The Allied Health Professions Health and Work Report and the fit note: Perspectives of patients and stakeholders

2020 ◽  
pp. 030802262094876
Author(s):  
Fiona Nouri ◽  
Carol Coole ◽  
Genevieve Smyth ◽  
Avril Drummond
Keyword(s):  
Primary Care ◽  
General Practitioner ◽  
Allied Health ◽  
Occupational Therapists ◽  
Health Professions ◽  
Allied Health Professions ◽  
Telephone Interviews ◽  
Potential Value ◽  
Vocational Support

Introduction Although the role of occupational therapists in the provision of vocational support is established, there has been little research into their role in issuing Allied Health Professions Health and Work Reports or their potential to complete fit notes. Method Employed patients ( n = 14) and stakeholders ( n = 12) took part in semi-structured telephone interviews and were questioned about occupational therapy-run vocational clinics, experiences of the Allied Health Professions Health and Work Reports and their views of occupational therapists completing fit notes. Results Most interviewees saw the Allied Health Professions Health and Work Report as a valuable tool in affecting return to work and even employers with access to in-house occupational health predominantly found it useful in corroborating recommendations. There was consensus, amongst patients and stakeholders, that completion of the fit note by the occupational therapist could reduce the burden on the general practitioner, and potentially provide more in-depth advice via the ‘may be fit’ option. However, stakeholders strongly believed that the profile of the Allied Health Professions Health and Work Report needed to be raised nationally. Conclusion The potential value of Allied Health Professions Health and Work Reports in primary care is recognised. However, in order to maximise this, its profile and utility needs to be raised nationally as a matter of urgency. There was also support for occupational therapists completing fit notes.

scholarly journals Improving occupational therapists’ confidence in completing the Allied Health Professions Health and Work Report: Results from the CREATE feasibility study

2021 ◽  
pp. 030802262199858
Author(s):  
Joanne Ablewhite ◽  
Carol Coole ◽  
Stathis T Konstantinidis ◽  
Aaron Fecowycz ◽  
Sayeed Khan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Allied Health ◽  
Occupational Therapists ◽  
Health Professions ◽  
Training Data ◽  
Training Methods ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Allied Health Professions ◽  
Telephone Interviews ◽  
Further Development

Introduction There is a concern that occupational therapists lack confidence in advising on fitness to work. The aim of this study was to compare two training methods of improving occupational therapists’ confidence in completing the Allied Health Professions Health and Work Report (AHP H&WR). Method A mixed-methods study was conducted. Occupational therapists were recruited to face-to-face ( n = 14) or online ( n = 18) training. Data were collected via questionnaires at baseline, one week and eight weeks post-training, and using semi-structured telephone interviews. Questionnaire data were analysed descriptively; interviews were analysed thematically. Results It was possible to recruit and retain participants to the study. Occupational therapists from both groups reported that the training improved their confidence in completing the AHP H&WR. However, the majority did not have the opportunity to complete an AHP H&WR in practice during the follow-up period. Conclusion Similar results for both training methods shows promise for further development and testing. There is therefore potential to conduct a definitive study in this area.

The Allied Health Professions

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susan Nancarrow ◽  
Alan Borthwick
Keyword(s):  
Case Studies ◽  
Allied Health ◽  
Research Evidence ◽  
Occupational Therapists ◽  
Health Professions ◽  
Allied Health Professions ◽  
Sociology Of Health

The allied health professions have gained legitimacy through the pursuit of research evidence and the standardisation of practice. Yet there remains very little analysis or understanding of these professions. Adopting theory from the sociology of health professions, this book explores the sociological, economic, political and philosophical pressures that have shaped the professions. Drawing on case studies and examples from occupations including optometrists, occupational therapists and physiotherapists to emerging vocations, including pedorthists and allied health assistants, the book offers an innovative comparison of allied health professions in Australia and Britain. By telling the story of their past, the book prepares the allied health professions for a new and different future.

