Clinical care ratios: quantifying clinical versus non-clinical care for allied health professionals

2017 ◽  
Vol 41 (3) ◽  
pp. 321 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cherie Hearn ◽  
Adam Govier ◽  
Adam Ivan Semciw
Keyword(s):  
Health Professionals ◽  
Allied Health ◽  
Clinical Care ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Allied Health Professionals ◽  
Service Demand ◽  
Optimal Service ◽  
Tertiary Hospitals ◽  
Post Hoc ◽  
Main Effects

Objective Clinical care ratios (CCRs) are a useful tool that can be used to quantify and benchmark the clinical and non-clinical workloads of allied health professionals. The purpose of this study was to determine if CCRs are influenced by level of seniority, type of role or profession. This will provide meaningful information for allied health service managers to better manage service demand and capacity. Method Data was collected from 2036 allied health professionals from five professions across 11 Australian tertiary hospitals. Mean (95% confidence intervals) CCRs were calculated according to profession, seniority and role type. A two-way ANOVA was performed to assess the association of CCRs (dependent variable) with seniority level and profession (independent variables). Post-hoc pairwise comparisons identified where significant main or interaction effects occurred (α = 0.05). Results Significant main effects for seniority level and profession were identified (P < 0.05), but there was no interaction effect. Post-hoc comparisons revealed significant differences between all tier combinations (P < 0.05) with more senior staff having the lowest CCRs. Conclusion The direct and non-direct clinical components of the allied health professional’s workload can be quantified and benchmarked with like roles and according to seniority. The benchmarked CCRs for predominantly clinical roles will enable managers to compare and evaluate like roles and modify non-direct clinical components according to seniority and discipline. What is known about the topic? CCRs are a useful tool to quantify, monitor and compare workloads of allied health professionals. They are thought to change with increased seniority of roles. The CCRs for different allied health professional roles has yet to be defined in the literature. What does this paper add? CCRs decrease as level of seniority increases, indicating higher seniority increases non-clinical time. CCRs differ across professions, suggesting that benchmarking with CCRs must be profession specific. What are the implications for practitioners? The direct and non-direct clinical components of a workload can be quantified, defined and benchmarked with like roles to ensure cost-effective and optimal service delivery and patient outcomes.

scholarly journals General medical services by non-medical health professionals: a systematic quantitative review of economic evaluations in primary care

2019 ◽  
Vol 69 (682) ◽  
pp. e304-e313 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bethany F Anthony ◽  
Alun Surgey ◽  
Julia Hiscock ◽  
Nefyn H Williams ◽  
Joanna M Charles
Keyword(s):  
Primary Care ◽  
Systematic Reviews ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
Allied Health ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Chronic Fatigue ◽  
Cochrane Library ◽  
Economic Evaluations ◽  
Economic Evidence ◽  
Allied Health Professionals

BackgroundPrevious systematic reviews have found that nurses and pharmacists can provide equivalent, or higher, quality of care for some tasks performed by GPs in primary care. There is a lack of economic evidence for this substitution.AimTo explore the costs and outcomes of role substitution between GPs and nurses, pharmacists, and allied health professionals in primary care.Design and settingA systematic review of economic evaluations exploring role substitution of allied health professionals in primary care was conducted. Role substitution was defined as ‘the substitution of work that was previously completed by a GP in the past and is now completed by a nurse or allied health professional’.MethodThe following databases were searched: Ovid MEDLINE, CINAHL, Cochrane Library, National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), and the Centre for Reviews and Dissemination. The review followed guidance from the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA).ResultsSix economic evaluations were identified. There was some limited evidence that nurse-led care for common minor health problems was cost-effective compared with GP care, and that nurse-led interventions for chronic fatigue syndrome and pharmacy-led services for the medicines management of coronary heart disease and chronic pain were not. In South Korea, community health practitioners delivered primary care services for half the cost of physicians. The review did not identify studies for other allied health professionals such as physiotherapists and occupational therapists.ConclusionThere is limited economic evidence for role substitution in primary care; more economic evaluations are needed.

