Sage Journals: Discover world-class research

Abstract

French

Background.

Occupational therapists who facilitate work-related transitions after hand injury require robust evidence to inform practice.

Purpose.

To identify the occupational therapist’s contribution to facilitate work-related transitions for persons with hand injuries and identify gaps in existing knowledge.

Method.

A systematic search was conducted from 2008 to 2018 to identify articles and doctoral theses published across 14 databases. Data was analysed descriptively.

Findings.

In total, 15 studies from 16 countries (14 high and 2 upper-middle income) were identified. Four strategies to facilitate work-related transitions were identified. Clear differences were evident across country groupings.

Implications.

The paucity of research limits evidence-based practice, especially in low- and middle-income countries, which indicates the need for further research.

Keywords

Return to work Upper extremity Upper limb Vocational rehabilitation Work strategies

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Ammann

Satink

Andresen

(2012). Experiencing occupations with chronic hand disability: Narratives of hand-injured adults. Hand Therapy, 17(4), 87–94. http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/1758998312471253

Arksey

O’Malley

(2005). Scoping studies: Towards a methodological framework. International Journal of Social Research Methodology, 8(1), 19–32. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/1364557032000119616

Cabral

L. H.

Sampaio

R. F.

Figueiredo

I. M.

Mancini

M. C.

(2010). Factors associated with return to work following a hand injury: A qualitative/quantitative approach. Revista Brasileira de Fisioterapia, 14(2), 149–157. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20464167

Chan

Spencer

(2004). Adaptation to hand injury: An evolving experience. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 58(2), 128–139. https://doi.org/10.5014/ajot.58.2.128

Chang

Lee

Guo

Chiu

(2011). Correlation of return to work outcomes and hand impairment measures among workers with traumatic hand injury. Journal of Occupational Rehabilitation, 21(1), 9–16. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10926-010-9246-4.

Chen

Hsu

Lien

Chang

Chao

(2016). Entry into vocational rehabilitation program following work-related hand injury: Potential candidates. International Journal of Occupational Medicine and Environmental Health, 29(1), 101–111. http://dx.doi.org/10.13075/ijomeh.1896.00419.

Craig

Hill

Englehart

Adisesh

(2017). Return to work after occupational injury and upper limb amputation. Occupational Medicine, 67(3), 227–229. https://doi.org/10.1093/occmed/kqx012.

Dias

Garcia-Elias

. (2006). Hand injury costs. Injury, 37(11), 1071–1077. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.injury.2006.07.023.

Fisher

Hanspal

R. S.

Marks

(2017). Return to work after occupational injury and upper limb amputation. Occupational Medicine, 67(3), 227–229. https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/34ea/443158c97d801b7e3e11490e2a0ba615d76c.pdf

10.

Gosselin

(2009). The increasing burden of injuries in developing countries: Direct and indirect consequences. Techniques in Orthopaedics, 24(4), 230–232. https://signsurgeons.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/Tech01-Increase.pdf

11.

Hoffmann

Bennett

Del Mar

. (2017). Introduction to evidence-based practice. In Hoffmann

Bennett

Del Mar

(Eds.), Evidence-based practice across the health professions (3 rd ed; pp. 1–15). Elsevier.

12.

Hou

Chi

Chou

Kuo

Chuang

(2017). Vocational rehabilitation for enhancing return-to-work in workers with traumatic upper limb injuries. The Cochrane Collaboration, 12(12), Article CD010002. https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD010002.pub3.

13.

Jiang

Liang

Leng

(2014). Predictors of return to work and duration of absence following work-related hand injury. International Journal of Injury Control and Safety Promotion, 21(3), 216–223. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/17457300.2013.792280.

14.

Hwang

Chen-Sea

Chen

(2009). Factors related to return to work and job modification after a hand burn. Journal of Burn Care & Research, 30(4), 661–667. https://doi.org/10.1097/BCR.0b013e3181abfabf.

15.

