OT Hand Therapy Interventions

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When we think of hand therapy, we tend to think of it as a practice area with an  abundance of research.

But, the mapping review of hand therapy interventions we examine this episode reminds us that there are also sizable gaps in the research—especially when it comes to more complex diagnoses. 

This means that when OTs are working with upper extremity conditions, we still need to pay careful attention to the other 2 pillars of evidence-based practice: the client values & developing our own skillset/clinical expertise. 

To talk about what this looks like in practice, we are excited to welcome Hoang Tran, OT/L CHT to the podcast. Hoang is the owner of Hands-on Therapy & Hand Therapy Secrets—and a vocal advocate for OTs working with the upper extremity.

Primary Journal Article Explored

When you log in, be sure to check out the OT Potential Club’s written breakdown of the following research article. Then, share your questions and thoughts with fellow practitioners.

• Hand therapy interventions, outcomes, and diagnoses evaluated over the last 10 years: A mapping review linking research to practice

Supporting Research and Journal Articles

• A systematic review of the benefits of occupation-based intervention for patients with upper extremity musculoskeletal disorders
• Psychosocial factors addressed by occupational therapists in hand therapy: A mixed-methods study

Learning Objectives

• You will be able to identify hand therapy interventions that have the most abundant research and guidance for practice. 
• You will be able to recognize gaps in the research on hand therapy interventions. 

Agenda

Intro (5 minutes)

Breakdown and analysis of journal article (5 minutes)

• Brief intro to hand therapy interventions
• Where the research stand on hand therapy
• What was the intent of this paper?
• What were the authors’ methods?
• What were the findings?
• Discussion/Conclusions/Implications
• Takeaways for OT practitioners

Discussion on practical implications for OTs (with Hoang Tran) (50 minutes)

• How did you first find OT?
• What led you into hand therapy and ultimately business ownership?
• Do you find OTs have a unique approach to hand therapy?
• What were your initial impressions of the article?
• Did it align with your experience that osteoarthritis, carpal tunnel syndrome and tendon injuries have the most treatment guidance to draw from?
• How do you engage a patient right away in their session, and then encourage them to return for their next visit?
• When you see someone with a more complex diagnosis where there is less evidence to draw on, what skills do you find yourself using?
• Are there ways you measure outcomes and the patient experience that were not mentioned in the article? 
• How do you keep up with changes to hand therapy? & How has your approach to hand therapy changed since you started practice?
• What do you see on the horizon for OT in hand therapy?

Target Audience/Educational Level

Our target audience is occupational therapy practitioners who are looking to learn about OT Hand Therapy Interventions.  The educational level is introductory.

Financial and Non-financial Disclosures

It is the policy of OT Potential to disclose any financial and non-financial interest the provider or instructor may have in a product or service mentioned during an activity. This is to ensure that the audience is made aware of any bias of the speaker.

We here at OT Potential have no financial stake in this topic.  Our guest, Hoang Tran also has no financial disclosures. 

Speakers

Hoang Tran, OT/L CHT:

Hoang Tran OT/L, CHT opened Hands On Therapy Services in 2014 in Doral (Miami), FL to serve people with arm and hand injuries before and after surgery to be pain free, become active, and to avoid surgery or avoid complications from surgeries. Her mission is to help people make better decisions about their health and wellbeing through providing as much information as they need, so that they can enjoy both work and play!

Hoang graduated from the University of Florida in 2000 with a master’s degree in occupational therapy. She first gained experience with upper extremity injuries in a hospital setting. In 2006, Hoang obtained her national board certification as a Certified Hand Therapist and continued to expand her area of practice in the outpatient setting. Read full bio.

Sarah Lyon, OTR/L:

Sarah’s passion is helping fellow OT practitioners translate evidence into daily practice. Sarah earned her BA in religion from St. Olaf College, then earned her master’s degree in occupational therapy from New York University in 2011.

Since then, she’s worked in numerous facilities, including a critical access hospital, an acute trauma hospital, and a state inpatient psychiatric hospital. Sarah is the founder/owner of OT Potential. Read more about OT Potential here.

This course was designed to meet your continuing education requirements

We designed the courses in the Club to meet the requirements for “online” and “independent/self-study” courses. To verify the requirements from your specific state (within the US), check out our post, OT Continuing Education Requirements. If you are outside of the United States and have questions, please contact us.

We are proud to be an AOTA Approved Provider and to meet the requirements for your NBCOT renewal.

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