Audit of allied health assistant roles: suggestions for improving quality in rural settings.

Abstract

There is considerable potential for allied health assistant roles to address rural workforce shortage, but there is also a need to ensure quality of these roles. A total of 41 allied health assistant trial roles were audited using an intensive onsite audit by independent clinicians. Queensland public health services across rural/regional and metropolitan settings. Audit ratings of rural/regional and metropolitan positions were compared on indicators of training, supervision, performance, duties and scope of practice as measured through multiple sources. Appropriately targeted in-service training may facilitate more effective utilisation of rural allied health assistants. Metropolitan and rural/regional audits showed consistency across qualifications, provision of duty statements and formal supervision arrangements. However, rural positions were not able to provide comparable levels of in-service training and supervision, and rural positions reflected a more restricted scope of practice. Training in reflective practice may be a step to realising the potential of this crucial and emerging sector of the rural health workforce.