AHANA has been incorporated to create a stronger Allied Health Assistant profession. This includes educating and informing Allied Health Assistants and stakeholders on the value and role of Allied Health Assistants in the provision of Allied Health services. Resources on this page are articles from Q1 (i.e. top 25%) peer-reviewed journals on the role of Allied Health Assistants in the workplace, and on delegation opportunities within specific disciplines:
Dixon S, Nancarrow SA, Enderby PM, Moran AM, Parker SG. Assessing patient preferences for the delivery of different community-based models of care using a discrete choice experiment. Health Expectations [Internet]. 2015 Oct; 18(5): 1204 - 1214. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1111/hex.12096
Freund T, Everett C, Griffiths P, Hudon C, Naccarella L, Laurant M. Skill mix, roles and remuneration in the primary care workforce: Who are the healthcare professionals in the primary care teams across the world? International Journal of Nursing Studies [Internet]. 2015 Mar; 52(3): 727 - 743. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2014.11.014
Hjelle KM, Skutle O, Alvsvåg H, Førland O. Reablement teams's roles: A qualitative study of interdisciplinary teams' experiences. Journal of Multidisciplinary Healthcare [Internet]. 2018 Jul; Volume 11: 305 - 316. Available from: https://doi.org/10.2147/JMDH.S160480
Huglin J, Whelan L, McLean S, Greer K, Mitchell D, Downie S, et al. Exploring utilisation of the Allied Health Assistant Workforce in the Victorian Health, aged care and disability sectors. BMC Health Services Research [Internet]. 2021 Oct 23; 21(1). Available from: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-021-07171-z
King OA, Pinson JA, Dennett A, Williams C, Davis A, Snowdon DA. Allied Health assistants' perspectives of their role in healthcare settings: A qualitative study. Health and Social Care in the Community [Internet]. 2022 Nov; 30(6): e4684 - e4693. Available from: https://dx.doi.org/10.1111/hsc.13874
Meulenbroeks I, Raban MZ, Seaman K, Westbrook J. Therapy-based allied health delivery in residential aged care, trends, factors, and outcomes: A systematic review. BMC Geriatrics [Internet]. 2022 Aug 28; 22(1). Available from: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12877-022-03386-9
Snowdon DA, King OA, Dennett A, Pinson J-A, Shannon MM, Collyer TA, et al. Delegation of patient related tasks to Allied Health assistants: A time motion study. BMC Health Services Research [Internet]. 2022 Oct 24; 22(1). Available from: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-022-08642-7
Snowdon DA, Storr B, Davis A, Taylor NF, Williams CM. The effect of delegation of therapy to Allied Health assistants on patient and organisational outcomes: A systematic review and meta-analysis. BMC Health Services Research [Internet]. 2020 Jun 3; 20(1). Available from: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-020-05312-4
Stute M, Hurwood A, Hulcombe J, Kuipers P. Pilot implementation of Allied Health assistant roles within publicly funded health services in Queensland, Australia: Results of a workplace audit. BMC Health Services Research [Internet]. 2014 Jun 16; 14(1). Available from: https://doi.org/10.1186/1472-6963-14-258
Rushton A, Bauer J, Young A, Keller H, Bell J. Barriers and Enablers to Delegating Malnutrition Care Activities to Dietitian Assistants. Nutrients [Internet]. 2022 Feb 28; 14(5): 1037. Available from: http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/nu14051037
Rushton A, Edwards A, Bauer J, Bell JJ. Dietitian assistant opportunities within the nutrition care process for patients with or at risk of malnutrition: A systematic review. Nutrition & Dietetics [Internet]. 2021 Feb; 78(1): 69 - 85. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1111/1747-0080.12651
Rushton A, Young A, Keller H, Bauer J, Bell J. Delegation Opportunities for Malnutrition Care Activities to Dietitian Assistants - Findings of a Multi-Site Survey. Healthcare [Internet]. 2021 Apr 10; 9(4): 446. Available from: http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/healthcare9040446
Barker KL, Room J, Toye F. The challenges and gains of delivering a home-exercise intervention: A qualitative study of physiotherapists and physiotherapy assistants. BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders [Internet]. 2022 Sep 3; 23(1). Available from: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12891-022-05790-z
Nolan J, Thomas S. Targeted individual exercise programmes for older medical patients are feasible, and may change hospital and patient outcomes: A service improvement project. BMC Health Services Research [Internet]. 2008 Dec 10; 8(1). Available from: https://doi.org/10.1186/1472-6963-8-250
Sarigiovannis P, Foster NE, Jowett S, Saunders B. Delegation of workload from musculoskeletal physiotherapists to physiotherapy assistants/support workers: A UK online survey. Musculoskeletal Science and Practice [Internet]. 2022 Dec; 62: 102631. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.msksp.2022.102631
Sarkies MN, White J, Henderson K, Haas R, Bowles J. Additional weekend allied health services reduce length of stay in subacute rehabilitation wards but their effectiveness and cost-effectiveness are unclear in acute general medical and Surgical Hospital Wards: A systematic review. Journal of Physiotherapy [Internet]. 2018 Jul; 64(3): 142 - 158. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jphys.2018.05.004
Snowdon DA, Vincent P, Callisaya ML, Collyer TA, Wang YT, Taylor NF. Feasibility of Allied Health Assistant Management of people with acute hip fracture: Protocol for a feasibility randomised controlled trial. BMJ Open [Internet]. 2021; 11(11): e054298. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2021-054298
Harrison-Blount M, Nester C, Williams A. The changing landscape of professional practice in podiatry, lessons to be learned from other professions about the barriers to change – A narrative review. Journal of Foot and Ankle Research [Internet]. 2019 Apr 16; 12(1). Available from: https://doi.org/10.1186/s13047-019-0333-2
Moran AM, Nancarrow SA, Wiseman L, Maher K, Boyce RA, Borthwick AM, et al. Assisting role redesign: A qualitative evaluation of the implementation of a podiatry assistant role to a community health setting utilising a traineeship approach. Journal of Foot and Ankle Research [Internet]. 2012 Nov 27; 5(1). Available from: https://doi.org/10.1186/1757-1146-5-30
Chesters K, Baskerville M. P-100 The advance care planning service. BMJ Supportive & Palliative Care [Internet]. 2016 Nov 1; 6(Suppl 1): A46. Available from: http://doi.org/10.1136/bmjspcare-2016-001245.123
Kessler I, Bach S, Heron P. Understanding assistant roles in Social Care. Work, Employment and Society [Internet]. 2006 Dec; 20(4): 667–85. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1177/0950017006069807
Schwarz M, Ward EC, Cornwell P, Coccetti A, D'Netto P, Smith A, et al. Exploring the validity and operational impact of using Allied Health assistants to conduct dysphagia screening for low-risk patients within the acute hospital setting. American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology [Internet]. 2020 Nov 12; 29(4): 1944 - 1955. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1044/2020_AJSLP-19-00060