American Hand Therapy Foundation

The American Hand Therapy Foundation (AHTF) was established by a few visionary American Society of Hand Therapists members who had the desire to promote a higher level of clinical knowledge in the relatively new field of hand and upper extremity therapy, provide world class content for its new Journal of Hand Therapy, and stand up to the challenges of subsistence in a cost-controlled healthcare environment. The visionary hand therapy leaders who founded AHTF understood that “proof” would be needed to improve and to distinguish exceptional treatment. Clinical research would provide a pathway for the ultimate survival and success of the practice of hand therapy. The mission of the American Hand Therapy Foundation is to improve patient outcomes by promoting evidence-based practice through funding clinical and scientific research and education. Our vision is for all evaluation and treatment methods in hand and upper extremity therapy to be based on well documented evidence. In the beginning, AHTF’s founders recognized that hand therapy was needed and worked; however, research to support that belief was limited. The American Society of Hand Therapists (ASHT) was founded in 1977. By the 1980’s hand therapy was growing fast and clinical knowledge of hand care lead to remarkable improvements in the treatment of diseased and injured hands. With improvements, however, came the increased need to further substantiate hand therapy practice. Many of the therapists who organized ASHT worked closely with hand surgeons doing research, writing, and presenting papers. Many of these therapists, such as Evelyn Mackin, Elaine Fess, Roslyn Evans, Judy Bell Krotoski, and Donna Breger Stanton partnered with hand surgeons in a team approach. Collaboration fueled the high quality of papers presented by the therapists, and made the concept of therapist research believable and accepted. The founders of ASHT felt it appropriate and important that therapists be recognized for their work in research and in the papers in which they had significantly participated. When the Journal of Hand Therapy was officially established with Evelyn as its first editor in 1987, standards were set high. Quality research and manuscripts were needed to keep it alive. Soon after, ASHT established a Research Committee.