Hand therapy role in return to work for patients with hand and upper limb conditions

O’Brien, Lisa; Robinson, Luke; Parsons, Dave; Glasgow, Celeste; McCarron, Luke

doi:10.1016/j.jht.2022.03.006

Cited by 3 publications

(14 citation statements)

References 20 publications

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“…In the current survey, median scores for the amount of involvement in providing return to work recommendations, and the quality of the service provided were both 5/10. This was lower than reported by the Australian sample (7/10 and 6/10, respectively), 8 and equates to unhappy staff (detractors) when categorised according to the net promoter score (0-6/10). 31 A challenge in evaluating work recommendations is that, where completed, AHP Health and Work Reports and Fit Notes are commonly issued in paper form.…”

Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 69%

“…As with the previous survey, the preferred training format in the current survey was a singular training session. 8 Only 23% of the sample reported that their organisation had established a pathway for physiotherapists and occupational therapists to issue Fit Notes and several respondents highlighted this as a barrier to supporting work participation. This issue is not unique to hand therapy; there have been national calls for organisations to do more to support the incorporation of this 2022 legislative change into practice.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The target response rate was 100 (∼14%) based on previous practice surveys with individuals from the hand therapy community. 8,[16][17][18] Study reporting followed the CROSS recommendations (Checklist for Reporting of Survey Studies, Supplemental File 1). 19…”

Section: Survey Design and Distributionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“… 7 However, a recent survey of 99 Australian Hand Therapists found that most respondents reported a limited role in return-to-work processes for their patients. 8 Reported barriers to providing work-related recommendations included the perception that this was outside scope of practice, a lack of time within consultations, and experiencing employers who were unwilling to act upon the recommendations. 8 Furthermore, nearly half of respondents were dissatisfied with the quality of the return-to-work programmes that they were able to provide themselves.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 3 more Smart Citations

Supporting work participation for adults with hand and upper limb conditions: A survey of the British Association of hand therapists

Newington,

Ceh,

Sandford

et al. 2024

Hand Therapy

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Introduction Musculoskeletal disorders affect over a third of the UK adult population and are a common reason for sick leave from work. The aims of this study were to describe the reported provision of work participation support for adults with hand and upper limb conditions by UK hand therapists, and to identify potential training needs in this area. Methods A previous survey of the Australian Hand Therapy Association was adapted for the UK. The electronic questionnaire was distributed to members of the British Association of Hand Therapists. Eligible individuals were UK-based occupational therapists or physiotherapists whose role included the assessment and/or treatment of patients ≥18 years with hand or upper limb issues. Results There were 123 participants (17% response rate). The most frequently reported work participation interventions were discussing graded return to work and sign-posting patients to speak with their doctor. The Allied Health Professionals Health and Work Report and Fit Note were not regularly used, and respondents reported low levels of confidence in issuing these documents. Barriers to providing work recommendations included a perceived lack of time, skills, knowledge and training. Facilitators included the patient discussing work as a rehabilitation goal. Conclusion Development opportunities for UK hand therapists include increasing patient awareness that they can ask for work-related advice and documentation, promoting existing health and work training, developing hand therapy-specific resources, and ensuring access to electronic Fit Notes. International opportunities include the continuation of this survey with a focus on generating exemplar work participation strategies to inform further research.

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Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 69%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Survey Design and Distributionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Supporting work participation for adults with hand and upper limb conditions: A survey of the British Association of hand therapists

Newington,

Ceh,

Sandford

et al. 2024

Hand Therapy

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“…The results of this study cannot be generalised to the wider Australian hand therapists’ population. The response rate for this study was 12.1%, which is below the average response rate of 33% reported by Nulty, 33 but is comparable to other recent surveys of Australian hand therapists by O’Brien et al, 34 and Sim et al 35 The possible explanations for the low response rate may include the length and depth of questions in the survey, approximately 20% of participants who commenced the survey did not complete it. This may suggest that the time burden to complete it was too great.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 57%

Scar massage as an intervention for post-surgical scars: A practice survey of Australian hand therapists

Scott,

Robinson,

Brown

2023

Hand Therapy

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Introduction Scar massage is a commonly used treatment in hand therapy. The current empirical evidence that supports it is disparate and of variable quality, with no established effective dosage and method proposed. This study aimed to identify the current practice among Australian hand therapists using massage as an intervention for scarring following surgery to the hand and upper limb. Methods A purposely designed self-report online survey was emailed to current members of the Australian Hand Therapy Association ( n = 958). Data collected included demographics, intervention techniques, conditions treated and protocols, scar assessment and knowledge and training about scar massage as a clinical intervention. Results A total of 116 completed questionnaires were received (a response rate of 12.1%). All respondents used scar massage as part of their clinical practice with 98% to improve soft tissue glide ( n = 114), 92% for hypersensitivity ( n = 107), and 84% to increase hand function ( n = 97). Only 18% ( n = 21) of respondents used standardised outcome measures, and most therapists had learned scar massage from a colleague (81%). Conclusions Commonalities in how respondents implemented scar massage were found. Participants reported relying primarily on clinical experience to inform their practice. Whilst scar massage was widely used, few respondents had received formal skills training or completed outcome measures regularly to formally evaluate its clinical efficacy or impact. Replication of this study with a larger international sample of participants is warranted to determine if these findings reflect general practice.

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Research capacity and culture among hand therapists in Australia: A cross-sectional survey

Parsons,

Ross,

Glasgow

et al. 2024

Journal of Hand Therapy

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Hand therapy role in return to work for patients with hand and upper limb conditions

Cited by 3 publications

References 20 publications

Supporting work participation for adults with hand and upper limb conditions: A survey of the British Association of hand therapists

Supporting work participation for adults with hand and upper limb conditions: A survey of the British Association of hand therapists

Scar massage as an intervention for post-surgical scars: A practice survey of Australian hand therapists

Research capacity and culture among hand therapists in Australia: A cross-sectional survey

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