Patient and Clinician Education in Upper Extremity Rehabilitation

Abstract

A person’s upper extremity, especially the hand, serves as the primary tool of function in daily life. Therefore, upper extremity injuries and conditions can have an extreme impact on life roles and daily tasks. Routines and practices that were once second nature become challenging, discouraging, and sometimes unattainable. Through occupational therapy, healing is facilitated, limitations are addressed, and function is restored. To achieve this outcome, however, both the patient and the therapist must have adequate knowledge and understanding of the upper extremity injury. The patient must be educated on their condition to be able to actively participate in their recovery, and the clinician must be educated on how to best treat the injury. Therefore, the aim of this doctoral capstone project is to improve both patient and clinician education within upper extremity rehabilitation. To improve patient education practices in occupational therapy, research was conducted to identify trends, gaps, and needs in upper extremity rehabilitation patient education. To improve clinician education in upper extremity rehabilitation, an orthosis guidebook was created to aid clinicians and students with selecting, fabricating, and modifying orthoses. By combining these two goals, the doctoral capstone project aimed to improve best practice and education within upper extremity rehabilitation.