A new practice analysis of hand therapy.

The Hand Therapy Certification Commission, Inc. (HTCC) conducted a role delineation in 2001 to characterize current practice in the profession of hand therapy. Building upon previous HTCC studies of practice (i.e., Chai, Dimick & Kasch, 1987; Roth, Dimick, Kasch, Fullenwider & Taylor, 1996), subject matter experts identified the clinical behaviors, knowledge, and technical skills needed by hand therapists. A large scale survey was conducted with therapists across the United States and Canada who rated the clinical behaviors, knowledge, and technical skills in terms of their relevance to practice, and provided information about their own patient populations. A high survey return rate (72%) was indicative of the professional commitment of CHTs to their profession. Results of the survey are discussed and practice trends are identified. A new test outline for the Hand Therapy Certification Examination was created based on the results of the survey, and the 1987 Definition and Scope of Hand Therapy was revised.