Standardised Outcomes for HAND fractures and joint Injuries in adults (SO-HANDI) Study

We want to work out what should be measured in research done on adults with hand fractures and joint injuries We have already done some work towards this, by looking at recent research in this area and doing in-depth interviews and focus groups with patients who have had these injuries. We have used this work to produce a list of the potential outcomes.

We now want to narrow down this list to find a few key outcomes that patients, hand therapists and hand surgeons agree are important. This is through an online questionnaire which is done in three rounds, with some time in between each round. This is known as a Delphi-type study. The results of this will be used in a later meeting to identify the key outcomes for research on hand fractures and joint injuries in adults.

Other groups have done this for issues such as eczema and rheumatoid arthritis, and have started to see the benefits of co-operating in their approach to research.

To find out more, download our information leaflet on the Delphi study:

SO-HANDI Delphi Leaflet 

We are inviting the following people to take part:

• Patients (18 years or older) who have had a break in their hand or wrist, or an injury to their joints or ligaments (including dislocations, and mallet fingers). If you are not sure whether your injury fits into what we are looking for in this study but would like to take part, please feel free to get in touch via the contact details and discuss with the researchers
• Hand therapists - qualified to work independently (completed training) and subspecialised in hand therapy
• Hand surgeon - qualified to work independently (completed training and working as Consultant or equivalent). Includes plastic surgeons and orthopaedic surgeons where a majority of their workload involves hand and wrist surgery

If you choose to take part then you will be asked to register with the study online, which includes consenting to take part.

For this study we need you to complete three online questionnaires. This is done one questionnaire at a time, with a few weeks of time between each. We'll ask you to rate how important you think each of the outcomes on the list (found from previous work) is for future research on patients with hand fractures and joint injuries. We think most people will take about 20 minutes to complete each questionnaire.

In the second and third questionnaires, you will also be shown a summary of how others have rated each outcome and can use this information to change your score or keep it the same as the previous round as you wish. By the end of all three rounds we will have an idea of which outcomes everyone agrees are important.

The results of this questionnaire study will help us to finalise a list of the key outcomes in a consensus meeting we will be holding in 2021.

Patients who take part and complete all three rounds will be offered a £30 gift voucher for their contribution and any inconvenience caused.

This research is being organised by the University of Nottingham.

Sandeep Deshmukh is on a PhD studentship which is funded by the British Society for Surgery of the Hand and the Centre for Evidence Based Hand Surgery, and the research has received funding support through a Research Grant provided by AOUK&I.

Q. Will I be paid to take part in this study?
Patients who take part and complete all three rounds will be offered a £30 gift voucher for their contribution and any inconvenience caused.

Q. What are the possible benefits of taking part?
What we learn from this study will help us to improve future research for people who have hand fractures and joint injuries in future. This future research is what will allow us to find out which are the best treatments for these injuries.

Q. What are the possible disadvantages and risks of taking part?
For any patients taking part in this study, your usual care will not be affected. This is a questionnaire study where we are learning your opinion on what outcomes matter. We maintain confidentiality for any information collected. It takes time to complete the questionnaires, but we think this will be about 20 minutes per questionnaire for most people.