Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39240875›Full record

ArticlePloS one2024

Unveiling the Exodus: A scoping review of attrition in allied health.

Su Ann Yeoh, Saravana Kumar, Anna Phillips, Lok Sze Katrina Li

Abstract readScoping Review
In one paragraph

Article in PloS one, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing 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

5 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
  3. Private Practice Dietetics Workforce Development: Experiences and Perceptions of Australian Academic Educators.Journal of human nutrition and dietetics : the official journal of the British Dietetic Association · 2025
    Article
  4. Article
  5. Article
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

4 authors.

Su Ann YeohUniSA Allied Health & Human Performance, University of South Australia, Adelaide, Australia.ORCID 0009-0006-4712-5718
Saravana KumarUniSA Allied Health & Human Performance, University of South Australia, Adelaide, Australia.ORCID 0000-0002-4003-4411
Anna PhillipsUniSA Allied Health & Human Performance, University of South Australia, Adelaide, Australia.
Lok Sze Katrina LiSchool of Allied Health, Human Services and Sport, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundEfficient utilisation of allied health workforce may help address the predicted shortfall of 18 million health workers estimated by 2030. Knowledge about allied health professionals' attrition, or intention to leave, and factors influencing attrition can assist in developing evidence-informed strategies to mitigate this issue. The review aimed to map attrition and attrition intention rates, and its attributing factors for allied health professions worldwide.

methodsAdhering to the PRISMA-ScR guidelines, a comprehensive search was conducted across academic databases (PsycINFO, MEDLINE, Embase, Emcare, CINAHL, Scopus, and the Cochrane Library database) and grey literature (Google, Google Scholar, organisational websites). Two reviewers independently undertook a two-stage screening process along with data extraction using customised data extraction forms. A narrative synthesis was used to synthesise the data.

resultsThirty-two studies published between 1990 and 2024 were included. Attrition rates ranged from 0.5% to 41% across allied health disciplines. Pharmacists demonstrated the lowest attrition rates, while audiologists reported the highest. Radiographers reported the lowest intent to leave at 7.6%, while occupational therapists showed highest intent to leave, ranging from 10.7% to 74.1%. The analysis revealed three recurring themes contributing to attrition: profession-centric factors (e.g., career progression, job satisfaction, support, and professional growth), systemic-centric factors (e.g., compensation, staffing challenges, clinical practices, patient care, workload), and individual-centric factors (e.g., recognition, the need for change, and burnout).

conclusionAttrition in allied health remains a significant challenge. Addressing this issue requires a systemic, nuanced, and evidence-based approach, given the complex, interlinked, and multifaceted factors contributing to attrition. The younger workforce, characterized by changing generational values, necessitates innovative thinking, intersectoral collaboration, and the potential for co-created solutions with, for, and by the allied health workforce.

Indexed as

Allied Health PersonnelHumansJob SatisfactionPersonnel Turnover

Identifiers

PMID39240875
PMCPMC11379274

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

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.