ASSESSMENT INFORMATION

Participants may choose to undertake the assessment.

Completing and passing the assessment is a requirement for those wishing to apply to become an Accredited Hand Therapist with the AHTA. 

Assessment components

Assessment includes:

1. Practical VIVA - This is a "Hurdle Task" which means it must be passed to pass the entire course.
2. Exam (50%)
3. Case Study (50%)

Assessment schedule

Table 2. Assessment components and schedule.

	TASK	VALUE	DUE DATE	LEARNING OUTCOMES ASSESSED
1	Practical		Last day of the course - 5 minutes.	1 & 2
2	Exam	50%	Scheduled for 3 weeks after the course finishes.	1, 2 & 3
3	Case Study	50%	8 weeks after the course finishes.	1, 2 & 3

Assessment component 1: VIVA

On the final day of the open trauma course, you must complete a 5-minute practical assessment, called a VIVA, with one of the course presenters.

The principles of anatomy, kinesiology and biomechanics provide the foundation of many aspects of hand therapy practice.  Using a case example, students must complete a five-minute practical test that applies these principles to hand and upper limb assessment.

There are three parts to this 5-minute practical test –

1. Selection of appropriate diagnostic test (5 marks)
2. Demonstration of the test (5 marks)
3. Explanation of results and theory/justification (5 marks)

Participants will need a marker pen and a “patient” (a friend or family member wearing a singlet if online) to demonstrate their treatment or assessment techniques.

The marking rubrics for the practical is published on the website.  This guides you and the presenters, who will mark you on the procedure required to pass.

The weighting for the practical assessment is in the table below.

Table 3. Learning Outcomes (LO) and weighting for practical assessment.

Learning Outcomes	Points
Select and perform appropriate tests to assess the upper limb based on anatomical knowledge, assessment findings, contemporary evidence and clinical reasoning	10
Use clinical reasoning to interpret the assessment results and formulate a diagnosis, treatment plan or prognosis for complex open hand trauma	5
Justify an evidence-informed treatment plan and specific rehabilitation interventions to optimise client outcomes for complex open trauma conditions of the upper limb	0
	15

Assessment component 2: Exam (60% weighting)

The exam is:

• Administered online using the Learning Management System - Canvas
• 2 hours in duration
• 100 points (½ are multiple-choice and ½ are short-answer questions).
• Set according to the weighting of each learning outcome.

Table 4. Learning outcomes and weighting for the exam.

Learning Outcomes	Weight	Points
Select and perform appropriate tests to assess the upper limb based on anatomical knowledge, assessment findings, contemporary evidence and clinical reasoning.	20%	44
Use clinical reasoning to interpret the assessment results and formulate a diagnosis, treatment plan or prognosis for complex open hand trauma.	20%	33
Justify an evidence-informed treatment plan and specific rehabilitation interventions to optimise client outcomes for complex open trauma conditions of the upper limb.	10%	22
TOTAL	50%	100

Assessment component 3: Case study (50% weighting)

The final assessment component is submitting a narrated and recorded PowerPoint case study presentation in a Pecha Kucha (refer to below) format, due eight weeks after the course.

100 marks

• Early Phase of management: 30 marks
• Middle Phase of management: 30 marks
• Late Phase of management: 30 marks
• Conclusion: 7 marks
• References/Grammar: 3 marks

Detail therapeutic management of your patient within 3 phases – early, middle, and late.  For example, your early phase may be week 1-3, middle phase, week 4 – 12 and late phase 3 months to 6 months post-injury or surgery. Adjust these times as appropriate for your patient’s diagnosis.

Include the following:

EARLY PHASE (30 marks)

1. Select and justify the assessments you would use. (4 marks)

Consider what assessments need to be completed during the initial assessment, including subjective and objective. Give detailed information about the hand therapy assessments that will be completed and instructions to the client. Be explicit.

2. Identify goals for therapy. (4 marks)

Incorporate your understanding of your client’s diagnosis to develop your client’s goals. List in point form to a maximum of 3 goals.

3. Design a treatment plan based on your assessment. (10 marks)

Give detailed information about the hand therapy treatment techniques you will use and instructions to the client. Your plan needs to be realistically achievable within a 45-minute appointment. Treatment techniques may also include referral to other services.

4. Clinically reason to justify your treatment plan and specific rehabilitation intervention based on your knowledge, assessment, and evidence-based research. (9 marks)

With consideration and specific reference to client factors, the practice context and the best available research, provide a rationale for the assessments and treatments utilised with your client.

5. Select your clinical priorities for this patient and the complications you will look out for. (3 marks)

MIDDLE PHASE (30 marks)

1. Select and justify the assessments you would use. (4 marks)

Consider what assessments need to be completed during the middle of treatment when you identify the problem mentioned in your case study.  Assessment should include subjective and objective. Give detailed information about the hand therapy assessments that will be completed and instructions to the client. Be explicit.

