World-first website designed to help reduce the risk of repeat stroke.

A world-first website featuring evidence-based resources to help survivors of stroke move more and eat well to reduce the risk of a second stroke, has launched in Australia.

The i-REBOUND after stroke website has been developed under the leadership of Professor Coralie English of University of Newcastle and Hunter Medical Research Institute and PhD scholar Dina Pogrebnoy. Partnering with the Stroke Foundation and an engaged group of stroke survivors has been key to success of this project.

This website connects survivors of stroke to ‘fit for purpose’ resources from the comfort of their own home. The ‘secret sauce’ of i-REBOUND after stroke website is the many survivors of stroke who feature on the website and share their hints and hacks making the content real, reliable and relatable.

“These resources are completely unique in that they are evidence based but have also been completely designed by survivors of stroke in partnership with the research team. People with lived experience have shaped the way this project has been developed and have made it a much more meaningful resource for people after stroke.” Ms Pogrebnoy said.

Professor English says the website addresses a gap in the system experienced when survivors of stroke first leave hospital.

“Survivors of stroke who we have partnered with on this project were telling us that when they left hospital there were no suitable resources available to them when it came to eating well and moving more after stroke.”

“We know that poor diet and inactivity are strong risk factors of stroke and secondary stroke but there are currently no usual care services towards that when a person leaves hospital, so we wanted to change that,” said Professor English.

Stroke Foundation Executive Director Stroke Services and Research, Dr Lisa Murphy, says the program will go a long way in helping prevent secondary strokes, particularly in regional and rural Australia where residents are 17 per cent more likely to have a stroke than those in metropolitan areas.

“The program will especially help Australians living in regional and rural areas where access to specialist services can be limited due to distance or availability of professionals. By being able to access this program online, it means survivors of stroke who live in less developed areas will no longer be left behind and can have a good recovery irrespective of where they live,” said Dr Murphy.