Background: Information provision for stroke patients and their informal caregivers is an important component of stroke rehabilitation that enables them to actively participate in healthcare. Most stroke survivors and their informal caregivers are however, not satisfied with the information provided to them because such information is often based on healthcare practitioners perceptions information needs rather than patients' and/or caregivers' perception. This study was conducted to investigate health information provision to stroke survivors and their informal caregivers by physiotherapists in Ibadan, Nigeria.

Methods: This study employed a mixed-method design. Forty five stroke survivors and their respective informal caregivers participated in a survey to assess health information needs of and information provision to stroke survivors. In-depth interview was conducted for five stroke survivors and their respective informal caregivers to further explore information needs and provision. Data were analysed using Chi-square test and Spearman's Ranked Correlation at α =0.05. Content Thematic Analysis was conducted for the qualitative data.

Results: The stroke survivors were aged 62.5±11.2 years while their informal caregivers were aged 40.4±12.1years. Most of the stroke survivors (86.7%) and their caregivers (84.4%) reported receiving answers to important questions from physiotherapists. Half of the stroke survivors rated information provision by physiotherapists as very high while less than half (42.2%) of the informal caregivers rated information provision as very high. There was no significant difference in the level of information provided to the patients and their caregivers (t = 0.81; p= 0.42). There was however, a significant difference in perceived quality of physiotherapy care by stroke survivors and their informal caregivers (t = 14.79; p =0.01). Stroke survivors expressed need for more information on how to improve their recovery while caregivers required more information on better care-giving. Despite that stroke survivors believed physiotherapists are capable of providing them the needed information, they would rather seek information from physicians and nurses than from physiotherapists.

Conclusion: Physiotherapists need to be more intentional about information provision to stroke survivors and their caregivers. This may improve stroke survivors confidence in physiotherapists ability to provide information based on patients' expressed needs and encourage patients participation in rehabilitation.