by the resilience of the stroke survivors that we support.
Together, we’re working to reshape stroke recovery, helping people to reclaim independence and quality of life.