2. Identify goals for therapy. (4 marks)

Incorporate your understanding of your client’s diagnosis to develop your client’s goals. List in point form to a maximum of 3 goals.

3. Design a treatment plan based on your assessment. (10 marks)

Give detailed information about the hand therapy treatment techniques you will use and instructions to the client. Your plan needs to be realistically achievable within a 45-minute appointment. Treatment techniques may also include referral to other services.

4. Clinically reason to justify your treatment plan and specific rehabilitation intervention based on your knowledge, assessment, and evidence-based research. (9 marks)

With consideration and specific reference to client factors, the practice context and the best available research, provide a rationale for the assessments and treatments utilised with your client.

5. Select your clinical priorities for this patient and the complications you will look out for. (3 marks)

LATE PHASE (30 marks)

1. Select and justify the assessments you would use. (4 marks)

Consider what assessments must be completed during a 6-month post-injury assessment, including subjective and objective. Give detailed information about the hand therapy assessments that will be completed and instructions to the client. Be explicit.

2. Identify goals for therapy. (4 marks)

Incorporate your understanding of your client’s diagnosis to develop your client’s goals. List in point form to a maximum of 3 goals.

3. Design a treatment plan based on your assessment. (10 marks)

Give detailed information about the hand therapy treatment techniques you will use and instructions to the client. Your plan needs to be realistically achievable within a 45-minute appointment. Treatment techniques may also include referral to other services.

4. Clinically reason to justify your treatment plan and specific rehabilitation intervention based on your knowledge, assessment, and evidence-based research. (9 marks)

With consideration and specific reference to client factors, the practice context, and the best available research, provide a rationale for the assessments and treatments utilised with your client.

5. Select your clinical priorities for this patient and the complications you will look out for. (3 marks)

Conclusion (6 marks)

Summary of key points of the assignment.

Academic convention (4 marks)

• References listed in APA Author-Date style.  This can be in addition to the 20 slides allocated.
• Consider clarity, objectivity, structure, presentation style and readability.  Marks will be deducted for spelling and referencing.

Further details

Ensure you use four (4) journal articles from the literature to aid your clinical reasoning and justify your treatment/management. Include these in a reference list on your slide or in the notes section.

Choose articles that are, where possible: 

• Relevant to the treatment of the specific upper limb condition after surgery. 
• Published in the last five years, 2018-present (at least 2 articles in this period)

Pecha Kucha Details

A Pecha Kucha presentation requires 20 seconds of commentary per slide for 20 consecutive automatically advancing slides.  Your presentation should go for no longer than 6 minutes and 40 seconds, or you can shorten your presentation to 15 slides if you can cover the content in that time.

The notes section of your PowerPoint should include details of the case study of no more than 1000 words, which can be your script or slightly more detailed.

In summary

• 15 – 20 slides automatically advancing at 20 seconds
• Narrate and record your case study information.
• A Pecha Kucha template will be provided. For help, recording, go to Record a slide show with narration and slide timings (microsoft.com)

Table 5.  Learning outcomes and weighting for the Pecha Kucha case study

Learning Outcomes	Weighting	Points
Select and perform appropriate tests to assess the upper limb based on anatomical knowledge, assessment findings, contemporary evidence and clinical reasoning	10%	12
Use clinical reasoning to interpret the assessment results and formulate a diagnosis, treatment plan or prognosis for complex open hand trauma	20%	48
Defend an evidence-informed treatment plan and specific rehabilitation interventions to optimise client outcomes for complex open hand conditions	20%	36
Academic Convention		4
TOTAL	50%	100

 

MARKING RUBRICS

Marking rubrics guides the participant and the presenter marking the assessment.

Table 6.  Marking rubrics for practical assessment

PRAC RUBRICS	Advanced	Proficient	Satisfactory	Not Yet Achieved
Select appropriate tests to assess the upper limb based on anatomical knowledge, assessment findings, contemporary evidence, and clinical reasoning.	List at least 3 correct structures causing the described problem.	List at least 2 correct structures causing the described problem.	List 1 structure causing this problem.	Unable to identify or describe any structures involved.
Perform appropriate tests to assess the upper limb	Performs assessment correctly and can explain the steps involved.	Performs assessment correctly with some verbal prompting	Adequate attempt was made to perform test or performed incorrect test correctly	Unable to perform any test for the clinical scenario
Use clinical reasoning to interpret the assessment results and formulate a prognosis for complex open hand trauma.	Clinically reasons through choice of assessment/treatment and explains how and why the test is being performed.	Able to clinically reason through choice of assessment/ treatment with some prompting.	An attempt was made to clinically reason through assessment/ treatment choices.	Unable to clinically reason choice of assessment/ treatment.

