Perceived self-care ability among patients with stroke: Concept analysis

Purpose: PSCA (Perceived Self-Care Ability) is an important factor in the management of chronic diseases. However, there is no clear consensus over the definition of this concept among patients with stroke. The aim of this study was to analyze the concept of PSCA among patients with stroke and provide a clear definition for it. Methods: This concept analysis was conducted using Walker and Avant’s eight-step approach. Relevant articles, theses, and books published in English or Persian between 1987 and 2021 were reviewed. Findings: PSCA is a subjective and dynamic multidimensional concept with self-care agency, self-care ability, self-management, and fluctuating over time. Attributes which is affected by Perceptual and cognitive stability, psychosocial factors, health literacy, and sociocultural and economic contexts. The consequences include effective coping, satisfaction with life, prevention of adverse complications, continuity of care, and reduced healthcare costs. Conclusions: Defining the PSCA in stroke survivors makes them more likely to live a better and more independent life. With an increasing prevalence of chronic diseases worldwide, defining the concept of PSCA in stroke patients is essential to design appropriate interventions aimed to promote patients’ active role in managing chronic diseases. Nurses’ adequate knowledge about PSCA helps them develop more effective nursing interventions, discharge plans, and rehabilitation programs. The results of this concept analysis can be a basis for designing a tool to measure perceived self-care ability of stroke patients in the chronic stage of the disease.