Effectiveness of occupational therapy interventions on function and satisfaction with occupational performance among adults with conditions of the hand, wrist, and forearm: a protocol for a systematic review

TL;DR

This systematic review protocol aims to evaluate how well occupational therapy helps adults with hand, wrist, or forearm injuries in daily tasks and satisfaction.

Contribution

The study introduces a systematic review protocol to assess occupational therapy effectiveness for upper limb conditions using the ICF Core Set framework.

Findings

The review will assess function and satisfaction outcomes in adults with hand, wrist, or forearm conditions.

Evidence will be synthesized using the ICF Core Set for Hand Conditions and GRADE framework.

Potential benefits include improved clinical evidence and patient outcomes.

Abstract

Background: Functional hand use post injury is important in enabling a person’s engagement in daily living tasks. Without proper treatment, there may be difficulties in self-care, engaging in job roles, or leisure pursuits. Occupational therapists are key health care practitioners for people with upper limb conditions. This systematic review aims to appraise and summarise current evidence regarding effectiveness of occupational therapy interventions among adults with conditions of the hand, wrist, and forearm.

Methods: A systematic review of randomised control trials and quasi randomised controlled trials will be completed. MEDLINE OVID, CINAHL, CENTRAL, COCHRANE, PUBMED and EMBASE databases will be systematically searched. Grey literature will be searched for via Google Scholar. Studies will be included if they include provision of occupational therapy to adults with a hand, wrist, or forearm condition when compared to treatment as usual or an alternative treatment option. The primary outcome will be function. Secondary outcomes will include satisfaction with occupational performance, quality of life, pain experience, and participation. The Brief International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) Core Set for Hand Conditions will be used to categorise outcomes. The Cochrane Risk of Bias 2 (RoB 2) tool and the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluations (GRADE) framework will be utilised to assess quality. A pooled meta- analysis will be completed using RevMan, depending on the uniformity and availability of data.

Results: This review aims to synthesise high quality evidence to identify the effectiveness of occupational therapy interventions with patients with a hand, wrist, or forearm condition, categorising outcomes in relation to the ICF Core Set for Hand Conditions.

Conclusions: By synthesising the evidence there is potential for improved evidence base for clinicians; improved outcomes for patients; as well as potential economic benefit.

This study is registered with PROSPERO:
CRD42022337070.