 

Table 7.  Marking rubrics for the case study

CASE STUDY RUBRICS	Advanced	Proficient	Satisfactory	Not yet Achieved
Select and justify the assessments you would use.	Provides a thorough but concise description of the client’s relevant demographic information, presenting symptoms and history, as well as theoretic information on complex upper limb injuries, to select the assessment required for this client. The choice of assessments was strongly justified with supporting literature.   Justifications included why assessments were and were not used for this client.		Provides a brief description of the client’s relevant demographic information, presenting symptoms and history, and some theoretic information on complex upper limb tests. An attempt was made to justify the tests selected for this client, using some literature, but there was a tendency to just explain the tests.	Answer was not provided or is incomplete. Significant aspects of the client’s demographic information, presenting symptoms and/or relevant history has been omitted. Little to no theoretical information has been provided on complex upper limb injuries.  A justification underpinning the tests selected was not provided.
Identify goals for therapy	Demonstrates the ability to interpret the assessment results and integrate the information gained from the client’s presentation to correctly identify goals for therapy.  The goals are considered, highly appropriate and achievable. The number of goals is realistic for the case		Demonstrates the ability to interpret the assessment results and integrate the information gained from the client’s presentation to correctly identify some goals for therapy and/or some goals were incorrect or not fully addressed. Has one considered, appropriate goal, the others are incorrect or not achievable in the timeframe.	Answer was not provided or is incomplete. Significant aspects of the client’s presentation and/or interpretation of assessment results were not integrated to correctly identify goals for therapy.
Design a treatment plan based on your assessment	Demonstrates an advanced level of knowledge and clinical reasoning to develop an evidence-informed treatment plan for the client that: 1. is aligned with the goals and assessments, 2. has treatment judicially selected as the most appropriate for each phase, 3. addresses all concerns for the case study including but not limited to: • Wound management • Education • Splinting • Scar management • Active/Passive range of motion exercise • Strengthening • Stretches	Demonstrates a proficient level of knowledge and clinical reasoning to develop an evidence-informed treatment plan appropriate for the client that: 1. is mostly aligned with the goals and assessments, 2. has treatment judicially selected as the most appropriate treatment in 2-3 phases 3. addresses essential concerns for the case study including but not limited to: • Wound management • Education • Splinting • Scar management • Active/Passive range of motion exercise • Strengthening • Stretches	Demonstrates a satisfactory knowledge and clinical reasoning to develop a treatment plan appropriate for the client that: 1. may not be aligned with the goals and assessments, 2. Has not included the most appropriate treatment for each phase 3. addresses some but not all essential concerns for the case study including but not limited to: • Wound management • Education • Splinting • Scar management • Active/Passive range of motion exercise • Strengthening • Stretches	Answer was not provided or is incomplete. Demonstrates limited knowledge and clinical reasoning, with limited information used to develop a treatment plan over time. The treatment plan may not be appropriate for the client.   The treatment plan does not fully address concerns over time and/or essential concerns for the case study
Clinically reason and defend your treatment plan and specific rehabilitation intervention based on your knowledge, assessment and evidence-based research.	Specific intervention strategies are supported by current best available evidence, which is beyond what was presented in class and in the assigned readings. The intervention strategies were synthesised using a wide range of evidence including clinical knowledge and assessment to justify treatment specific for the client.	Specific intervention strategies are supported by research evidence, based on the information presented in class and in the assigned readings. The intervention strategies used some evidence to justify treatment.	Some intervention strategies are supported by research evidence, based on the information presented in class and in the assigned readings. Uses limited literature and existing clinical knowledge to justify the treatment plan. May or may not be specific for the patient.	Answer was not provided or is incomplete. Demonstrates limited knowledge and clinical reasoning, with limited information used to justify a treatment plan. The treatment plan may not be appropriate for the client. Some interventions are provided but limited evidence is presented to support their use.
Select your clinical priorities for this patient and complications you will look out for.	Demonstrates an advanced level of knowledge and clinical reasoning to correctly select all treatments in order of priority and complications are correctly identified for the time period. Was able to list 3 top priorities in correct order and justified.		Demonstrates developing knowledge and clinical reasoning, with some relevant information used to select treatments in questionable order of priority and/or only some complications are correctly identified for the time period. May have lots of priorities but not in order	Answer was not provided or is incomplete. Demonstrates limited knowledge and clinical reasoning, limited information used to select treatments in an appropriate order of priority and/or complications are incorrectly identified for the time period
Conclusion	Makes a summative evaluation of the assessment/treatment/clinical priories and reasoning in a logical and succinct and insightful manner.		The evaluation of the assessment/treatment/clinical priorities and reasoning was mostly appropriate but may not address all concerns or not specific to the patient.	Answer was not provided or is incomplete. Demonstrates limited knowledge and clinical reasoning to summarise the assessment/treatment/clinical priorities and reasoning.  This may not be appropriate for the client.
Academic Convention	Demonstrates a proficient level of knowledge to accurately lists all appropriate references correctly.  The presentation was exemplary and engaging which was well paced for ease of listening		Demonstrates developing knowledge to partially list references and/or may be listed correctly	Does not list references correctly or incomplete

 

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2024 Open Trauma Course – Course Profile, Assessment Information and Marking Rubrics