RecruitingACTRN12608000530325

A clinical trial to investigate whether providing a home exercise program on DVD improves compliance with patients who have hand injuries

Does providing patients who have hand injuries with a home exercise program on DVD and brochures improve compliance when compared to providing brochures only

Sponsor

James Cook University

Enrollment

52 participants

Start Date

Mar 20, 2008

Study Type

Interventional

Conditions

Hand injuries

Summary

This study seeks to determine if compliance and understanding of a home exercise program is improved when the patients are provided with a DVD and a brochure when compared to using brochures only. This is particularly relevant for rural and remote residents who may not be able to attend weekly therapy sessions at the hospital

Eligibility

Sex: Both males and femalesMin Age: 18 Yearss

Plain Language Summary

Simplified for easier understanding

This study is testing whether giving patients a DVD alongside a written brochure helps them better understand and follow their home exercise program after a hand injury or hand surgery. Home exercise is essential for recovery after hand injuries, but many patients struggle to remember or perform the exercises correctly — especially those living in rural or remote areas who cannot visit the therapist frequently. Researchers will compare how well patients follow their exercises when they have only a brochure versus when they also have a DVD. You may be eligible if: - You are 18 years of age or older - You are receiving hand therapy for one of the following: wrist fracture (using a TriMed system), flexor tendon repair, FPL tendon repair, or extensor tendon repair (zones 3–7) - You own a DVD player - You are able to attend weekly hand therapy sessions You may NOT be eligible if: - You are under 18 years of age - You do not have a DVD player - You are unable to attend weekly hand therapy sessions Talk to your doctor about whether this trial might be right for you.

This summary was AI-generated to explain the trial in plain language. It is not medical advice. Always discuss eligibility with your doctor before enrolling in a clinical trial.

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Interventions

Provision of home exercise program or protocol on DVD as well as brochure. There are seven hand therapy protocols that have been provided on DVD's. They are Flexor tendon repair: early active motion protocol Flexor tendon repair: passive protocol Flexor Pollicis Longus (FPL) repair: early active motion protocol Flexor Pollicis Longus (FPL) repair: passive protocol Short arc early active range of motion repair for zones 2 to 3 Controlled early active motion for zones four to seven extensor tendon repair TriMed wrist fixation system (TriMed Inc, Valencia, CA, U.S.A.) following Distal radius Fracture. The protocols have been published by EKCO Occupational Services Hand and Upper Limb Rehabilitation Unit in Brisbane Following initial appointment with the Occupational Therapist, if a patient is to begin one of the seven protocols they are invited to participate in the study. At the initial appointment all patients are provided with their usual care that includes splinting, wound and oedema management and the implementation of exercise therapy protocols. They are all provided with brochures and sent to an administration officer who randomly assigns them to a DVD or no DVD group. Length of time for initial appointment is 30 minutes to one hour. Patients return for weekly appointments, which are an average 30 minutes duration, where exercises are checked for correctness and understanding, wound management and oedema management continues and splints modified if necessary. Patients are then advised to move to the next weekly stage on the DVD if they have been provided with one, and all are provided with a brochure entailing upgraded exercises. The duration of each weekly stage for both the brochure and DVD is 7 days. The weekly upgrading of exercises for the protocols on both the DVD and brochure covers a six week period. Hand therapy treatment for scar management and ongoing range of movement and oedema management can extend beyond this and is dependent on the clinical status of the patient.