The impact of COVID-19 on hand therapy practice

BACKGROUND: Hand therapists and health care providers across the spectrum have been profoundly impacted by COVID-19. Greater insight and information regarding how practitioners have been affected by this unparalleled pandemic is important. PURPOSE: Survey research was performed to examine the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on hand therapy practice. STUDY DESIGN: Online survey research. METHODS: Four constructs guided the development of the survey: psychosocial and financial impact; safety practice patterns; changes in current practice patterns; use of telehealth. The survey was distributed to members of the American Society of Hand Therapists from April 14, 2020 through May 4, 2020. Descriptive demographic data were obtained. Frequencies were examined using ChiSquare, correlations were examined using Spearman Correlation Coefficient, and means were compared via independent t-test. RESULTS: A total of 719 members responded to the survey. Eighty-six percent of therapists reported feeling more stress than they did prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. This level of stress was similar across ages, practice settings, financial stability or instability, and geographical settings. Older therapists (r(s) = 0.04) and those that practiced longer (r(s) = 0.009) felt more comfortable with in-person treatment. Ninety-eight percent of therapists reported a decrease in caseload. Postoperative cases (P= .0001) and patients ages 19-49 were more likely to receive in-person treatment (P= .002). 46% of therapists reported providing telehealth services. Nontraumatic, nonoperative cases (P= .0001) and patients aged 65 or older were more likely to receive telehealth services (P= .0001). Younger therapists (r(s) = 0.03) and therapists working in outpatient therapist owned, outpatient corporate owned, and outpatient academic medical centers (X(2) [4, N = 637] = 15.9463, P= .003) were more likely to utilize telehealth. CONCLUSION: Stress was felt globally among hand therapy clinicians regardless of financial security or insecurity, age, practice area, or geographical setting. Therapists saw a drastic decrease in caseloads. In-person caseloads shifted primarily to postoperative cases. STUDY DESIGN: Web based survey