Introduction: Loneliness and social isolation are increasingly recognised as significant health risks. Stroke survivors often report changes to their social networks, and particularly social disconnection. Group Model Building is a participatory approach that uses systems thinking methods to improve the understanding of complex problems, and effectively facilitates consensus for action among diverse groups. We aim to use this approach to guide our selection of targets for resources that we can co-design to support social connection after stroke.
Methods: We recruited people with lived experience of stroke and service providers to our Co-Design Team (CDT) to meet 7 times (4 Group Model Building sessions and 3 co-design sessions). The Group Model Building sessions consist of key activities designed to elicit systems thinking to enable creation of a systems map of inter-related factors influencing social connection over time. The co-developed systems map allows for identification of action points to guide the co-design resource target.
Results: Eleven participants joined the CDT (7 in the lived experience group and 4 in the service provider group). We will present the results of the GMB sessions including choice of preferred language, systems map of factors impacting social connection and themes, and identified action points.
Conclusion: This study demonstrates a methodology that enables lived experience input from the starting point of resource creation and enables greater understanding of the complex systems impacting common concerns.
Relevance to clinical practice or patient experience: Social connection is a key need for stroke survivors; a detailed understanding of the factors impacting on connection will enable more targeted and efficient resource creation.