The job title 'workforce development officer' is used in Queensland Health. They are multidisciplinary roles that facilitate professional development and engagement with hospital management. Does that sound similar to what your 'advisors' are doing?

Thanks Tammam and Elise

It is hard to pinpoint as the roles are so broad. Here's a snapshot from the position descriptions (I've used the Physio one):

- Provide leadership and strategic direction for Physiotherapy

- Support service managers and department heads in service delivery matters related to the profession.

- Ensuring effective clinical governance, advancement of district-wide matters related to the profession, the provision of professional advice and supervision, and the facilitation of teaching, training and research

- Provision of high level planning advice

- Analysis of State and National policy and service directions and development of models appropriate to regional, rural and remote contexts.

So in some ways it captures some of the features of the workforce devlopment officer roles, although those seem more focused on morkforce management issues. Thanks for the tip on that- I'll look into it.

Thanks

David

I am not sure where you are working David, but the organisation of allied health is very different between Australia and the UK. It might be worth going back to some of the early work by Rosalie Boyce in Australia that underpinned the development of allied health management structures - see Organisational governance structures in allied health services:A decade of change, written in 2001.

There is also a recent systematic review titled An evidence-based framework to measure quality of allied health care, written by Karen Grimmer and colleagues in South Australia, which offers a updated view of ways to organise thinking about allied health.

Otherwise, at core, these positions are important to be able to document activity, costs, and outcomes for specific clinical areas within the service, as a basis for comparison with nursing and medical services. Ultimately, it is important to be able to say that with x physiotherapy input, y patients achieve z outcomes.

sharon

http://www.publish.csiro.au/?paper=AH010022

http://www.health-policy-systems.com/content/12/1/10/

Thankyou Sharon

I work in AUstralia, so this literature is extremely helpful- thank you.

I'd be interested in your thoughts- given there are differences in the way allied health is organised, as you say, would there be an international audience for a paper in this field? Or would the context make it too specific?

Regards

DAvid

Definitely David, research about impact is always important, and there are also many variations within practice, in both countries. It would be great to read about the protocol for what you will evaluate and why...

sharon

Hi David,

My advice would be to identify what outcomes your organization values as meaningful with respect to these roles demonstrating an impact. Are the primary outcomes patient-centered? Are you looking to evaluate staff satisfaction or staff performance in some way? Based on the position description you provided, there are several ways you could evaluate the impact- both quantitatively and qualitatively. It's great that you are thinking of this so early in the process- it provides you an opportunity to identify the potential growth.

Cheers,

Laura

Hi David, your question is interesting and could be seen by some as provocative. In the UK advisory roles, I'm not sure as to any job description of that title regarding ALH's. Some occupational therapists become specialists or specialised specialists whatever one of those is. I think having ''consultant'' OT's or PT's might be a better description of a specialised specialist but we don't have those as far as I know. So an advisory role to OT' and PT's would be headed traditionally by the medical consultant of the particular discipline. 

May I ask what are the Australian advisors to OT's for example, what are they advising on?

Kind Regards

Dave

Thank you all. I have been playing with the protocol- see attached.

I agree Laura, it is a great time to get in and research this- not only do we get to understand the impact but the feedback will guide the activity of the advisors. So while it isn;t action research, it does use research to guide action!

Dave, in terms of what the advisors are advising on... the answer is it is complex! These positions deviate from the idea of a 'Lead clinician' or consultant in that they are not necessarily clinical experts. Instead they advise on models of care, service design, provide support to clinicians and managers, strategic directions and similar- kind of a big picture view from a strategic sense, but also down to the support for sole therapist clinicians working in small rural health facilities. It is a demanding role, but does it offer any impact? That's what I want to find out.

Any comments are welcome.

Hi Dave, interesting to read this take on the ''alternative advisory role'' I know you asked for literature on advisory roles and I dont know of any. Are you interested in a personal clinically reason opinion to non clinical staff advising clinicians on advisory strategic roles?

Hi Dave

Certainly- what are your thoughts?

David

Hi David, having looked through some of your replies perhaps Laura Desveaux raises some considerations. As for me, at a strategic level leave this to those who have had plenty of experience in caring for patients, dont get non clinicians involved. My own experience tells me that the further up the managerial ladder you travel the further away from the subtleties you become. Subtleties that give rise to knowledge of patient care, timely discharges, and ultimately a good name amongst the wider community.    

I agree Dave- too often we see the disconnect between management and the real world of clinical practice...

I guess that's where this health district is lucky to be small, rural and lacking in a large pool of allied health leaders! The majority of discipline advisors are also department heads and maintain a clinical load (that's rural practice for you), with the exception of myself having moved out of clinical practice due to injury at the start of the year.

It does raise the question, though- will this connection to clinical practice be more meaningful to clinicians or managers? It may be an interesting contrast in the research findings.

Hi Dave then I guess you research question is very valid then, now i see its application a little better. I think if you lack ALH's then adaptation is the only way forward, you can only work with whom you have or what you've got. Good luck in your research David nice talking with you by the way.

Thanks Dave! Same to you.

Hi all

For those who may be interested - we have finally got ethics approval for this project after needing to do some redesign. The ethics committee were concerned that the way the project was proceeding could have been used as a performance management tool against the advisors. So after a rethink we are now using action research and program logic to explore this.

I would have attached the revised protocol for those interested, but I can only attach publications or links. If anyone is interested please message me and I'll happily share.

Cheers

David

Hi all who are still following this question.

Our research was completed and is in press with Journal of Allied Health. In the meantime here is a copy of a presentation given last year. Happy for any feedback.

Regards

David

Presentation Creating rural allied health leadership structures using dis...

Hi all

Our research will be published with the Journal of Allied Health in September. So I guess I have answered my own question!

Article Creating Rural Allied Health Leadership Structures Using Dis...