Sexuality after a stroke: co-designing and pilot testing an evidence-based knowledge translation intervention to improve rehabilitation services

PURPOSE: To co-design and pilot test a theory-driven knowledge translation (KT) intervention with various key stakeholders involved in stroke rehabilitation to improve the provision of sexual rehabilitation services. METHODS: This study was conducted using qualitative methods for the co-design of the KT intervention, and a longitudinal quantitative design for its pilot implementation. The KT intervention was codesigned during five online workshops with individuals with stroke, partners, clinicians, managers and researchers. Data collection and analysis were based on the Theoretical Domains Framework. One inpatient stroke rehabilitation center implemented the KT intervention for 19 months. Monthly audits were conducted 6 months before and for each month of implementation of the KT intervention. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. RESULTS: The codesign led to the development of a multifaceted KT intervention aiming to influence nine determinants of behaviors. The pilot implementation of the KT intervention improved the proportion of patients who received sexuality-related services during their rehabilitation from 33% (5/15 patients; baseline) to 74% (113/152 patients), and at least 56% received education regarding sexuality. CONCLUSIONS: The pilot implementation of this evidence-based multifaceted KT intervention suggests the intervention is applicable and can influence the provision of guideline-concordant sexual rehabilitation services for stroke patients.