Coordination and Pilot Implementation of a Standardized Data Collection for Touching Hands

Touching Hands is an American Society for Surgery of the Hand program that provides hand surgeries to the world’s underserved communities. The purpose of this study was to develop and implement a systematic data collection method for Touching Hands to assess patient outcomes, volunteer impact, alleviated disease burden, and cost-effectiveness. Research electronic data capture (REDCap) was used as the secure software platform to facilitate data collection. The Quick Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand questionnaire was used to assess pre-and postoperative patient-reported outcomes. The Maslach Burnout Inventory-Human Services (Medical Personnel) survey was administered to volunteers before and after the mission to measure impact on volunteers. Case information was collected to calculate disability-adjusted life years and cost-effectiveness. The data collection system was implemented in some capacity in 4 domestic and 3 international mission sites during 2020 and 2021. Substantial limitations exist for the implementation of a systematic data collection framework for Touching Hands and warrant further modification and optimization. A REDCap database can be used for standardized and centralized patient and volunteer data collection for Touching Hands missions.