Advanced allied health assistants: an emerging workforce

2015 ◽  
Vol 39 (3) ◽  
pp. 260 ◽  
Author(s):  
Claire Pearce ◽  
Leanne Pagett
Keyword(s):  
Health Services ◽  
Clinical Experience ◽  
Allied Health ◽  
Governance Structure ◽  
Scope Of Practice ◽  
Positive Contribution ◽  
Australian Capital Territory ◽  
Competency Development ◽  
Literature Reviews ◽  
Career Structure

Objective Nationally and internationally there is work underway to continue to advance the scope of practice of allied health assistants (AHA). The advanced role requires additional training and competency development, as well as significant clinical experience. To build on the evidence relating to advanced scope AHAs, ACT Health undertook a project to explore the potential for the development of the local AHA workforce. This paper provides an overview of the project. Methods The potential for advanced AHAs in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) was assessed using literature reviews, consultation with other services working with advanced AHAs and interviews with local allied health managers and assistants. Results A role for advanced AHAs within the ACT workforce was recommended, along with the need to further develop the AHA governance structure and AHA training packages and to undertake more research into the AHA workforce. Conclusion AHAs make a positive contribution to the delivery of effective, responsive, consumer-focused healthcare. The advanced AHA role provides further opportunities to enhance the flexibility of allied health services while also providing a career structure for this growing workforce.

scholarly journals Defining the role and scope of practice of allied health assistants within Queensland public health services

2013 ◽  
Vol 37 (5) ◽  
pp. 602 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michelle Stute ◽  
Andrea Hurwood ◽  
Julie Hulcombe ◽  
Pim Kuipers
Keyword(s):  
Health Services ◽  
Allied Health ◽  
Support Staff ◽  
Scope Of Practice ◽  
Public Health Services ◽  
Qualitative Feedback ◽  
Health Assistant ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
Professional Support Staff ◽  
High Level

Background The uptake and utilisation of allied health assistants as professional support staff has been variable across disciplines and jurisdictions. Although they are potentially very important in the current health workforce context, there is little agreement on their roles or the most suitable methods to define these roles. Method Based on a review of literature, existing role descriptions and focus groups, a Delphi survey process was undertaken. This process comprising three rounds of discussion and clarification via email, with between 107 and 188 participants, was undertaken to define and establish consensus on allied health assistant roles at three levels. Results Three cycles of editing, qualitative feedback and rating of agreement with statements resulted in substantial clarification of roles and a meaningful degree of consensus regarding the role and scope of such positions. High levels of agreement were not reached for more high-level or contested clinical tasks. Conclusions The Delphi process resulted in key tasks and roles being defined and contentious aspects clearly identified. The process facilitated engagement with workforce members most closely affected by these questions. It was a useful means of drawing together the opinions of the workforce and informing implementation trials to follow. What is known about the topic? Allied health assistants are important members of health teams. Current developments in health services necessitate considerable growth in these positions. The role and scope of practice of allied health assistants is poorly defined and varies between disciplines, settings and facilities, which threatens the establishment of these positions. What does this paper add? This study describes a methodology used to define the role and scope of practice of allied health support staff, which resulted in high levels of consensus and documentation of concerns regarding these positions. Tasks and roles have been defined at different allied health assistant position levels. What are the implications for practitioners? The definition of roles and establishment of scope of practice of emerging positions can be substantially advanced by well researched and widely consultative methods. For more advanced allied health assistant positions to be effectively implemented, tasks relating to treatment, leadership, documentation, assessment and team participation must be clearly elucidated and agreed.

scholarly journals “There Hasn't Been a Career Structure to Step Into”: A Qualitative Study on Perceptions of Allied Health Clinician Researcher Careers

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Caitlin Brandenburg ◽  
Elizabeth C Ward
Keyword(s):  
Health Services ◽  
Allied Health ◽  
Career Pathways ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Australian Health ◽  
Job Opportunities ◽  
Career Pathway ◽  
Career Needs ◽  
Qualitative Descriptive ◽  
Career Structure

