Researchers from Bournemouth University will help develop and evaluate a new self-management programme designed to support stroke survivors to manage fatigue.

Funded by a £2.1 million grant from the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) and the Stroke Association, COMbAT Fatigue is being developed by the Universities of Birmingham, Cambridge, and Bournemouth, in partnership with Cognitant Group, a healthcare technology company.

An older man and woman on a sofa looking at a tablet device

Post-stroke fatigue affects approximately half of all stroke survivors and can be one of the most challenging and distressing symptoms people face, making everyday activities difficult.

Despite its prevalence, many people do not receive adequate support or information on how to manage it. COMbAT Fatigue seeks to address this by co-creating a self-management programme that will be delivered digitally, empowering stroke survivors to optimise energy and improve their quality of life.

COMbAT Fatigue builds upon an existing programme called FACETS, which was developed at BU with support from University Hospitals Dorset (UHD) and was originally designed to help people with multiple sclerosis (MS) manage their fatigue through a combination of cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), education, and energy management techniques.

The research team – co-led by Dr Grace Turner from the University of Birmingham and Professor Jonathan Mant from the University of Cambridge - will adapt FACETS to suit the needs of stroke survivors, ensuring it is accessible through a web-based platform and inclusive of under-represented groups, such as people from ethnic minority backgrounds and those with stroke-related impairments.

Bournemouth University will play a key role in the project, with experts including Dr Sarah Thomas, a research psychologist specialising in fatigue who led the development of the original FACETS programme, and Professor Huseyin Dogan, who specialises in human computer interaction, digital health and assistive technology.

Dr Thomas said: “It’s exciting to see FACETS, an evidence-based, group fatigue management programme developed originally for people with multiple sclerosis (MS) by researchers at Bournemouth University in partnership with the Dorset Multiple Sclerosis Service, being adapted for digital delivery to people following stroke.

“There is currently very little support available for people experiencing fatigue after stroke so we hope the adapted digital programme led by Universities of Birmingham and Cambridge in partnership with Cognitant Group and co-created with stroke survivors, caregivers, clinicians, and other experts will extend the benefits of FACETS to people experiencing this highly debilitating symptom following stroke.”

Over the course of five years, the COMbAT Fatigue programme will co-create and trial a digital self-management programme, working with stroke survivors to assess its impact on fatigue and quality of life.

Professor in Human Computer Interaction at BU Huseyin Dogan added: "We are excited to be working with the University of Birmingham, Cognitant Group and University of Cambridge to co-create and test a digital therapy for people with post stroke fatigue. We are enhancing our capability in developing intelligent digital solutions in the healthcare domain through utilising techniques such as cognitive behavioural therapy, participatory design, usability evaluations and user acceptance tests.

“We would like to make a difference by helping people to better manage their fatigue level through a digital programme provision."