Exploration of an allied health workforce redesign model: quantifying the work of allied health assistants in a community workforce

2018 ◽  
Vol 42 (4) ◽  
pp. 469 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lisa Somerville ◽  
Annette Davis ◽  
Sarah Milne ◽  
Desiree Terrill ◽  
Kathleen Philip
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Health Workforce ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
Allied Health ◽  
Care Setting ◽  
Clinical Care ◽  
Health Care Setting ◽  
Allied Health Professionals ◽  
The Right ◽  
Ambulatory Health Care

The Victorian Assistant Workforce Model (VAWM) enables a systematic approach for the identification and quantification of work that can be delegated from allied health professionals (AHPs) to allied health assistants (AHAs). The aim of the present study was to explore the effect of implementation of VAWM in the community and ambulatory health care setting. Data captured using mixed methods from allied health professionals working across the participating health services enabled the measurement of opportunity for workforce redesign in the community and ambulatory allied health workforce. A total of 1112 AHPs and 135 AHAs from the 27 participating organisations took part in the present study. AHPs identified that 24% of their time was spent undertaking tasks that could safely be delegated to an appropriately qualified and supervised AHA. This equates to 6837 h that could be redirected to advanced and expanded AHP practice roles or expanded patient-centred service models. The VAWM demonstrates potential for more efficient implementation of assistant workforce roles across allied health. Data outputs from implementation of the VAWM are vital in informing strategic planning and sustainability of workforce change. A more efficient and effective workforce promotes service delivery by the right person, in the right place, at the right time. What is known about this topic? There are currently workforce shortages that are predicted to grow across the allied health workforce. Ensuring that skill mix is optimal is one way to address these shortages. Matching the right task to right worker will also enable improved job satisfaction for both allied health assistants and allied health professionals. Workforce redesign efforts are more effective when there is strong data to support the redesign. What does this paper add? This paper builds on a previous paper by Somerville et al. with a case study applying the workforce redesign model to a community and ambulatory health care setting. It provides evidence that this workforce redesign model enables data to be collected to identify the opportunity for redesign in the allied health workforce in this clinical setting. What are the implications for practitioners? There are career pathways and opportunity for growth in the allied health assistant workforce in the community and ambulatory health care setting. These opportunities will need to be coupled with the development of supervision and delegation skills in the allied health professional workforce to ensure that an integrated workforce is built to provide optimal clinical care in the community and ambulatory setting.

scholarly journals B-AB05-03 A SAME DAY DISCHARGE STRATEGY AFTER ATRIAL FIBRILLATION ABLATION THAT IS OVERSEEN BY ALLIED HEALTH PROFESSIONALS CAN BE INITIATED SAFELY AND EFFECTIVELY

Heart Rhythm ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (8) ◽  
pp. S8
Author(s):  
Lauren Ashley Rousseau ◽  
Nicole M. Bourque ◽  
Tiffany Andrade ◽  
Megan E.B. Antonellis ◽  
Patrice Hoskins ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Atrial Fibrillation ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
Allied Health ◽  
Atrial Fibrillation Ablation ◽  
Allied Health Professionals ◽  
Same Day Discharge

scholarly journals Sustainable healthcare – Time for ‘Green Podiatry’

2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Angela Margaret Evans
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Carbon Dioxide ◽  
Greenhouse Gases ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
Carbon Dioxide Emissions ◽  
Allied Health ◽  
World Health ◽  
Main Body ◽  
Allied Health Professionals ◽  
Foot Health

Abstract Background Healthcare aims to promote good health and yet demonstrably contributes to climate change, which is purported to be ‘the biggest global health threat of the 21st century’. This is happening now, with healthcare as an industry representing 4.4% of global carbon dioxide emissions. Main body Climate change promotes health deficits from many angles; however, primarily it is the use of fossil fuels which increases atmospheric carbon dioxide (also nitrous oxide, and methane). These greenhouse gases prevent the earth from cooling, resulting in the higher temperatures and rising sea levels, which then cause ‘wild weather’ patterns, including floods, storms, and droughts. Particular vulnerability is afforded to those already health compromised (older people, pregnant women, children, wider health co-morbidities) as well as populations closer to equatorial zones, which encompasses many low-and-middle-income-countries. The paradox here, is that poorer nations by spending less on healthcare, have lower carbon emissions from health-related activity, and yet will suffer most from global warming effects, with scant resources to off-set the increasing health care needs. Global recognition has forged the Paris agreement, the United Nations sustainable developments goals, and the World Health Organisation climate change action plan. It is agreed that most healthcare impact comes from consumption of energy and resources, and the production of greenhouse gases into the environment. Many professional associations of medicine and allied health professionals are advocating for their members to lead on environmental sustainability; the Australian Podiatry Association is incorporating climate change into its strategic direction. Conclusion Podiatrists, as allied health professionals, have wide community engagement, and hence, can model positive environmental practices, which may be effective in changing wider community behaviours, as occurred last century when doctors stopped smoking. As foot health consumers, our patients are increasingly likely to expect more sustainable practices and products, including ‘green footwear’ options. Green Podiatry, as a part of sustainable healthcare, directs us to be responsible energy and product consumers, and reduce our workplace emissions.

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