Waters M, de Jersey S, Brebner N, Reeves MM. Understanding workforce needs of allied health staff in regional cancer care centres: Informing recruitment and succession planning.
Aust J Rural Health 2023;
31:114-123. [PMID:
36200731 DOI:
10.1111/ajr.12925]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2021] [Revised: 06/15/2022] [Accepted: 09/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE
To describe: (1) the type and frequency of interventions undertaken by regional cancer specialist Allied Health Professionals (AHPs); and (2) regional generalist AHPs' exposure and confidence in undertaking these interventions.
DESIGN
Multiphase, observational study including a prospective study and a cross-sectional survey.
SETTING
Two regional Queensland Hospitals.
PARTICIPANTS
Cancer specialist AHPs (n = 13 in a prospective study; n = 7 in a cross-sectional survey) and generalist AHPs (n = 36 in a cross-sectional survey), across six disciplines from two regional hospitals and cancer services.
MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES
Phase 1: Frequency of cancer care AHP occasions of service and interventions. Phase 2: Current practice in cancer care AHP interventions; confidence; access to training, professional development and mentorship; barriers to working in cancer care, among cancer care and generalist AHPs.
RESULTS
Over 10-months, cancer care AHPs collectively delivered 12 393 interventions across 8850 occasions of service. Only four cancer care interventions were exclusively or predominantly carried out by cancer care AHPs-laryngectomy pre-operative counselling, laryngectomy rehabilitation and tracheostomy management (speech pathology) and lymphoedema management (physiotherapy). Generalist AHPs reported slightly lower confidence across all tasks if asked to carry out known interventions in a cancer setting compared with familiar settings. The primary perceived barrier to working in cancer care was lack of skills/experience/training reported by most CC AHPs, generalist Physiotherapists and Speech Pathologists, but not other generalist AHPs.
CONCLUSION
There was a significant overlap in interventions undertaken in the cancer care and generalist setting for AHPs. Appropriate on-boarding to contextualise interventions to cancer care is recommended to overcome reported lower confidence.
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