The attitudes and needs for nudge-based self-management interventions among stroke survivors: a qualitative study

Exploring stroke survivors’ views on nudging as a self-management intervention is very necessary, as it determines whether nudging can be better implemented and promoted. This study aimed to explore the perceptions, attitudes, and needs for nudge-based self-management interventions among stroke survivors.

A descriptive qualitative study was conducted following purposive sampling method. This study conducted face-to-face semi-structured in-depth interviews. The interviews were digitally audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. The qualitative content analysis was used to analyse the data. Eighteen stroke survivors were recruited for our study, and 17 completed the interview. The ages of the stroke survivors ranged from 32 to 65 years old. A total of 4 themes and 14 sub-themes were extracted. The four themes are respectively: hard-to-notice nudges, acceptance and affirmation of nudge strategies, concerns about nudge strategies, and diverse expectations for nudges.

Stroke survivors expressed mixed feelings about nudge interventions in self-management and preferred more transparent presentations to avoid missing helpful prompts. Healthcare professionals should consider integrating digital health with nudges to provide transparent, user-preferred, nudge-based interventions. Additionally, improving capacity remains crucial in stroke management to reduce dependence on nudge interventions.