Standardised Outcomes for HAND fractures and joint Injuries in adults (SO-HANDI) Study
Study title
Developing a core outcome set for hand fractures and joint injuries in adults
Overview
Fractures (broken bones) and injuries to the joints of the hand and wrist are common and have a big impact on patients. Although there is research going on, we don't have good agreement on how best to treat many of these injuries.
This project involves developing a core outcome set to find out what are the key outcomes / results for patients with these injuries and the healthcare professionals who treat them. By using this core outcome set, future research will be improved because we will be able to compare and bring together results from different studies in a way that we cannot do right now.
Why are we doing this study?
Core outcome sets have been developed for other health conditions and when used they do help get the best out of research studies even when they are done all around the world, because all research groups have some goals in common. Making our research better is an important step in being able to compare treatments fairly and get all the information needed for patients and professionals to make the best decisions for treatment.
We are involving surgeons, hand therapists and patients in this study because we want to make sure that the recommended outcomes follow the views of these key groups of people.
The study is led by Sandeep Deshmukh (an orthopaedic trainee who is completing a PhD based on this project) and Clinical Associate Professor Alexia Karantana of Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust.
Key facts
The study is currently recruiting for the Delphi phase!
This involves completing three rounds of a questionnaire over roughly three months, with a few weeks in between each. If you're a patient who has experience of an inury as mentioned above, or a hand therapist or hand surgeon who manages these sorts of injuries and would like to take part or learn more about taking part, please get in touch with us.
Contact details
Mr Sandeep Deshmukh
Centre for Evidence Based Hand Surgery
Room WC1373, C Floor, West Block
Queen’s Medical Centre
Nottingham
United Kingdom
NG7 2UH
Email: sandeep.deshmukh1@nottingham.ac.uk
Further information about the study and taking part
What does the SO-HANDI study involve?
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 
Does it apply to me?
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
What will happen to me if I take part?
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.
Who is organising and funding this research?
Frequently asked questions
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.
To find out more, download the information sheet below or contact us. For even more details about how the study has been developed and will run, please download the study protocol.
SO-HANDI Delphi Study Participant Information Sheet
SO-HANDI Delphi Study Protocol