Hand therapy interventions, outcomes, and diagnoses evaluated over the last 10 years: A mapping review linking research to practice.
Sandy C Takata, Emily T Wade, Shawn C Roll
PMID 28647322WHAT IT FOUND
Across 191 hand therapy articles, evidence concentrated on carpal tunnel, osteoarthritis, tendon surgeries, exercise, orthotics, education, and body function/physiology outcomes.
Few studies covered amputation, hand transplants, traumas, activity-based interventions, or function/performance and quality-of-care outcomes.
Key findings
01The included literature consisted of 191 articles, and osteoarthritis, tendon surgeries, and carpal tunnel syndrome were the most frequently studied diagnoses.
02Exercise was included in 72.3% of studies, while activity-based interventions were explored in 6.3%.
03Body function/physiology outcomes were measured in 69.6% of studies, while quality of care, body structure/pathology, and behavioral/psychosocial outcomes were least commonly measured.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTs
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What it does not show
It was a mapping review. It did not evaluate the quality of individual studies or the effectiveness of specific interventions. It focused only on distal upper extremity musculoskeletal disorders. It did not provide insight into elbow, shoulder, or systemic conditions treated by hand therapists. It searched only English human studies published between January of 2006 and December of 2015. Data extraction depended on what authors reported in the text. Studies may have included more interventions or outcomes than were captured. The professional background of authors and intervenors was often not specified. This makes it hard to know who delivered the interventions. The categories were based on the American Society of Hand Therapists scope of practice. The findings may not generalize to hand therapy practice in other countries.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read this as evidence that hand therapy interventions improve outcomes. It mapped what has been studied and did not evaluate study quality or effectiveness.