Abstract Background: There are many demonstrated benefits for health service organisations engaging in research. As a result, growing numbers of clinicians are being encouraged to pursue research as part of their clinical roles, including in Allied Health (AH). However, while the benefits of having clinician researchers embedded in AH services have been well-established, the career needs of those engaged in these dual roles is poorly understood. The aim of this study was to examine perspectives of the career pathway for Allied Health clinicians engaged in “clinician researcher” roles within Australian health services. Methods: A qualitative descriptive study was conducted, utilising semi-structured interviews. Purposive sampling was used to ensure selection of varied locations, professions and role types. Results were analysed using thematic analysis. Trustworthiness was established using regular peer debriefing during theme development, and respondent validation of final themes.Results: Fifty-seven AH clinician researchers, including those who did and did not have research as a formal component of their current role, participated in semi-structured interviews. Key themes were that: (1) Clinician researchers prefer roles which are embedded in health services; (2) Current opportunities for clinician researcher roles in health are insufficient; (3) There are deficiencies in the pathway for clinician researcher careers; (4) Clinician researchers are not always valued or incentivised by health services; (5) The current career challenges impair the viability of clinician researcher careers; and (6) The clinician researcher career path has been improving and there is hope it will continue to improve.Conclusion: This study outlines a number of weaknesses with the current career structure and opportunities for AH clinician researchers in Australian health services. In particular, while there are strong intrinsic drivers to pursue this dual career, extrinsic drivers are poorly developed, including a lack of job opportunities, an unstable career pathway and a lack of value or incentivization of this career choice. This often means that clinician researchers feel compelled to choose between a research or clinical career, leading to loss of this valuable combined skillset. The findings of this research may assist health services to develop and support improved clinician researcher career pathways.

scholarly journals “There hasn’t been a career structure to step into”: a qualitative study on perceptions of allied health clinician researcher careers

2022 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Caitlin Brandenburg ◽  
Elizabeth C. Ward
Keyword(s):  
Health Services ◽  
Allied Health ◽  
Service Organizations ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Australian Health ◽  
Job Opportunities ◽  
Career Pathway ◽  
Career Needs ◽  
Qualitative Descriptive ◽  
Career Structure

Abstract Background There are many demonstrated benefits for health service organizations engaging in research. As a result, growing numbers of clinicians are being encouraged to pursue research as part of their clinical roles, including in allied health (AH). However, while the benefits of having clinician researchers embedded in AH services have been well established, the career needs of those engaged in these dual roles are poorly understood. The aim of this study was to examine perspectives of the career pathway for AH clinicians engaged in “clinician researcher” roles within Australian health services. Methods A qualitative descriptive study was conducted, utilizing semi-structured interviews. Purposive sampling was used to ensure selection of varied locations, professions and role types. Results were analysed using thematic analysis. Trustworthiness was established using regular peer debriefing during theme development, and respondent validation of final themes. Results Fifty-seven AH clinician researchers, including those who did and did not have research as a formal component of their current role, participated in semi-structured interviews. Key themes were as follows: (1) clinician researchers prefer roles which are embedded in health services; (2) current opportunities for clinician researcher roles in health are insufficient; (3) there are deficiencies in the pathway for clinician researcher careers; (4) clinician researchers are not always valued or incentivized by health services; (5) the current career challenges impair the viability of clinician researcher careers; and (6) the clinician researcher career path has been improving, and there is hope it will continue to improve. Conclusion This study outlines a number of weaknesses in the current career structure and opportunities for AH clinician researchers in Australian health services. In particular, while there are strong intrinsic drivers to pursue this dual career, extrinsic drivers are poorly developed, including a lack of job opportunities, an unstable career pathway and a lack of valuing or incentivizing this career choice within health services. This often means that clinician researchers feel compelled to choose between a research or clinical career, leading to loss of this valuable combined skill set. The findings of this research may assist health services in developing and supporting improved clinician researcher career pathways.

