The Importance of Incorporating Stroke Survivors’ Health Perceptions in Addressing Health Care Disparities

Abstract

 Patient-centered research in determining health care disparities among stroke patients is limited. Several studies have examined patient perceptions in stroke survivors and have utilized the Illness Perceptions Questionnaire- Revised (IPQ-R) and Brief Illness Perceptions Questionnaire (BIPQ), which are validated measures of illness beliefs. Yet, there are several domains these surveys could assess that warrant more investigation, includ­ing: perception of medication side effects; acceptance of the stroke diagnosis; conse­quence and long-term impact of symptoms; the importance of medications in long-term health maintenance; and perception of ease of access to equitable health care. Though these surveys are available, representation of diverse and under-represented groups within stroke surveys utilizing them is low. Also, only a limited number of studies of stroke patients’ perceptions have focused on health disparities or specifically beliefs and attitudes of under-represented stroke survivors. Due to insufficient current research, future studies should focus on using these patient percep­tion questionnaires with underrepresented populations. Improvements in this field may allow providers to offer patient-centered care among a diverse population, bridging gaps in health care equity. Ethn Dis. 2022;32(2):145-148; doi:10.18865/ed.32.2.145