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Full Course Details: Public course page
Learn more about our guest: Hoang Tran, OT/L CHT
Read the article and discussion upon which this podcast is based.
Released December 12, 2022.
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.
Takata, S. C., Wade, E. T., &; Roll, S. C. (2019). Hand therapy interventions, outcomes, and diagnoses evaluated over the last 10 years: A mapping review linking research to practice. Journal of Hand Therapy, 32(1), 1–9.
Supporting Research and Journal Articles
Weinstock-Zlotnick, G., &; Mehta, S. P. (2019). A systematic review of the benefits of occupation-based intervention for patients with upper extremity musculoskeletal disorders. Journal of Hand Therapy, 32(2), 141–152.
Kurrus, M. B., Jewell, V. D., Gerardi, S., Gerg, M., &; Qi, Y. (2022). Psychosocial factors addressed by occupational therapists in hand therapy: A mixed-methods study. Journal of Hand Therapy.
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?
Contact Hours
1 hour (0.1 AOTA CEUs). Released online from Aurora, NE.
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.
Instructional Methods/Registration/Special Needs Requests/Cancellation Policy
This course is an independent/self-study course delivered via podcast on iTunes, Spotify and Google Play. Explore your listening options on the OT Potential Podcast page.
If you need accommodations to take this course, please contact us and we will address your needs on an individual basis.
If this course were to be canceled, please see our cancellation policy on our terms page.
Course Completion Requirements
In order to receive a certificate for this course, you must first listen to the podcast in its entirety. Then, you will need to take the test (found at the top of this page) and earn 75% or higher. If you pass, a certificate will be automatically generated and sent to your email.
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.
Hoang also runs the website Hand Therapy Secrets, hosts the podcast Hoang’s World | Helping Occupational Therapists Become Experts, and is the author of the book The Hands-on Approach.
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.
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