Abstract
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, organizations had to rapidly adapt stroke support services to provide digital delivery options. In the post-pandemic environment, there continues to be significant interest in maintaining digital delivery options. However, there is a gap in understanding the impact of digital programs and the potential barriers that digital program delivery may create. As community organizations seek to expand programming in a growing digital space, it is important to consider how to make programming as effective, accessible, and sustainable as possible.
March of Dimes Canada (MODC) is a national non-profit organization that provides services to people with disabilities and their caregivers, including people who have experienced a stroke. In partnership with Heart and Stroke Foundation Canada, MODC delivered the digital Living with Stroke™ program between March 2022 and December 2023, reaching 400 participants. Living with Stroke™ is an education program for individuals who have experienced a stroke and their caregivers, that is co-facilitated by people with lived experience and MODC staff. The program underwent a two-year evaluation to measure program effectiveness and feasibility of digital delivery, as well as examine the impact of digital program delivery for people with disabilities and their caregivers.
After 18 months of mixed methods data collection with participants with lived experience of stroke, the evaluation found that digital program delivery provides a safe environment for participants to learn and connect with others and improve health knowledge and confidence. The digital delivery decreased barriers for most participants allowing for timely, convenient, and efficient access to programming. Results highlighted the importance of peer support and the ability of digital programs to enable connections for people from different communities and circumstances, in a way that was not previously feasible. This presentation will highlight the impact of these outcomes and associated best practices for delivering digital programming to people with disabilities, underscoring how digital solutions can expand community organizations’ ability to deliver effective programming to their community.