Introduction: Stroke is a leading cause of long-term disability and substantially affects the quality of life (QoL) of both survivors and their caregivers. The transition from hospital to home is a vulnerable period characterized by discontinuity of care and insufficient caregiver support. Dyadic interventions—targeting both the survivor and caregiver—have shown promise in improving recovery outcomes. This protocol outlines a mixed-methods study to evaluate the impact of a video-based training intervention on the stroke survivor–caregiver dyad during the first year post-discharge. Methods: A mixed-methods design based on the TIDieR checklist will be implemented. Stroke survivors and their caregivers will be recruited from stroke units and rehabilitation hospitals across Italy prior to discharge. Approximately 150 dyads will receive a video training intervention followed by nurse-led transitional care support. Assessments will occur at baseline (T0) and at 1 (T1), 3 (T2), 6 (T3), and 12 months (T4) post-discharge. Outcomes will include physical functioning, disability, anxiety, depression, caregiver preparedness, burden, social support, sleep quality, and both generic and stroke-specific QoL. The study is supported by a grant from the Centre of Excellence for Nursing Scholarship, Rome, July 2024. Conclusions: Integrating caregivers into transitional care through structured training and support is essential for improving dyadic outcomes after stroke. Strengthening knowledge and preparedness in both survivors and caregivers enhances recovery, reduces caregiver burden, and may alleviate healthcare system costs associated with poor post-discharge outcomes.

Aims: The transition from hospital to home is a critical phase for stroke survivors and their caregivers, often marked by complex and unmet needs due to fragmented care. Understanding how dyads experience this phase is essential to ensure continuity and quality of post-stroke care. Although various educational programmes have been studied, few have examined the lived experiences of dyads participating in an integrated teletraining and telesupport programme during transitional care. This qualitative study explores these experiences in the first month after discharge to inform improvements in transitional care and the development of tailored telehealth programmes. Methods and results: A phenomenological study was conducted using Cohen’s methodology. Dyads received predischarge training through videos and nursing support. Open-ended interviews were conducted between October 2023 and June 2024. Data triangulation enhanced analytical rigour. Fourteen dyads were enrolled (mean age 62 years; 46% men, 54% women), including spouses, cohabiting partners, siblings, and adult children. Two overarching themes emerged: Transitional Care Impact on Dyads (three subthemes) and Meeting the Holistic Needs of the Dyad (five subthemes). Conclusion: Findings suggest that teletraining and telesupport programmes may support post-stroke transitional care, fostering dyadic well-being and reducing anxiety and isolation. Given the qualitative design and small sample size, transferability is limited. Further research across diverse settings is needed to validate and extend these insights.

Background: Although educational and transitional interventions improve preparedness after stroke, it remains unclear whether this translates into real-world capability within stroke survivor–caregiver dyads. The concept of capability may better capture the ability to convert knowledge and resources into meaningful action, yet it remains poorly defined and operationalized in stroke research. Purpose: To systematically review the literature on capability and related constructs in stroke survivors and caregivers and to clarify the concept of dyadic capability through integrated concept analysis. Methods: A systematic review was conducted according to PRISMA 2020 guidelines, with protocol registration in PROSPERO. Seven databases were searched from inception to May 2025. A total of 2318 records were screened and 373 full-text articles assessed, with 22 studies included. Methodological quality was appraised using the Joanna Briggs Institute tools. Findings were synthesized narratively and integrated with a Walker and Avant concept analysis. Results: Dyadic capability emerged as a multidimensional construct characterized by 3 defining attributes: self-efficacy, resilience, and motivation. Antecedents included poststroke disability and contextual factors, while consequences encompassed improved autonomy, enhanced dyadic quality of life, reduced caregiver burden, and more effective care management. Notably, no validated instruments specifically measuring dyadic capability were identified. Conclusions: Dyadic capability represents a critical yet underdeveloped construct in stroke care. Its clarification provides a theoretical foundation for future measurement development and for designing nursing interventions that enhance the translation of knowledge into real-world action in stroke survivor–caregiver dyads.

Background/Objectives: Intensive care is resource-intensive, and routine nursing hygiene contributes substantially to material consumption. This systematic review synthesised evidence comparing single-use and reusable or traditional reusable products in hygiene-related nursing care in intensive and critical care settings, considering clinical, economic, and environmental outcomes. Methods: A systematic review with structured narrative synthesis was conducted in accordance with PRISMA 2020. MEDLINE via PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science Core Collection, and CINAHL Ultimate via EBSCOhost were searched from inception to 25 August 2026. No language, date, or publication-type filters were applied at the database level. Primary empirical comparative studies and process-based life cycle assessments reporting original inventory data were eligible; English or Italian full text was required for inclusion. Two reviewers independently screened studies, extracted data, and performed design-appropriate methodological appraisal, with a third reviewer available to resolve disagreements. The review was registered in PROSPERO (CRD420261376160). Results: Eight studies were included: four quasi-experimental or before–after studies, three randomized trials, and one process-based life cycle assessment. The seven patient-based studies included 2665 participants across adult, paediatric, and neonatal intensive care settings. Environmental evidence was limited to two complementary studies from a single Australian ICU: reusable linen was associated with a 50% reduction in carbon emissions, from 7206 to 3605 kg CO₂e, and substantial reductions in landfill waste. Economic findings were product- and context-dependent; disposable bathing systems and diapers were generally less costly in the settings examined, whereas reusable linen increased overall expenditure by approximately 3%. Clinical findings showed no uniform advantage for either product category. After adjustment, linen type was not independently associated with pressure injury, bathing studies showed heterogeneous microbiological findings and no consistent physiological advantage between methods, and one neonatal before–after study reported lower probable sepsis with disposable diapers. Conclusions: Current evidence does not support a general advantage of either reusable or single-use hygiene products across intensive care. Environmental benefits were demonstrated for reusable linen, whereas economic and clinical outcomes varied by product, setting, and analytical approach. The evidence base remains small and heterogeneous, and no included study assessed clinical, economic, and environmental outcomes concurrently. Integrated comparative studies, particularly in European intensive care settings, are needed.

Introduction: Stroke represents a major burden for both survivors and caregivers. Although caregiver preparedness has been widely studied, it is typically assessed through self-reported measures that capture subjective perceptions rather than real-life adaptive functioning. Conventional training approaches, focused on knowledge and technical skills, often fail to support sustainable long-term care. The concept of capability may offer a more comprehensive framework for evaluating caregiving; however, it remains insufficiently operationalized and empirically validated in stroke populations. Aims: To develop, operationalize, and empirically evaluate dyadic capability in stroke survivor–caregiver dyads. Methods: Building on a completed and separately published systematic review and integrated concept analysis, this mixed-methods longitudinal study protocol comprises four linked empirical phases: qualitative exploration, instrument development and validation, longitudinal observational evaluation, and intervention evaluation. The protocol has been prospectively registered on the Open Science Framework (OSF): https://osf.io/sjdzp . Qualitative data will be analysed using conventional content analysis and integrated through triangulation. Psychometric evaluation will include Delphi consensus procedures and factor analyses. Quantitative data will be collected at five timepoints (pre-intervention baseline and 1, 3, 6, and 12 months) and analysed using linear mixed-effects and dyadic (Actor–Partner Interdependence) models. Expected results: The Dyadic Capability Scale is expected to support the assessment of dyadic capability and the empirical refinement of the proposed conceptual framework for adaptive post-stroke care. Conclusions: This protocol proposes a theoretically grounded and clinically applicable conceptual framework for assessing dyadic capability in post-stroke care.