Better utilisation of Allied Health Assistants (AHAs) to deliver therapies could be the way of the future, as indicated by research taking place at Peninsula Health.
“I don’t think that Allied Health Assistants will ever replace Allied Health Professionals because they need to be supervised, and Allied Health Professionals conduct the assessments, and diagnose and prescribe the treatments,” explains Dr David Snowdon, Allied Health Research Lead.
“But I think that what we can do is work better with AHAs so that they’re working at the top of their scope of practice. They’re a very engaged workforce.”
David was first approached by Senior Physiotherapist Peggy Vincent, along with Peninsula Health’s Head of Physiotherapy, with a proposal to find out how more therapy could be delivered to more patients, with limited resources.
“They were really passionate about how we can better work with our Assistants so that they can treat more people,” David recalls. “And if they can treat people safely, then that means that the Allied Health Professionals can do other tasks or see other people. So more people are getting therapy.”
The initial research trial looking at utilising AHAs was geared specifically towards getting patients recovering from hip fracture surgery up and walking each day.
The trial had two randomised groups of patients with a hip fracture. One group received daily mobilisation and rehabilitation from a physiotherapist, and the other group received the same therapy from an AHA, under a physiotherapist’s supervision.
Those patients receiving care from an AHA received on average 11 minutes more therapy per day, were more likely to walk on any day, and may have had a shorter length of stay in hospital.
This research was conducted only on patients with no cognitive impairment, however that excluded around 50% of people with hip fracture from the trial. Now the same trial is being run on those with cognitive impairments to see whether similar results will be achieved, with the trial being coordinated by Peggy Vincent.
The benefits aren’t just limited to hip fracture recovery. Since the initial research project, Peninsula Health has been successful in securing a grant to conduct a similar trial of Allied Health Assistant care on the General Medicine ward.
The pilot study of 60 patients found that people who received therapy from an AHA were 20-30% more likely to walk on any day compared to those who received usual care. Those patients also received double the amount of therapy, and there were indications that there may be shorter length of stays, with the median length of stay 3 days less for those in the trial seen by the AHA.
The team involved in these trials has ensured that the AHAs are prepared and supported. In addition to the regular supervision provided by the Allied Health Professional, the AHAs are provided with training prior to the trial, such as information on hip fracture, or sessions on how to specifically communicate with people with cognitive impairment.
These successful projects have been a tremendous team effort, with AHAs engaging well with Allied Health Professionals, and showing an overall passion for enhancing patient care.
“We’ve definitely got one of the most, if not the most, engaged Allied Health Assistant workforces, which ensures this research is successful,” says David. “It makes improving patient care possible, because without an engaged workforce we just wouldn’t be able to do the research.”
David hopes that more successful pilot projects will lead to further funding for research and collaboration across the sector. He believes Peninsula Health has the potential to lead the way in Victoria and Australia-wide with a new model of Allied Health Assistant care.
Along with the focus on the future, David has also reflected on what has come from the research and the initial conversation that led to the work.
“We just had a meeting one day… [Asking] what do you think we can do to enhance patient care?” he says. “To think that all this work has stemmed from one conversation and a really passionate manager.”
