The Rural Hand Therapy Project - providing hand therapy services closer to home.

Context: Hand therapy optimises functional use of the hand and arm after injury and is an expert area of practice for occupational therapists (OTs) and physiotherapists. In rural Australia, patients frequently travel to metropolitan or larger regional centres for initial hand surgery and rehabilitation. However, rural patients' access to follow-up hand therapy after the initial phase of care is impacted by several factors such as transport options, distance, staff shortages and availability of therapists skilled in hand therapy.

Understanding the Lives of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Women with Traumatic Brain Injury from Family Violence in Australia: A Qualitative Study Protocol.

Globally, there is growing recognition of the connection between violence and head injuries. At present, little qualitative research exists around how surviving this experience impacts everyday life for women, particularly Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women. This project aims to explore the nature and context of these women's lives including living with the injury and to identify their needs and priorities during recovery.

"I Don't Think It's on Anyone's Radar": The Workforce and System Barriers to Healthcare for Indigenous Women Following a Traumatic Brain Injury Acquired through Violence in Remote Australia.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women experience high rates of traumatic brain injury (TBI) as a result of violence. While healthcare access is critical for women who have experienced a TBI as it can support pre-screening, comprehensive diagnostic assessment, and referral pathways, little is known about the barriers for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women in remote areas to access healthcare. To address this gap, this study focuses on the workforce barriers in one remote region in Australia.

Evaluation of an occupational therapy led Paediatric Burns Telehealth Review Clinic: exploring the experience of family/carers and clinicians.

Introduction: Children with deep-partial or full-thickness burns often require complicated post-surgical care and rehabilitation, including specialist occupational therapy (OT) intervention, to achieve optimal outcomes. Those from rural and remote areas rarely have access to these services and must travel to a tertiary referral hospital to access follow-up, placing them at higher risk of complications and poorer outcomes. The OT-Led Paediatric Burn Telehealth Review (OTPB) Clinic, based at Townsville University Hospital in northern Queensland, Australia, was set up to address this inequity.

Development of an occupational-therapy-led paediatric burn telehealth review clinic.

Context: Burns are a common injury in children. Rural and remote children with burn injuries are disadvantaged if their burns require hospitalisation and specialist rehabilitation. Most specialist burn rehabilitation is provided in regional or metropolitan cities by a multidisciplinary team.

How are allied health notes used for inpatient care and clinical decision-making? A qualitative exploration of the views of doctors, nurses and allied health professionals.

Background: Inpatient care is dependent upon the effective transfer of clinical information across multiple professions. However, documented patient clinical information generated by different professions is not always successfully transferred between them. One obstacle to successful information transfer may be the reader's perception of the information, which is framed in a particular professional context, rather than the information per se.

Hand therapy services for rural and remote residents: Results of a survey of Australian occupational therapists and physiotherapists.

Objective: The aim of this study was to explore how interventions were provided to meet the needs of rural/remote residents who have had a traumatic hand injury, including the coordination of services between rural/remote and metro/regional therapists. Barriers to providing services, use of technology and professional support provided to therapists in rural/remote areas were also explored.

Design: Cross-sectional survey.

The experience of living with a traumatic hand injury in a rural and remote location: an interpretive phenomenological study.

Introduction: The aim of this research study was to gain an understanding of how rural and remote residents in North Queensland, Australia, engaged in work, activities of daily living tasks and social activities following a traumatic hand injury. Findings from a previous retrospective survey with these participants revealed that patients experienced difficulties such as pain for many years after their injury; however, because of the survey methodology, the voices of participants were not heard. This study contributes to a larger project that seeks to propose a model of service delivery to rural and remote residents who have sustained a traumatic injury.

The experience of medical and rehabilitation intervention for traumatic hand injuries in rural and remote North Queensland: a qualitative study.

Introduction: This research explored the experience of receiving medical and rehabilitation intervention for rural and remote residents in North Queensland, Australia who had experienced a traumatic hand injury. This study contributes to larger project that seeks to propose a model of service delivery to rural and remote residents who have sustained a traumatic injury.

Methods: Utilising an interpretive phenomenological research design, data was gathered through in-depth, semi-structured interviews.

Does a DVD improve compliance with home exercise programs for people who have sustained a traumatic hand injury? Results of a feasibility study.

Purpose: This feasibility study sought to determine if compliance and understanding of a home exercise program following a traumatic hand injury is improved when patients are provided with a DVD and a brochure when compared to using brochures only.

Method: Patients who presented with a traumatic hand injury and commenced on a hand therapy protocol were randomly assigned into two groups. The control group received brochures while the experimental group were provided with exercise instructions on DVD as well as brochures.

A critical review of the evidence on the use of videotapes or DVD to promote patient compliance with home programmes.

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to critically review published research in order to evaluate the evidence surrounding the provision of video or DVD technology to promote patient compliance with home exercise or health programmes.

Method: A literature search of the MEDLINE, CINAHL and Cochrane databases was undertaken. Critical appraisal of selected studies was undertaken using a previously validated tool.

The functional impact of a traumatic hand injury on people who live in rural and remote locations.

Purpose: This study aimed to gain an understanding of the functional impact of a traumatic hand injury on a rural and remote Australian population.

Method: A retrospective, exploratory design was used. Patients who had experienced a traumatic hand injury were samples and were treated at the occupational therapy department at a major regional Australian hospital between January 2003 and February 2007 (n = 198).