Developing a student competency exam for hand therapy clinical experiences: A cross-sectional survey of hand therapists.

STUDY DESIGN: Cross-sectional survey design. INTRODUCTION: Students pursuing hand therapy clinical rotations are expected to demonstrate foundational knowledge prior to the experience. PURPOSE OF THE STUDY: Identify content that should be included on a potential competency exam for students pursuing hand therapy rotations from the perspectives of current hand therapists. METHODS: This questionnaire, devised from the Scope of Practice and Domains of Hand Therapy, was emailed to members of the American Society of Hand Therapists. Data was collected and analyzed with SurveyMonkey to determine descriptive statistics and frequency distributions. RESULTS: All knowledge areas included in the survey were ranked important or very important. Knowledge areas with the highest responses of much importance were the range of motion assessments of the upper extremity, anatomy and physiology, and interpersonal skills and therapeutic communications. DISCUSSION: Hand therapy clinical instructors expect their students to demonstrate competency in relevant topics prior to starting their clinical experiences. A hand therapy competency exam addressing the valued knowledge areas may ensure students are prepared for the rigorous expectations of a hand therapy clinical rotation. CONCLUSION: A competency test, including knowledge areas presented in this study, given to students before starting a specialty rotation, may ensure that the student has the foundational knowledge needed to succeed in a hand therapy setting, provide an understanding of students' strengths and weaknesses, and help clinicians become more willing to accept students for hand therapy rotations.

Patient satisfaction of hand therapy services.

STUDY DESIGN: This study utilized a cross-sectional cohort design that used survey techniques for data collection. INTRODUCTION: Patient satisfaction is becoming increasingly important in the health care field; however, it is typically evaluated with the use a single question. Patient satisfaction encompasses numerous aspects that should be considered on evaluation. PURPOSE OF THE STUDY: The purpose of this study was to determine if the Patient Satisfaction Questionnaire Short Form (PSQ-18) is an appropriate outcome measure to determine patient satisfaction for people receiving hand therapy services and to determine mean satisfaction scores of participants. METHODS: Participants (n = 123) who received hand therapy services from an outpatient hand therapy center and a health care institute were obtained via a convenience sample. The PSQ-18, adapted for hand therapy, was used to assess patient satisfaction. RESULTS: The mean satisfaction score was 1.81 (SD = 1.26). The following patient satisfaction subscales were also evaluated: general satisfaction, communication, technical quality, interpersonal manner, time spent with therapists, accessibility and convenience, and financial aspects. DISCUSSION: Eighty percent of participants were satisfied with the therapy services they received. Patient satisfaction is complex, involving a multitude of components and thus must be evaluated in a manner that considers its multidimensional aspects. CONCLUSION: The findings of this study suggest that the PSQ-18 adapted for hand therapy is an appropriate outcome measure to determine patient satisfaction for people receiving hand therapy as it evaluates multiple subscales of the phenomena.