Landman

Buchanan

(2010). Human rights and workman’s compensation: The experiences of two injured workers. South African Journal of Occupational Therapy, 40(1), 2–7.

16.

Leive

(2008). Coping with out-of-pocket health payments: Empirical evidence from 15 African countries. Bulletin of the World Health Organization, 86(11), 849–856. https://doi.org/10.2471/BLT.07.049403.

17.

Marom

Ratzon

Carel

Sharabi

(2018). Return-to-work barriers among manual workers after hand injuries: 1-year follow-up cohort study. Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, 100(3), 422–432. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apmr.2018.07.429.

18.

Melvin

(1985). Roles and functions of occupational therapy in hand rehabilitation. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 39(12), 796–798.

19.

Moshe

Izhaki

Chodick

Segal

Yagev

Finestone

Juven

(2015). Predictors of return to work with upper limb disorders. Journal of Occupational Medicine, 65(7), 564–569. https://doi.org/10.1093/occmed/kqv100

20.

Newington

Francis

Ntani

Warwick

Adams

Walker-Bone

(2018). Return to work recommendations after carpal tunnel release: A survey of UK hand surgeons and hand therapists. Journal of Hand Surgery (European Volume), 43(8), 875–878. https://doi.org/10.1177/1753193418786375.

21.

Opsteegh

Reinders-Messelink

Schollier

Groothoff

Postema

Dijkstra

van der Sluis

(2009). Determinants of return to work in patients with hand disorders and hand injuries. Journal of Occupational Rehabilitation, 19, 245–255. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10926-009-9181-4

22.

Peters

Johnston

Hines

Ross

Coppieters

. (2016). Prognostic factors for return-to-work following surgery for carpal tunnel syndrome: A systematic review. JBI Database of Systematic Reviews and Implementation Reports, 14(9), 135–216 https://doi.org/10.11124/JBISRIR-2016-003099.

23.

Peters

Truong

Johnston

(2018). Stakeholders identify similar barriers but different strategies to facilitate return-to-work: A vignette of a worker with an upper extremity condition. Work, 59(3), 401–412. https://doi.org/10.3233/WOR-182692.

24.

Ramel

Rosberg

H.-E.

Dahlin

L. B.

Cederlund

R. I.

(2013). Return to work after a serious hand injury. Work, 44(4), 459–469. https://doi.org/10.3233/WOR-2012-1373

25.

Shaw

Rudman

(2009). Using occupational science to study occupational transitions in the realm of work: From micro to macro levels. Work, 32(4), 361–364. https://doi.org/10.3233/WOR-2009-0848

26.

Shi

Sinden

MacDermid

J. C.

Walton

Grewal

(2014). A systematic review of prognostic factors for return to work following work-related traumatic hand injury. Journal of Hand Therapy, 27(1), 55–62. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jht.2013.10.001

27.

Spiegel

Gosselin

Coughlin

Joshipura

Browmer

Dormans

(2008). The burden of musculoskeletal injury in low and middle-income countries: Challenges and opportunities. Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery Incorporated, 90(4), 915–923. https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/e783/cd31cd344534e961d90f35baa9398918f1ba.pdf

28.

Trading Economics. (2019). South Africa unemployment rate. https://tradingeconomics.com/south-africa/unemployment-rate

29.

Uys

M. E.

Buchanan

Van Niekerk

(2019). Strategies occupational therapists employ to facilitate work-related transitions for persons with hand injuries: A study protocol for a scoping review. BMJ Open, 9(4), e027402. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2018-027402

30.

Wasiak

Young

Roessler

McPherson

van Poppel

Anema

(2007). Measuring return to work. Journal of Occupational Rehabilitation, 17(4), 766–781. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10926-007-9101-4

31.

The World Bank. World Bank Country and Lending Groups. https://datahelpdesk.worldbank.org/knowledgebase/articles/906519.

Work-related Transitions Following Hand Injury: Occupational Therapy Scoping Review