Bridging the skills gap: An open access initiative to strengthen hand injury care in low resourced settings
1
Occupational Therapy, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
2
Open Hand Therapy Initiative, Johannesburg, South Africa
Popul. Med. 2026;8(Supplement Supplement 1):A1090
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND:
Hand injuries are common in low-resourced settings and can result in profound, long-term functional loss. When mismanaged, these injuries limit participation in daily life and jeopardise livelihoods, contributing to cycles of poverty and disability. Specialist hand therapy services, however, are scarce in many low-income regions, leaving the majority of patients dependent on generalist occupational and physiotherapists who manage diverse caseloads with limited access to specialist training, literature, mentorship, or continuing professional development. Addressing this skills gap is essential for equity, inclusion, and the World Health Organisation’s goal of health for all.
METHODS:
In June 2024, we launched the Open Hand Therapy Initiative to strengthen the capacity of generalist therapists providing hand injury care in low-resourced contexts. The initiative delivers free, CPD-accredited, open-access monthly webinars developed and presented by volunteer clinicians with expertise in low-resource service delivery. Each webinar focuses on practical, contextually relevant skills and clinical reasoning strategies tailored for environments with limited materials, high caseloads, and systemic service constraints.
RESULTS:
To date, 16 webinars have been delivered with contributions from 24 volunteer presenters. The sessions have reached 1,683 live participants across 38 countries, with an additional 4,000+ asynchronous views on YouTube and Zoom. Post-webinar evaluations demonstrated an average 2.4 point increase (on a 10-point scale) in participants’ self-reported working knowledge. Most participants also reported improved confidence in managing the featured conditions and enhanced clinical reasoning within their service context.
CONCLUSIONS:
Accessible, context-responsive, open access education can meaningfully strengthen the skills of generalist clinicians delivering hand injury care in low-resourced settings. This initiative illustrates a feasible, scalable model for bridging specialist skills gaps and advancing equitable access to quality care. Continued collaborative development of open-access educational resources is recommended to support health workforces globally.
Hand injuries are common in low-resourced settings and can result in profound, long-term functional loss. When mismanaged, these injuries limit participation in daily life and jeopardise livelihoods, contributing to cycles of poverty and disability. Specialist hand therapy services, however, are scarce in many low-income regions, leaving the majority of patients dependent on generalist occupational and physiotherapists who manage diverse caseloads with limited access to specialist training, literature, mentorship, or continuing professional development. Addressing this skills gap is essential for equity, inclusion, and the World Health Organisation’s goal of health for all.
METHODS:
In June 2024, we launched the Open Hand Therapy Initiative to strengthen the capacity of generalist therapists providing hand injury care in low-resourced contexts. The initiative delivers free, CPD-accredited, open-access monthly webinars developed and presented by volunteer clinicians with expertise in low-resource service delivery. Each webinar focuses on practical, contextually relevant skills and clinical reasoning strategies tailored for environments with limited materials, high caseloads, and systemic service constraints.
RESULTS:
To date, 16 webinars have been delivered with contributions from 24 volunteer presenters. The sessions have reached 1,683 live participants across 38 countries, with an additional 4,000+ asynchronous views on YouTube and Zoom. Post-webinar evaluations demonstrated an average 2.4 point increase (on a 10-point scale) in participants’ self-reported working knowledge. Most participants also reported improved confidence in managing the featured conditions and enhanced clinical reasoning within their service context.
CONCLUSIONS:
Accessible, context-responsive, open access education can meaningfully strengthen the skills of generalist clinicians delivering hand injury care in low-resourced settings. This initiative illustrates a feasible, scalable model for bridging specialist skills gaps and advancing equitable access to quality care. Continued collaborative development of open-access educational resources is recommended to support health workforces globally.
| eISSN: | 2654-1459 |
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