Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39060917›Full record

ArticleBMC health services research2024

The evaluation of health, disability and aged care-sector engagement with resources designed to support optimisation of the allied health assistant workforce: a qualitative study.

Lucy Whelan, Sharon McLean, Alexandra Edwards, Jessica Huglin, Melanie K Farlie

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMC health services research, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
  3. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Lucy WhelanAllied Health Workforce Innovation, Strategy, Education & Research (WISER) Unit, Monash Health, 400 Warrigal Road, Cheltenham, VIC, 3192, Australia. lucy.whelan@monashhealth.org.
Sharon McLeanAllied Health Workforce Innovation, Strategy, Education & Research (WISER) Unit, Monash Health, 400 Warrigal Road, Cheltenham, VIC, 3192, Australia.
Alexandra EdwardsAllied Health Workforce Innovation, Strategy, Education & Research (WISER) Unit, Monash Health, 400 Warrigal Road, Cheltenham, VIC, 3192, Australia.
Jessica HuglinAllied Health Workforce Innovation, Strategy, Education & Research (WISER) Unit, Monash Health, 400 Warrigal Road, Cheltenham, VIC, 3192, Australia.
Melanie K FarlieFaculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, Monash University, 27 Rainforest Walk, Clayton, VIC, 3168, Australia.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundAllied health assistants (AHAs) support allied health professionals (AHPs) to meet workforce demands in modern healthcare systems. In an Australian context historically, AHAs have been sub-optimally utilised. Prior research has identified that AHAs and AHPs working in health, disability and aged care sectors, and the Vocational Education and Training (VET) industry, may benefit from access to resources to support the optimisation of the AHA workforce. As a part of a Victorian department of health funded project, several resources were developed in line with workforce recommendations for use in each of the above sectors. Recommendations and resources covered the broad areas of pre-employment training, workforce planning and governance, consumer-centred therapy and supports, recruitment and induction and workplace training and development. This study aimed to evaluate the engagement with these newly designed resources to support optimisation of AHAs in the Victorian context.

methodsSemi-structured interviews were conducted to evaluate engagement with resources, from the perspective of AHAs, AHPs and allied health leaders (AHLs) in the health, aged care or disability sectors, and educators and managers of allied health assistance training. Thematic analysis was conducted using team-based framework analysis.

resultsThematic framework analysis of the interview data identified four themes; Why participants accessed the resources; How participants engaged with the resources; What (if any) changes in practice occurred as a result of engaging with the resources in a participant's local context, How did participants envision the resources being utilised for AHA workforce optimisation in the future. Responses were mapped to the AHA workforce career pathway at the career preparation, career development and career trajectory tiers.

conclusionsAppetite for AHA workforce development and optimal utilisation is evident across Victoria, Australia. Readily accessible resources that inform AHA role and scope of practice, delegation practice, or improve the ability for an AHA to state their own development needs, were identified as useful by participants. The potential for these resources to assist in the optimal utilisation and development of AHA workforces across the career continuum differs according to the role, sector and geographical location of the resource user. Further study is needed to investigate the transferability of these resources to national and global contexts.

Indexed as

Allied Health PersonnelQualitative ResearchAdultFemaleHealth Services for the AgedHealth WorkforceHumansInterviews as TopicMalePersons with DisabilitiesVictoriaAllied healthAssistantCareerDelegationSupportWorkforce

Identifiers

PMID39060917
PMCPMC11282609

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.