The Division of Laborers: Allied Health Professions

1973 ◽  
Vol 3 (3) ◽  
pp. 435-444 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carol A. Brown
Keyword(s):  
Health Services ◽  
Allied Health ◽  
Medical Profession ◽  
Health Professions ◽  
Education And Training ◽  
Health Occupations ◽  
Allied Health Professions ◽  
Professional Societies ◽  
And Training ◽  
Radiology And Pathology

As health services have become hospital-centered, many specialized health occupations have been created. The author maintains that these allied health occupations conflict with the medical profession for occupational territory, and that the development of these subordinate occupations has been controlled by the medical profession to its own benefit. This control is achieved through domination of professional societies, education and training, industrial rules and regulations, and government licenses. Detailed examples of the process of control are provided from the fields of radiology and pathology.

scholarly journals Pre-entry student clinical placement demand: can it be met?

2015 ◽  
Vol 39 (5) ◽  
pp. 577 ◽  
Author(s):  
Liza-Jane McBride ◽  
Cate Fitzgerald ◽  
Laura Morrison ◽  
Julie Hulcombe
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Clinical Education ◽  
Allied Health ◽  
Clinical Placement ◽  
Full Time ◽  
Public Health Services ◽  
Workload Management ◽  
Clinical Placements ◽  
Quality Review

Objectives The Clinical Education Workload Management Initiative (the Initiative) is a unique, multiprofessional, jurisdiction-wide approach and reform process enshrined within an industrial agreement. The Initiative enabled significant investment in allied health clinical education across Queensland public health services to address the workload associated with providing pre-entry clinical placements. This paper describes the outcomes of a quality review activity to measure the impact of the Initiative on placement capacity and workload management for five allied health professions. Data related to several key factors impacting on placement supply and demand in addition to qualitative perspectives from workforce surveys are reported. Methods Data from a range of quality review actions including collated placement activity data, and workforce and student cohort statistics were appraised. Stakeholder perspectives reported in surveys were analysed for emerging themes. Results Placement offers showed an upward trend in the context of increased university program and student numbers and in contrast with a downward trend in full-time equivalent (FTE) staff numbers. Initiative-funded positions were identified as a major factor in individual practitioners taking more students, and staff and managers valued the Initiative-funded positions’ support before and during placements, in the coordination of placements, and in building partnerships with universities. Conclusions The Initiative enabled a co-ordinated response to meeting placement demand and enhanced collaborations between the health and education sectors. Sustaining pre-entry student placement provision remains a challenge for the future. What is known about the topic? The literature clearly identifies factors impacting on increasing demand for clinical placements and a range of strategies to increase clinical placement capacity. However, reported initiatives have mostly been ad hoc or reactive responses, often isolated within services or professions. What does this paper add? This paper describes implementation of a clinical placement capacity building initiative within public sector health services developed from a unique opportunity to provide funding through an industrial agreement. The Initiative aimed to address the workload associated with clinical education of pre-entry students and new graduates. What are the implications for practitioners? This paper demonstrates that systematic commitment to, and funding of, clinical education across a jurisdiction’s public health services is able to increase placement capacity, even when staffing numbers are in decline.

Allied health: integral to transforming health

2016 ◽  
Vol 40 (2) ◽  
pp. 194 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lucylynn Lizarondo ◽  
Catherine Turnbull ◽  
Tracey Kroon ◽  
Karen Grimmer ◽  
Alison Bell ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Services ◽  
Health System ◽  
Patient Outcomes ◽  
Allied Health ◽  
Systems Of Care ◽  
Healthcare Services ◽  
Supporting Evidence ◽  
Allied Health Professionals ◽  
Health Practitioners

