The impact of COVID-19 on hand therapy practice

Abstract

Highlights 86% of therapists reported feeling more stress than they did prior to the COVID-19 Older therapists and those that practiced longer felt more comfortable with in-person treatment. 98% of therapists reported a decrease in caseload. Post-operative cases and patients ages 19-49 were more likely to receive in-person treatment. 46% reported providing telehealth services. Telehealth was used more in non-traumatic, non-operative cases and older patients Younger therapists were more likely to utilize telehealth.

A follow up survey on the impact of COVID-19 on hand therapy practice

“…28 Currently, the evidence related to efficacy of telehealth in hand rehabilitation as it relates to certain conditions or treatment approaches is lacking. In both the April 2020 survey 11 and in this survey, post-operative patients were significantly seen more in person than via telehealth. This signals that both the hand therapists and patients felt in person treatment was important after surgery despite the risk of COVID-19.…”

“…8 While front line workers and emergency personnel have been most notably impacted, the profound effects COVID-19 has had on the healthcare community reaches far beyond these limits to other allied health professions 9,10 , including the profession of hand therapy. 11,12 It was for this reason our first survey, "The impact of COVID-19 on hand therapy practice" 11 was developed and administered in April, 2020. In this initial survey, participants reported the abandonment of paraffin units and other modalities and the embracing of PPE; digital thermometers became commonplace, and human touch was eclipsed by telehealth.…”

“…Children were home and learning virtually; therapists were scrambling to understand and deliver services via virtual platforms for the first time while others were furloughed and the fear of contracting COVID-19 was looming in everyone's lives. 11 However, since waging the war against this novel and gradually mutating virus and since our initial survey 11 some variables have changed. Therefore, the purpose of this follow-up survey was to capture the essence of hand therapy practice approximately ten months into the pandemic.…”

Exploring the patient experience of telehealth hand therapy services during the COVID-19 pandemic

“…Literature published since the start of the pandemic, specific to hand therapy telehealth services, has primarily focused on the therapist experience of providing telehealth. 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 Szekeres and Valdes’ 7 survey of 819 therapists early in the COVID-19 pandemic (May 2020), that recruited from hand therapy associations in the United States, Canada, Australia and Europe, showed that very few therapists (n=38, 5%) had telehealth experience prior to the pandemic. The majority of therapists (n=557, 68%) reported they would be extremely or somewhat likely to continue with telehealth sessions once the pandemic settles.…”

“…A further survey of members of the American Society of Hand Therapists, conducted between April and May 2020, reported similarly low levels of pre-pandemic telehealth experience (4%). 4 Survey respondents were asked to reflect on the impact of COVID-19 on hand therapy practice, with some therapists expressing concern that telehealth would replace traditional therapy, while others welcomed the prospect of continued use of telehealth into the future. 4 The authors conducted a follow up survey between December 2020 and January 2021.…”