Date of Award
1-20-2025
Degree Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Department
Nursing
First Advisor
Karen Saban
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to examine symptoms and relationships between those symptoms in first-time ischemic stroke survivors who discharge home after their initial stroke. Current measurement of recovery after stroke places emphasis on the physical aspects of recovery when current literature suggests that other, more subtle symptoms may be equally contributory to recovery. This descriptive, exploratory research study was conducted via a secondary analysis of both structured and unstructured data in a study cohort of 115 first-time ischemic stroke survivors from a tertiary academic medical center in the Midwest. Unstructured clinical notes were analyzed for the presence of symptoms in the immediate post-acute period of fifteen months following discharge from the hospital. Once the final symptom data were identified, latent class analyses were performed to examine symptom clusters and subclasses of the study cohort associated with each cluster. Results of analyses supported the presence of three symptom clusters that occur during this time period in the study cohort, with members of the cohort belonging to each distinct cluster. This study further highlights the multidimensionality of the post-stroke experience and suggests that providers may not be conducting a holistic evaluation of stroke survivors as it pertains to indicators of their recovery. Further study examining symptom onset, duration and treatment in addition to more robust individual survivor characteristics would provide further insight into the symptom experience in this population.
Recommended Citation
de la Pena, Paula, "Evaluating Sympton Clusters in First-Time Ischemic Stroke Survivors Who Discharge From the Hospital to Home" (2025). Dissertations. 4159.
https://ecommons.luc.edu/luc_diss/4159
