Therapists acting as data collectors in a post stroke research project - a door to development.

The present study aims to explore how a new assignment in an otherwise familiar context is experienced by rehabilitation team members. Methods: Participants in the present study were eight clinically experienced occupational therapists and physiotherapists who collected data in an observational longitudinal study of the rehabilitation process after stroke. Semi-structured interviews were conducted, and transcripts of the interviews were analyzed using content analysis. The transcripts revealed the informants' perspectives and their experiences of follow-ups in the patient's home. Results: There was one main category, a door to development, and three subcategories: the entrance, discovery in place, and the exit. All informants expressed that they had gained new knowledge of the situation of people who have had a stroke and that taking part in research uncovered a wider perspective of the patients' situations and the importance of follow-ups in general. Conclusion:New insights into the patients' situation with clinical implications for interprofessional care can be gained by collecting data in a research project that is related to, but different from, everyday clinical practice. Such an assignment can be experienced as professionally rewarding, and we propose that offering such a role change/transition may open the door to development for rehabilitation team members.