Factors affecting compliance with follow-upappointments in the rehabilitation process ofpatients with traumatic hand and forearm injuries

The role of rehabilitation after hand and forearm injuries is crucial in preventing complications and achieving maximum long-term functionality. Identifying the factors that contribute to adherence and continuity is essential to better define populations with low adherence to follow-up appointments and rehabilitation after hand and forearm injuries and to allocate appropriate resources accordingly. This study aims to review the factors affecting adherence to follow-up appointments in rehabilitation clinics after hand and forearm injuries. This prospective study included 81 patients with hand and forearm injuries. Patients were assessed in terms of sociodemographic and clinical characteristics, exercise types and perspectives, injury types and severity, illness perceptions, and psychiatric conditions following an acute traumatic hand and forearm injury. Patients were scheduled for follow-up appointments at the physical therapy and rehabilitation clinic every two weeks for 12 weeks. They were categorized into two groups: adherent to follow-up appointments and non-adherent, and their characteristics were recorded. It was observed that patients who had previously participated in a physical therapy and rehabilitation program for any reason, those who stated that it would be very difficult or impossible to continue their work without using the injured hand, and those who were included in a hospital-based outpatient treatment program were more likely to adhere to follow-up 48 appointments. In contrast, patients who had not previously participated in a physical therapy and rehabilitation program, those who believed that their hand injury would not prevent them from continuing their work or would only partially affect it, and those who received treatment through a home-based program rather than a hospital-based outpatient program showed lower adherence to follow-up appointments. No statistically significant differences were found regarding other sociodemographic and clinical characteristics, exercise types and perspectives, injury types and severity, illness perceptions, and psychiatric conditions. To the best of our knowledge, this study is the first prospective study examining adherence to follow-up appointments in patients with hand and forearm injuries. The findings suggest that more personalized and effective rehabilitation programs may improve long-term patient participation and, consequently, recovery outcomes.