OT for Hand Burns

We need some of our OTs with the biggest hearts and brightest minds to consider specializing in burn therapy.

But, no matter what setting you work in, you will likely have someone with a burn patient on your caseload at some point. Burns are the 4th most common type of trauma worldwide (behind traffic accidents, falls, and interpersonal violence.) 90% of burns occur in low- to middle-income countries.

While OTs have worked in burn units for decades, the research behind OT-specific contributions to burn care is still in its infancy. We’ll see this at the beginning of the podcast as we look at some early-stage research from Iran on occupational therapy for hand burns.

Then, we’ll be joined by burn-rehab clinical specialist, Jody Sabel, OT/L. Jody will share about her work in acute and outpatient burn care. And, she will speak with us about the challenges and opportunities is in this incredibly important practice area.

Supplemental Materials for OTs Working in Burns

• American Burn Association

• Journal of Burn Care & Research

• National Institutes of Disability, Independent Living and Rehabilitation Research Model Systems- Burn Injury Program

• Trauma Stewardship: An Everyday Guide to Caring for Self While Caring for Others

Assessments for OTs in Burns

• Burn Specific Health Scale-Brief (BSHS-B)

• Vancouver Scar Scale

• Cutaneous Functional Units

• Young Adult Burn Outcomes Questionnaire

1. You will be able to identify common interventions used by OTs for hand burn patients.

2. You will be able to recognize common functional assessment measures utilized by OTs for hand burn patients.

• Intro

• Breakdown and analysis of journal article

  • Intro to hand burns

  • Hand-burn rehab overview

  • The role of OT and PT in hand burn rehab

  • The role of OT

  • Why was this specific article written?

  • Methods

  • Results

  • Discussion

  • Limitations

  • Takeaways for OT practitioners

• Discussion on practical implications for OTs (with Jody Sabel)

  1. How did you first find OT?

  2. How did you begin working with burn patients?

  3. Can you give us a basic overview of your current work?

  4. What were your initial impressions of the article?

  5. Can you help me understand your current work in the burn continuum of care?

  6. What is on your mind as you walk in to evaluate a hand burn patient?

  7. Are there any assessments you find particularly helpful?

  8. Are there any treatments you utilize that were not mentioned in the article?

  9. How do you stay up to date in burn rehab?

  10. What challenges and opportunities do you see for OTs working with burn patients in the next 5 years?

Primary

• Effectiveness of incorporating occupational therapy in rehabilitation of hand burn patients

Additional

• The effect of rehabilitation education through social media on the quality of life in burn patients: A randomized, controlled, clinical trial

• A scoping review of burn rehabilitation publications incorporating functional outcomes

• Rehabilitation of Burn Injuries: An Update

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.

OT Potential pays guest speakers an honorarium for their participation, either directly or to an institution of the speaker's choosing at their request. We invite guests whose expertise often comes from practices, programs, or building products in their field. Where a speaker has a financial interest in the subject of a course, we disclose it below so you can weigh it for yourself.

OT Potential's interest in this topic: We have no financial stake in this topic.

Speaker interests: Jody Sabel has no financial interest in this topic to disclose.