A healthcare provider is to carry out an island-wide survey to better understand the provision of stroke rehabilitation services in Bermuda.

Evolution Healing Centre, a physiotherapy rehabilitation clinic, plans to distribute the online survey in the coming weeks.

It is aimed at anyone who lives in Bermuda who has experienced a stroke incident and had stroke rehabilitation on the island.

Kim Watkins, a senior physiotherapist with the Evolution Healing Centre, said: “We believe that this survey is an important first step in gathering data that can be used to improve services.”

Data collected from the Bermuda Hospitals Board in 2020 showed there were about five stroke incidences a week and seven transient ischemic attacks – a brief stroke-like attack – on the island.

Ms Watkins added: “Even with good primary prevention, this number is not likely to diminish due to the demographic in Bermuda, with the proportion of seniors projected to climb.

“Nationally, the Ministry of Health has identified stroke as the second leading cause of death in 2019 and the third leading cause of disability in Bermuda.

“Therefore it is important that data must be collected regarding the provision of stroke rehabilitation in Bermuda and people’s rehabilitation experiences and to our knowledge, as yet there has been no research completed to date.

“There is a global push to improve rehabilitation services and Bermuda has the opportunity to take a strong lead given its size and ability to leverage healthcare practitioners in the areas of need.”