scholarly journals Understanding the Allied Health Professions Student Experience of Practice Placements during the First Wave of the Coronavirus Pandemic

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 39-48
Author(s):  
Julie Marchant
Keyword(s):  
Allied Health ◽  
Student Experience ◽  
Health Professions ◽  
Healthcare Services ◽  
Learning Needs ◽  
Full Potential ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Allied Health Professions ◽  
Large Numbers ◽  
Survey Results

In England, a national lockdown came into effect on 23 March 2020 in response to the rapid spread of the Coronavirus. Healthcare services were quickly redesigned or scaled back to meet the significant and rising demands. Many practice placements were discontinued, which resulted in large numbers of Allied Health Professions (AHPs) pre-registration students requiring placements to meet the required practice hours. The challenge for placement providers, who were experiencing increased demand and uncertainty, was to continue providing quality placements. At the local trust, 58 AHP students had a placement between April and July 2020. Some clinical areas offered traditional placements. However due to social distancing rules many placements utilised blended practice; using aspects of both direct face-to-face and remote practice. It is important to understand the student experience in anticipation of future surges of Coronavirus. In total, 36 students responded to a placement survey. Results showed the majority of the students reported positive placement experiences overall. Despite the ever-changing placement landscape and the need for flexibility, it is important to ensure that placements are well planned and that students are well informed about the safety measures in place. It is vital that student’s feel welcomed and valued in order to learn and reach their full potential whilst on placement. The use of a blended placement model provided valuable learning experiences, however consideration needs to be given to ensure that students feel part of the team and have confidence that their learning needs are met.

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.

scholarly journals To what extent is telehealth reported to be incorporated into undergraduate and postgraduate allied health curricula: A scoping review

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (8) ◽  
pp. e0256425
Author(s):  
Kay Yan Hui ◽  
Claudia Haines ◽  
Sophie Bammann ◽  
Matthew Hallandal ◽  
Nathan Langone ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Education ◽  
Formal Education ◽  
Allied Health ◽  
Grey Literature ◽  
Health Professions ◽  
Eligibility Criteria ◽  
Allied Health Education ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Allied Health Professions ◽  
Education Training

Background Telehealth has become a necessity within the medical and allied health professions since the COVID-19 Pandemic generated a rapid uptake worldwide. It is now evident that this health delivery format will remain in use well into the future. However, health education training, most particularly allied health, has been slow to ‘catch up’ and adapt curriculum to ensure graduates are equipped with the knowledge and skills to implement telehealth in the workplace. The aim of this study was to gain a comprehensive understanding of current telehealth curricula in undergraduate and postgraduate allied health education training programs, with a focus on the aims, objectives, content, format, delivery, timeline and assessments. Methods A systematic search of Medline, Embase, PsychINFO, Scopus, ERIC and relevant grey literature was conducted. Students studying allied health degrees through formal education at either postgraduate or undergraduate level were included, while nursing, dentistry and medical students were excluded. The data from the included studies was extracted and tabulated by country, participants, program and content. Results Of the 4484 studies screened, eleven met the eligibility criteria. All studies were published after 2012, highlighting the recency of research in this area. The studies were conducted in four countries (Australia, United Sates of America, United Kingdom, Norway) and participants were from various allied health professions. Of the included studies, four related to undergraduate programs, four to postgraduate programs and for the remaining three, this was not specified. Curricula were delivered through a combination of online and face-to-face delivery, with assessment tasks, where reported, comprising mainly multiple-choice and written tests. Conclusion Published reporting of telehealth curricula within allied health programs is limited. Even the minority of programs that do include a telehealth component lack a systematic approach. This indicates that further primary research would be beneficial in this area.

scholarly journals Ensuring an Essential Supply of Allied Health Professions (AHP) Placements: Using Crowdsourcing to Develop a National Call to Action

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 49-62
Author(s):  
Janice St. John-Matthews ◽  
Charlotte Hobbs ◽  
Paul Chapman ◽  
David Marsden ◽  
Ruth Allarton ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Education ◽  
Allied Health ◽  
Health Professions ◽  
Sustainable Growth ◽  
Online Data ◽  
Call To Action ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Allied Health Professions ◽  
The Impact

Sustainable growth in the Allied Health Professions (AHP) workforce is an ambition of the United Kingdom’s NHS Long Term Plan. However historically, access to good quality placements has been a barrier to increasing pre-registration training numbers. This article focuses on work carried out by Health Education England (HEE) to gain insights on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on capacity. Using a pragmatic, embedded mixed-methods approach, insights were gathered using an online workshop, crowdsourcing, open for two weeks in the summer of 2020. AHP placement stakeholders could vote, share ideas or comment. Descriptive data were extracted, and comments made were analysed using inductive thematic analysis. Participants (N = 1,800) made over 8,500 comments. The themes identified included: diversity of placement opportunity, improved placement coordination, a more joined-up system, supervision models and educator capacity. Alongside considering the challenges to placement capacity, several areas of innovative practice owing to the pandemic were highlighted. Generated insights have shaped the aims and objectives of the Health Education (HEE) pre-registration AHP student practice learning programme for 2020/2021 and beyond. The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the delivery of AHP placements. In the absence of face-to-face activities, crowdsourcing provided an online data collection tool offering stakeholders an opportunity to engage with the placement capacity agenda and share learning. Findings have shaped the HEE approach to short-term placement recovery and long-term growth.

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.

The Division of Laborers: Allied Health Professions

1973 ◽  
Vol 3 (3) ◽  
pp. 435-444 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carol A. Brown
Keyword(s):  
Health Services ◽  
Allied Health ◽  
Medical Profession ◽  
Health Professions ◽  
Education And Training ◽  
Health Occupations ◽  
Allied Health Professions ◽  
Professional Societies ◽  
And Training ◽  
Radiology And Pathology

As health services have become hospital-centered, many specialized health occupations have been created. The author maintains that these allied health occupations conflict with the medical profession for occupational territory, and that the development of these subordinate occupations has been controlled by the medical profession to its own benefit. This control is achieved through domination of professional societies, education and training, industrial rules and regulations, and government licenses. Detailed examples of the process of control are provided from the fields of radiology and pathology.

The Allied Health Professions

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susan Nancarrow ◽  
Alan Borthwick
Keyword(s):  
Case Studies ◽  
Allied Health ◽  
Health Professions ◽  
Health Occupations ◽  
Allied Health Professions ◽  
Professional Goals ◽  
Sociology Of Health

Drawing on case studies from optometrists, physiotherapists, pedorthists and allied health assistants, this book offers an innovative comparison of allied health occupations in Australia and Britain. Adopting a theory of the sociology of health professions, it explores how the allied health professions can achieve their professional goals.

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