Objective South Australia is taking an innovative step in transforming the way its healthcare is organised and delivered to better manage current and future demands on the health system. In an environment of transforming health services, there are clear opportunities for allied health to assist in determining solutions to various healthcare challenges. A recent opinion piece proposed 10 clinician-driven strategies to assist in maximising value and sustainability of healthcare in Australia. The present study aimed to seek the perspectives of allied health clinicians, educators, researchers, policy makers and managers on these strategies and their relevance to allied health. Methods A survey of allied health practitioners was undertaken to capture their perspectives on the 10 clinician-driven strategies for maximising value and sustainability of healthcare in Australia. Survey findings were then layered with evidence from the literature. Results Highly relevant across allied health are the strategies of discontinuation of low value practices, targeting clinical interventions to those getting greatest benefit, active involvement of patients in shared decision making and self-management and advocating for integrated systems of care. Conclusions Allied health professionals have been involved in the South Australian healthcare system for a prolonged period, but their services are poorly recognised, often overlooked and not greatly supported in existing traditional practices. The results of the present study highlight ways in which healthcare services can implement strategies not only to improve the quality of patient outcomes, but also to offer innovative solutions for future, sustainable healthcare. The findings call for concerted efforts to increase the utilisation of allied health services to ensure the ‘maximum value for spend’ of the increasingly scarce health dollar. What is known about the topic? In medicine, clinician-driven strategies have been proposed to minimise inappropriate and costly care and maximise highly appropriate and less expensive care. These strategies were developed based on clinical experiences and with supporting evidence from scientific studies. What does this paper add? Major changes to the health system are required to slow down the growth in healthcare expenditure. This paper describes opportunities in which allied health practitioners can implement similar strategies not only to improve the quality of patient outcomes, but also to offer cost-effective solutions for a sustainable healthcare. What are the implications for practitioners? Allied health practitioners can provide solutions to healthcare challenges and assist in the transformation of healthcare in Australia. However, for this to happen, there should be concerted efforts to increase recognition of and support for the use of allied health services.

Regionalization of health services in Newfoundland and Labrador: perceptions of the planning, implementation and consequences of regional governance

2005 ◽  
Vol 10 (2_suppl) ◽  
pp. 12-21 ◽  
Author(s):  
Doreen Neville ◽  
Gwynedd Barrowman ◽  
Brenda Fitzgerald ◽  
Stephen Tomblin
Keyword(s):  
Health Services ◽  
Full Range ◽  
Health Department ◽  
Governance Structure ◽  
Regional Governance ◽  
Senior Administrators ◽  
Policy Goals ◽  
Integration Of Services ◽  
Key Issues ◽  
Senior Health

Objectives To describe the context and key drivers for regionalization of one provincial health care system in Canada; to document the original expectations of regionalization on governance and the extent to which these expectations were met; to identify the perceived successes and weaknesses of the process; and to examine the key issues and concerns that warrant further consideration and action in the future. Methods Forty-five CEO/senior administrator or senior health department officials in the period 1993-2001 were invited to participate, of whom 35 were interviewed (67% of senior health officials and 85% of CEOs/ senior administrators). Results For the most part, key informants felt that expectations of reform with respect to reduction in the number of boards and integration of services under each board's mandate did occur. However, ongoing financial restraint, failure to include the full range of health services under the regional board mandate (including physician and pharmaceutical services), uncertainty regarding the level of authority the regional boards had for decision-making, and unclear accountability mechanisms between the regional boards and the provincial Ministry of Health limited the extent to which broader expectations related to development of a population health focus, and improved continuity of care for individuals and families was achieved. Conclusions Implications for policy-makers were identified in four main areas: alignment between health policy goals and the governance structure; clarification of authority and accountability relationships; clarification of roles and responsibilities among all key actors; and strengthening of mechanisms that support accountability.

Who Will Take Care of Me?

2020 ◽  
pp. 167-181
Author(s):  
Cristina Honorato-Cia ◽  
Stefan De Hert ◽  
Edoardo De Robertis ◽  
Ioana Grigoras
Keyword(s):  
Health Services ◽  
Patient Care ◽  
Work Life ◽  
Work Hours ◽  
Scope Of Practice ◽  
Diverse Population ◽  
Equal Opportunities ◽  
Flexible Work ◽  
Work Patterns ◽  
Life Balance

Foreseeing the needs and availability of anaesthesiologists across Europe is a challenging task. This is influenced by different factors that include the composition of the workforce and the organization and structure of health services in every country. Some trends call for attention, such as changes in work patterns brought about by an ageing specialist population, the increasing numbers of women in anaesthesia, or cultural and societal shifts towards work-life balance. Anaesthesiology is a challenging specialty with an expanding scope of practice, requiring highly motivated professionals, frequent long work hours, and addressing stressful situations often. To ensure quality anaesthesia provision, the wellbeing of this diverse population of anaesthesiologists should be addressed. Achieving rational and flexible work hours, adequate compensation, and promotion of a workplace culture that fosters safety, motivation to learn, and equal opportunities for leadership or academia positions are challenges to be addressed to make sure that excellence in patient care is maintained.

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