Diversity in the allied health professions

2021 ◽  
pp. 57-82
Author(s):  
Susan Nancarrow ◽  
Alan Borthwick
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Competence ◽  
Allied Health ◽  
Linguistically Diverse ◽  
Health Professions ◽  
Cultural Safety ◽  
Diverse Populations ◽  
Allied Health Professions ◽  
Health And Wellbeing ◽  
Professional Groups

This chapter is dedicated to an analysis of diversity within the allied health professions, including the intersectional relationships between gender, class, ethnicity, interprofessionality and cultural competence. The chapter explores the complex interplay of the intersectionality in the allied health professions. Gender and the patriarchal origins of the health professions have shaped professional repertoires, the roles individuals adopt within their professions and their interrelationships with other professional groups. The picture is far from complete and requires further investigation, but clearly the allied health professions need to understand the way their gendered histories can influence their current and future opportunities. The role of ethnicity, cultural competence and cultural safety is poorly understood within the allied health professions. All professions face challenges of how to best meet the needs of culturally and linguistically diverse populations who may also experience other inequities that impact on their health and wellbeing. The heterogeneity of the allied health professions mean that each discipline will face unique challenges in best meeting the needs of their specific populations and in a variety of contexts.

The contribution to palliative care of allied health professions

2019 ◽  
pp. 673-714
Keyword(s):  
Palliative Care ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
Allied Health ◽  
Occupational Therapists ◽  
Health Professions ◽  
Palliative Care Team ◽  
Allied Health Professionals ◽  
Music Therapists ◽  
Allied Health Professions ◽  
Parent Discipline

This chapter outlines the key work of allied health professionals within the palliative care team. Palliative care has been very successful at taking ideas, values, and techniques from other disciplines in healthcare. Such borrowing of ideas has nearly always included considerable adaptation from the parent discipline. However, the notion of cross-boundary, interdisciplinary working is now highly developed in palliative care. Some disciplines such as medicine and nursing have become core parts of the specialist team, whereas others have been accessed on an as-required basis. Increasingly, individual allied health professions have seen the need to evolve the palliative care specialism within the generic discipline. Allied health professionals include occupational therapists, physiotherapists, nutritional experts, speech and language therapists, clinical psychologists, social workers, chaplains, pharmacists, and art and music therapists.

scholarly journals Comparing face-to-face with online training for occupational therapists in advising on fitness for work: Protocol for the CREATE study

2020 ◽  
Vol 83 (3) ◽  
pp. 172-178
Author(s):  
Carol Coole ◽  
Stathis T Konstantinidis ◽  
Joanne Ablewhite ◽  
Kate Radford ◽  
Louise Thomson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Allied Health ◽  
Training Session ◽  
Occupational Therapists ◽  
Health Professions ◽  
Online Training ◽  
Study Phase ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Allied Health Professions ◽  
Fitness For Work ◽  
Online Resource

Introduction Occupational therapists play a key role in advising on fitness for work; however, there is a concern that they lack knowledge and confidence in using the Allied Health Professions health and work report (formerly the Allied Health Professions advisory fitness for work report), developed in the United Kingdom. Comparing a reusable learning object with face-to-face training for occupational therapists in advising on fitness for work (CREATE) compares face-to-face training with online training for occupational therapists in completing the Allied Health Professions health and work report. Method A mixed methods study. Phase 1, occupational therapists will co-design an online training resource. A standardised face-to-face group-based training session will also be developed based on the same content. Phase 2, a feasibility study will be conducted. Thirty occupational therapists will either attend face-to-face group training or access the online resource. Data on self-reported knowledge and confidence in using the Allied Health Professions health and work report will be collected at baseline, 1 week and 8 weeks post-training. Feedback on the training will be collected by interview and, for the online resource, using an online tool. Results Quantitative results will be predominantly analysed descriptively. If appropriate, between-group responses will be compared using the Mann–Whitney test. Qualitative findings will be analysed thematically. Conclusion CREATE will have made a significant contribution to the debate around appropriate training methods in advising on fitness for work.

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