The introduction and evaluation of an occupational therapy assistant practitioner

Nancarrow, Susan; Mackey, Hazel

doi:10.1111/j.1440-1630.2005.00531.x

Cited by 47 publications

(59 citation statements)

References 25 publications

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“…In the United Kingdom, expanded role occupational therapy support workers/advanced practitioners had completed National Vocational Qualification training 7. However, there was a perception reported in this qualitative study (NHMRC level not assigned) that a number of the skills/attributes that the A/AHA requires could only be gained through experience, rather than the formal “paper” qualification 7…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 87%

“…A qualitative study7 (NHMRC level not assigned) reported the competencies required of an extended role occupational therapy support worker. These were the ability to make sound judgments, interpersonal skills (eye contact, “nice disposition”, friendly), interest in the job, communication skills, confidence, need to be able to assert their own role boundaries/competence/confidence, drive, have developed the role themselves, assertiveness, initiative, ability to “think outside the box”, need for self-direction, trustworthy (more than just a police check), ability to think/reflect on role, type of people who will continually improve (eg, undertake training), experience, training to underpin competence, formal qualifications, willing to accept responsibility, willing to learn, and clinical competence 7…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Specific to the advanced community rehabilitation assistant role, time management was an issue because the A/AHA had to report to and communicate with a range of supervisors 38. Some allied health professionals felt that the A/AHA were a cheap alternative to their own role;7 however, in another study,38 an A/AHA felt that their remuneration was insufficient given the additional responsibility of the role. These factors need to be considered in implementing A/AHA roles.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Role, implementation, and effectiveness of advanced allied health assistants: a systematic review

Stanhope¹,

Pearce²

2013

JMDH

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BackgroundThe purpose of this systematic review was to determine the effectiveness and implementation of advanced allied health assistant roles.MethodsA systematic search of seven databases and Google Scholar was conducted to identify studies published in English peer-reviewed journals from 2003 to 2013 and reporting on the effectiveness and implementation of advanced allied health assistant (A/AHA) roles. Reference lists were also screened to identify additional studies, and the authors’ personal collections of studies were searched. Studies were allocated to the National Health and Medical Research Council hierarchy of evidence, and appraisal of higher-level studies (III-1 and above) conducted using the Centre for Evidence Based Medicine Systematic Review Critical Appraisal Sheet for included systematic reviews or the PEDro scale for level II and III-1 studies. Data regarding country, A/AHA title, disciplines, competencies, tasks, level of autonomy, clients, training, and issues regarding the implementation of these roles were extracted, as were outcomes used and key findings for studies investigating their effectiveness.ResultsFifty-three studies were included, and most because they reported background information rather than investigating A/AHA roles, this representing low-level information. A/AHAs work in a range of disciplines, with a variety of client groups, and in a number of different settings. Little was reported regarding the training available for A/AHAs. Four studies investigated the effectiveness of these roles, finding that they were generally well accepted by clients, and provided more therapy time. Issues in integrating these new roles into existing health systems were also reported.ConclusionA/AHA roles are being implemented in a range of settings, and appear to be effective in terms of process measures and stakeholder perceptions. Few studies have investigated these roles, indicating a need for research to be conducted in this area to enable policy-makers to consider the value of these positions and how they can best be utilized.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 87%

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Role, implementation, and effectiveness of advanced allied health assistants: a systematic review

Stanhope¹,

Pearce²

2013

JMDH

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“…Nancarrow and Mackey described the roles and responsibilities of the occupational therapy support worker 23. Focus group interviews with four groups of stakeholders, namely assistant practitioners (n = 5), supervisors (n = 5), managers (n = 4), and service users (n = 3) were conducted.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…These included reduction in skin breakdown rates, ventilator days per patients, ventilator pneumonia rate, and overall fewer complications. In a qualitative study by Nancarrow and Mackey, patients expressed satisfaction with the amount of time spent with them by the staff member which was facilitated through the introduction of occupational therapy assistants 23. The ability to identify better with patients, because of a similarity in background and less use of complicated language, was also identified as contributing to improved patient satisfaction.…”

Section: Benefits Of Introducing Ahas Within the Allied Health Workforcementioning

confidence: 99%

Allied health assistants and what they do: A systematic review of the literature

Lizarondo

Kumar²,

Hyde³

et al. 2010

JMDH

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Objective:Allied health assistants (AHAs) are an emerging group in allied health practice with the potential to improve quality of care and safety of patients. This systematic review summarizes the evidence regarding the roles and responsibilities of AHAs and describes the benefits and barriers to utilizing AHAs in current health care settings.Methods:A systematic process of literature searching was undertaken. A search strategy which included a range of electronic databases was searched using key terms. Studies which examined the roles and responsibilities of AHAs (across all allied health disciplines) were included in the review. Only publications written in the English language were considered, with no restriction on publication date. Two reviewers independently assessed eligibility of the articles. Data extraction was performed by the same reviewers. A narrative summary of findings was presented.Results:Of the initial 415 papers, 10 studies were included in the review. The majority of papers reported roles performed by general health care assistants or rehabilitation assistants who work in multiple settings or are not specifically affiliated to a health discipline. All current AHAs duties have elements of direct patient care and indirect support via clerical and administrative or housekeeping tasks. Benefits from the introduction of the AHA role in health care include improved clinical outcomes, increased patient satisfaction, higher-level services, and more “free” time for allied health professionals to concentrate on patients with complex needs. Barriers to the use of AHAs are related to blurred role boundaries, which raises issues associated with professional status and security.Conclusions:There is consensus in the literature that AHAs make a valuable contribution to allied health care. Whilst there are clear advantages associated with the use of AHAs to support allied health service delivery, ongoing barriers to their effective use persist.

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References

2010

Interprofessional Teamwork for Health and Social Care

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The introduction and evaluation of an occupational therapy assistant practitioner

Cited by 47 publications

References 25 publications

Role, implementation, and effectiveness of advanced allied health assistants: a systematic review

Role, implementation, and effectiveness of advanced allied health assistants: a systematic review

Allied health assistants and what they do: A systematic review of the literature

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