Oral Presentation Australian and New Zealand Stroke Organisation Conference 2026

A national mixed‑methods priority‑setting study to inform stroke rehabilitation policy, practice, and research in Australia. (139482)

Natasha A Lannin 1 2 , Erin Godecke 3 , Kelvin Hill 4 , Emma Gee 5 , Saran Chamberlain 6 , Clive Kempson 5 , Jessica Nolan 7 , Katherine Sewell 1 , Sharon Kramer 8 , Katharine Scrivener 1 2 9 , Leonid Churilov 10
  1. Department of Neuroscience, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
  2. Bayside Health, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
  3. Perron Institute, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
  4. Stroke Foundation, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
  5. Lived Experience Researcher, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
  6. Lived Experience Researcher, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
  7. Curtin University , Perth, Western Australia, Australia
  8. Swinburne University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
  9. Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
  10. University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

Background/Aim:

Stroke rehabilitation is critical to long‑term recovery, however access, quality, and continuity of services vary widely across Australia. Clear linkage between sector priorities and policy levers is required to drive coordinated system reform.

Method:

A national mixed‑methods priority‑setting study was conducted. An online survey completed by 149 participants including clinicians, researchers, policy representatives, stroke survivors, and carers, ranked priorities across service delivery, policy, and research domains according to 'importance' and 'feasibility'. Rankings were aggregated using a structured consensus method balancing both attributes to identify 'most desirable' priorities. Semi‑structured qualitative interviews with 53 participants explored agreement with rankings to contextualise survey findings.

Results:

Three service delivery priorities were identified as most desirable: (1) initiation of rehabilitation as early as possible after stroke; (2) strengthened transition pathways across health and disability sectors; and (3) delivery of person‑centred, goal‑directed rehabilitation. In the policy domain, participants prioritised the establishment of a national, government‑endorsed stroke rehabilitation mandate. This mandate was considered essential to support system‑level modelling, define minimum national standards, embed equity targets, and establish robust monitoring and accountability mechanisms across jurisdictions. Research priorities included longitudinal cohort studies to characterise recovery trajectories and biological determinants of outcome; comparative effectiveness studies of home‑based versus inpatient rehabilitation models; and intervention effectiveness trials targeting daily living skills, cognition, physical impairments, and return‑to‑work outcomes.

Conclusion:

Strong, cross‑sector consensus supports a national rehabilitation mandate aligned with targeted service and research investment to improve equity, consistency, and outcomes after stroke in Australia.