Rehabilitation therapy is a key part of the recovery pathway for people with severe acquired brain injury (ABI). The aim of this study was to explore inpatients’ and their family members’ experiences of a specialist ABI rehabilitation service.

A cross sectional, prospective mixed method study was undertaken at a metropolitan specialist ABI rehabilitation unit in Victoria, Australia. All inpatients and their family members of the service were invited to complete a satisfaction survey. Employing purposive sampling, semi-structured interviews were conducted with inpatients and/or their family members.

In total, 111 people completed the satisfaction survey and 13 were interviewed. High levels of satisfaction with the specialist service were reported; the majority of inpatients (74%) and family members (81%) rated the overall quality of care received in the service as ‘high’ or ‘very high’. Interviews revealed four main themes: (i) satisfaction with rehabilitation services, (ii) inconsistent communication, (iii) variable nursing care, and (iv) strengths and weakness of the rehabilitation environment. Overall, important components of a positive experience were being involved in decision making and discharge planning, effective communication and information processes, and being able to form therapeutic relationships with staff. Key sources of dissatisfaction for inpatients and family members related to inconsistency in care, accessing information about treatments in a format easily understood, and communication.

Specialised rehabilitation is valued by inpatients and their family members alike. The findings highlight the importance of exploring inpatient experiences to optimise service delivery in a tailored, specialised rehabilitation programme.

康复治疗是严重后天性脑损伤 (ABI) 患者恢复途径的关键部分。本研究的目的是探讨住院患者及其家属对专业 ABI 康复服务的体验。

在澳大利亚维多利亚的大都市专业 ABI 康复中心进行了一项横断面、前瞻性混合方法研究。所有住院病人和他们的服务家庭成员都被邀请完成满意度调查。采用有目的的抽样，对住院患者和/或其家庭成员进行了半结构化访谈。

总共有 111 人完成了满意度调查，13 人接受了采访。据报道，对专家服务的满意度很高；大多数住院患者 (74%) 和家庭成员 (81%) 将服务中接受的整体护理质量评为“高”或“非常高”。访谈揭示了四个主要主题：(i) 对康复服务的满意度，(ii) 不一致的沟通，(iii) 可变的护理，以及 (iv) 康复环境的优势和劣势。总体而言，积极体验的重要组成部分包括决策制定和出院计划、有效的沟通和信息流程，以及能够与员工建立治疗关系。与护理不一致有关的住院患者和家庭成员不满的主要来源，

住院患者及其家人都非常重视专业康复。研究结果强调了探索住院体验以在量身定制的专业康复计划中优化服务提供的重要性。