A qualitative investigation into the rehabilitation experience of patients following wrist fracture

Abstract

Bamford, Rachael and Walker, Dawn-Marie (2010) A qualitative investigation into the rehabilitation experience of patients following wrist fracture. Hand Therapy, 15 (3). pp. 54-61. ISSN 1758-9983 Access from the University of Nottingham repository: http://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/1431/1/bamford_walker.PDF Copyright and reuse:The Nottingham ePrints service makes this work by researchers of the University of Nottingham available open access under the following conditions. This article is made available under the University of Nottingham End User licence and may be reused according to the conditions of the licence. For more details see: http://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/end_user_agreement.pdf A note on versions:The version presented here may differ from the published version or from the version of record. If you wish to cite this item you are advised to consult the publisher's version. Please see the repository url above for details on accessing the published version and note that access may require a subscription. AbstractIntroduction. Fractures of the wrist are often highly traumatic, leading to significant pain and reduction in an individual's home, work and leisure roles for a considerable time. Among the studies on wrist fracture, there is limited evidence which qualitatively explores the patient's rehabilitation experiences of this condition, and the impact they feel it has on their daily lives. The aim of this study was therefore to explore the experiences of working age people with dominant side wrist fracture in terms of the impact on their lives from the resulting loss of hand function, and the role that hand therapy plays in the rehabilitation process.Method. Using a qualitative approach, semistructured interviews were carried out with six participants who were current or previous patients of an outpatient occupational therapy department and who had sustained wrist fracture. Three key themes equated to the impact the fracture had on their lives: 'functional ability', 'attitudes and expectations of self and others' and 'assessment and treatment in occupational therapy'.Results. The main findings showed that the impact of reduced ability evoked negative reactions and dependence on others. Lack of information on application and removal of plaster cast contributed towards early anxieties about the appearance and function of the hand. Patients' attitudes generally reflected taking some responsibility for their own progress. Occupational therapy input increased motivation, and particularly for those who attended rehabilitation sessions in the department, the therapy was valued. Discussion. The recommendations from this study are that early and continued patient education is provided by the therapist, engaging relatives where appropriate, to alleviate patient and family anxieties and to help determine realistic expectations of recovery. While patients generally engage with objective measurements, making assessment and treatment relevant to their activities of daily living is essential to ensure they are moti...

Primary Contact Occupational Therapy Hand Clinics: The pull of an occupational perspective

“…A recent scoping review (Burley, Di Tommaso, Cox & Molineux, 2018) revealed that patients with hand injuries experienced occupational issues and found rehabilitation informed by an occupational perspective to be motivating (Bamford & Walker, 2010;Cheung, Clemson, O'Loughlin & Shuttleworth, 2016;Engstrand, Krevers & Kvist, 2015). Other themes from the scoping review included: the assumption that a bottom-up, biomechanical approach would improve occupational performance; a high focus placed on occupational outcome measures; and the use of informal discussion as an occupational strategy (Powell & Von Der Heyde, 2014;Weinstock-Zlotnick & Bear-Lehman, 2015).…”

Client-centred practice from the perspective of Danish patients with hand-related disorders

“…Keeping in mind that the participants' main focus was on being able to perform everyday life activities again, it seems natural that they wanted a holistic evaluation. Other studies with patients with hand-related disorders also find the importance of linking the objective measurements of body function to everyday life activities [66].…”

A Randomized Controlled Trial Comparing Contrast Baths to Cryotherapy in Patients with a Wrist Fracture

“…Overview of wrist fractures. Wrist fracture is a common traumatic condition and represents the majority of upper limb fractures (Bamford & Walker, 2010). An injury to the wrist can impact occupational performance because the wrist plays an important role in many functional activities (Brodeur-Lyons & Oaks, 2009).…”

“…The participants advocated that occupational therapy was a key element in their motivation. Hence, Bamford and Walker (2010) concluded that participants who received instruction from an occupational therapist were more likely to be compliant with their home program.…”

“…Distal wrist fractures are the most common type of wrist fracture and are estimated to occur at a rate of 150,000 to 200,000 per year (Walsh, 2012). A wrist fracture is a fracture to the distal radius, with or without an associated ulnar fracture (Bamford & Walker, 2010).…”