Welcome

Welcome to Perth for the Australian Hand Therapy Association’s 2015 National Conference Broadening Horizons: New Trends in Upper Limb Therapy.

In keeping with the AHTA mission to maintain and promote high standards of hand therapy practice, this year’s conference aims to showcase new innovations, ideas and trends found within the dynamic and progressive Hand Therapy industry. We are delighted that Barbara Hall will set the tone of the conference and present the Founder’s Lecture. Barbara will share the highs and low of her professional hand therapy journey and inspire and challenge us as clinicians to think beyond the boundaries of our current practice. Our invited international speaker, Tracy Fairplay; National Champions, Tanya Cole, Lauren Miller and Hamish Anderson and WA Heroes Jeff Ecker and Brent Byrne combine a wealth of knowledge and clinical skills to ensure you take home current practical ideas for intervention. The hands on workshops encompass a diverse range of topics including; clinical practice, extended scope practice, practice management and new technology. The 13 free papers interspersed throughout the program demonstrate the drive for research and the development of evidence to guide our current practice and stimulate conversations around clinical reasoning. On behalf of the conference committee I gratefully thank all the presenters, and acknowledge David Warwick, for their contribution to this year’s scientific program.

Thanks also to this year’s conference sponsors, including Actelion Pharmaceuticals, OPC Health, Otto Bock Australia, Patterson Medical, Push Braces, Australian Medical Supplies, Practitioner Supplies, Rocktape Australia, Smith & Nephew, Fisiocrem, Pencil Grips Plus, Professional Therapy Solutions, Wrist Widget and Action Rehab. I encourage you to visit the sponsors and take the opportunity to explore new products and make or renew contacts. The support of the sponsors is crucial to the success of our conferences, so please make them welcome. Thank you to YRD for their supreme organisation and great humour in supporting the conference committee throughout the planning and implementation of this conference. I also acknowledge Sarah Dixon for her unwavering support, encouragement and laughter along the way. I am indebted to the conference committee (and their families) who volunteered their time and went above and beyond to make this conference a reality. I consider myself privileged to call them colleagues and above all my friends.

“Scientific knowledge is in perpetual evolution; it finds itself changed from one day to the next. Scientific thought, then, is not momentary; it is not a static instance; it is a process”
Jean Piaget

I hope that you take the opportunity to join in the process of learning something new or are challenged to think of your practice in a different way while participating in this year’s conference.

Enjoy!

Simon Garbellini
Conference Convenor 2015