title: Compliance with hand therapy programs: therapists' and patients' perceptions.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study explored patients' and hand therapists' perceptions of compliance with hand therapy and compared these perceptions.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty-one patients attending hand therapy at a large metropolitan hospital and 69 hand therapists, all members of the Australian Hand Therapy Association, were interviewed by telephone using a questionnaire developed for the study. Demographic data were analyzed descriptively and patients' and therapists' perceptions compared using chi-square.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patients' and therapists' perceptions differed at a statistically significant level (p < 0.01, adjusted alpha rate) for 24 of the 33 items measuring perceptions of compliance with hand therapy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Therapists and patients have differing perceptions of compliance.
authors.affiliation: Melbourne Extended Care and Rehabilitation, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: Theresa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kirwan
authors.forename: Leigh
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Tooth
authors.forename: Catherine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Harkin
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005081:Exercise Therapy; D005260:Female; D006230:Hand Injuries / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010349:Patient Compliance; D011369:Professional-Patient Relations