Tipperary

Traumatic hand injuries are a common reason for acute hospital visits, making up about one third of such cases. Researchers are evaluating the effectiveness of occupational therapy-led hand therapy services for adults who present acutely to injury units or emergency departments with hand conditions. This study involves four different sites in Ireland, including one comparison site that does not offer occupational therapy and provides usual care, with the goal of informing future service development and improving care quality for hand injury patients. Participants will receive either occupational therapy-led services or usual care depending on the site they attend. The occupational therapy-led intervention includes treatments such as splinting, targeted exercises and activities, occupation-based interventions, edema and scar management, desensitisation, functional task completion, and education. Treatment sessions are tailored to the individual patient based on their recovery stage. Those in the usual care group receive standard nursing and medical care, which may include wound care, use of off-the-shelf orthoses, education, and referrals to other healthcare professionals. Participants will be assessed at three time points: at initial contact, eight weeks post-intervention, and six months follow-up. The main outcome measure is the change in patient function using the QuickDASH questionnaire. Researchers will also evaluate pain levels, quality of life, and other clinical and process outcomes to understand the benefits of the hand therapy services compared to usual care. The study aims to improve the safety, timeliness, cost-effectiveness, and overall quality of care for adults with hand injuries.