Reunion?

Abstract

What is our relationship to the hand surgeons today? And what should it be, collectively, as a society, as well as individually? As always, it is useful to look back to our roots as a starting point in discussion. Recently I created some low-level waves by using the term old guard in referencing the first generation of hand therapists, circa 1977. In those days, a core concept in founding the American Society of Hand Therapists (ASHT) was to foster closer ties with the American Society for Surgery of the Hand (ASSH). You have heard me whining on many occasions that I think one reason so few of us are involved in clinical research is losing the close contact we once had with the physicians who were on the cutting edge. The litany of reasons for this gradual distancing is well documented (see letter to the editor in this issue of the JHT). It is no longer just a matter of concerns being voiced in the hallways and social functions at national meetings; now there is evidence that this sentiment may be reaching a critical mass. Here are three pieces of evidence:1.The ASHT board of directors has endorsed a return to joint annual meetings with the ASSH, albeit only once every five years.2.The American Association for Hand Surgery (AAHS) has for some years opened its membership and its scientific meeting podium to therapists.3.A spontaneous meeting occurred of therapists attending the 2002 ASSH annual meeting. They wanted a therapy presence at all ASSH meetings, not just once every fifth year. The first two items above have been well known for several years. The third item is the new guy on the block. The AAHS and its therapists already have succeeded in a similar movement. Perhaps this new guy will be the player who breaks the inertia and catalyzes the movement back to the docs at the ASSH. Why attach such significance to a seemingly obscure discussion between therapists at an ASSH meeting, you ask? Excellent question. The significance is derived from two considerations. The first is a look at the discussion itself, and the second is events that came after the meeting that were tied directly to it. Without advanced promotion or announcement, the meeting was attended spontaneously by 65 therapists. That alone speaks to the level of concern among therapists. Those in attendance were not there as ASHT representatives. On the contrary, they were an unaffiliated collection of hand therapists acting on their own, with no agenda except a common interest in getting back with the physicians. The level of concern among physicians is attested to by events after the meeting. Through a series of phone calls, initiated by physician representatives of ASSH, these therapists have been offered podium time and meeting space at the 2003 ASSH meeting in Chicago (September 18–23). To my knowledge, the ASSH has never before granted official podium time to therapists, with or without the ASHT, at its annual meeting. Evidence-based practice will be the topic presented by the therapy group. That is compelling evidence of a change in the wind. To follow the progress of this movement, tune into their web site: www.handsights.org. We must admire the initiative that has brought therapists into the AAHS and therapists to the brink of the podium at the ASSH. I encourage all of us to support any efforts that have a reasonable likelihood of bringing us back into closer collegial relationships with hand surgeons. This is not about the ASHT or any specific group of therapists or political agendas, but about the need for good old surgeon–therapist collaboration for the betterment of patients, physicians, and therapists alike. A possible end product may be more therapist involvement in research and scientific writing. p.s. Annual update on PowerPoint in Philadelphia… Little to no change; PP slides continue to dazzle—the front row, that is… More and more info being crammed onto single screen, making it more and more difficult for audience in the back to see… Mark Walsh presentation a welcome exception.