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Objectives: The objectives of this study were to examine the roles and needs of allied health professionals (AHPs) working in public healthcare settings in rural and regional Victoria, Australia in providing components of palliative care in their routine practice. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted between March and May 2023. Surveys were collected from AHPs working in public healthcare settings in the Loddon Mallee region of Victoria, Australia. Clinicians reported on the frequency of provision of care to patients with terminal illness, and their self-reported skill and confidence in providing interventions to patients with palliative care needs. Results: In total, 121 clinicians completed the survey. Almost every respondent reported they had provided care to patients with a terminal illness, with 41% of clinicians providing this care daily or weekly. The respondents were confident carrying out generalist interventions such as maintaining physical function but reported lower confidence in managing common symptoms of terminal illness such as loss of appetite, swallowing difficulties and changing communication needs. Two-thirds of respondents had not undertaken any training specific to palliative care, with many unaware of how to access palliative care-specific training. Conclusion: AHPs in rural and remote areas regularly provide care to patients with terminal illness. As the number of patients seen in non-specialist palliative care settings is likely to increase in rural and regional areas, the low self-reported confidence in providing common components of care, and the low uptake of palliative care-specific training must be addressed to ensure AHPs can provide high-quality care to people with terminal illness. What is known about the topic? Due to the increasing demand for palliative care services, this care is increasingly delivered by general non-specialist clinicians such as allied health professionals. What does this paper add? This study provides evidence for how often a surveyed population of allied health professionals in rural and regional Australia are providing care to people with a terminal illness, as well as their confidence, competence and learning needs. What are the implications for practitioners? High-quality care is needed at end-of-life, therefore rural and regional health services need to support allied health professionals to increase confidence and competence in providing palliative care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: In Australia, there is little evidence exploring why higher degrees by research (HDRs) are undertaken by surgeons. This study aims to describe the attitudes and experiences of surgical trainees and surgeons towards HDRs. Methods: A 23-question cross-sectional survey of surgical trainees and consultant surgeons from three Australian public hospitals was undertaken between August and December 2022. Data were analysed according to stage of career and HDR status and assessed using chi-squared test, with P < 0.05 considered significant. Results: Out of 270 participants, 72 (27%) completed the survey including 30 (42%) trainees and 42 (58%) consultants. Overall, 43 (60%) participants had completed or were undertaking a HDR, which was similar between trainees (n = 18) and consultants (N = 25; P = 0.968). A HDR was associated with more publications (P < 0.5). Respondents with a HDR were more likely to have a salaried academic position (50%) than those without (15%). There was no significant difference in academic appointments based on HDR attainment (P = 0.192). For surgical trainees, 93% rated the strengthening of resumes as the primary driver, compared with only 60% of consultants. For consultants, academic career aspirations and research interests were ranked the highest at 64% equally. Lack of time and competing nature of surgical training were equally ranked among all as the key barriers to completing a HDR. Conclusions: These results provide insight into the academic pursuits of surgeons with an understanding of the role HDRs play, including the different drivers for Masters and Doctorates. This is important for supporting future surgeons who seek to pursue research. What is known about the topic? The value of research is well-recognised as a crucial part of the surgical training pathway. Despite this, minimal contemporary evidence exists which explores the impact of higher degrees by research (HDR) on academic career pathways in the Australian context. What does this paper add? Contemporary evidence was obtained to understand why Australian surgeons undertake HDRs and how their completion impacts the surgical career pathway. What are the implications for practitioners? By understanding the role of HDRs in the surgical landscape, practitioners can ensure beneficial support for future academic surgeons is in place. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Consumer-centred care is fundamental to high-quality health care, with allied health professionals playing a pivotal role in hospital settings. Allied health typically operates within standard weekday working-hours. Consumer preferences for receiving allied health services are largely unexplored but could inform whether weekend and/or out-of-hours services are required. This study aims to understand consumer preferences for hospital-based inpatient and outpatient allied health services. Methods: Using a cross-sectional survey and convenience sampling approach, consumers of a public health service in Melbourne, Australia were surveyed about preferences for allied health service delivery. Electronic health record reviews compared the accuracy of self-reported service delivery times. Descriptive statistics, concordance and predictive values were calculated. Responses to free-text survey items were analysed using content analysis. Results: Of 120 participants (79% response rate), most (69%) received allied health services, however, almost half of inpatient responders (44%) were unsure of the specific allied health professional involved. Audit results found moderate–high concordance overall (range, 77–96%) between self-reported and audit-identified allied health services by profession. Most inpatient responders had no strong day of week preference, equally selecting weekdays and weekend days, with most preferring services between 8 am and 4 pm. Outpatient responders (81%) preferred a weekday appointment between 8 am and 12 pm or before 8 am (29%) to complete scheduled activities early in the day. Conclusion: While provision of allied health services during standard working-hours was preferred by most consumers, some inpatient and outpatient consumers are receptive to receiving weekend and out-of-hours services, respectively. Decisions about offering these services should consider operational capacity and research evidence. What is known about the topic? Research on consumer acceptance of out-of-hours or weekend allied health services is lacking, with an assumption of consumer willingness and demand for these service models. What does this paper add? Hospital inpatients are generally indifferent to the day of allied health services, preferring weekday or weekend day equally, typically between 8 am and 4 pm, while outpatients favour weekday mornings. Although consumers reported that their needs were met by allied health services, there was a lack of awareness about the specific services they received. What are the implications for practitioners? Results highlight the importance of not only aligning service delivery with consumer preferences for timing, but also enhancing awareness and understanding of the available allied health services for consumers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. This study aimed to investigate allied health professionals' (AHPs') perspectives preand post-implementation of an electronic medical record (EMR) in a tertiary health service in Australia and examine factors influencing user acceptance. Methods. Data were collected preand post-EMR implementation via cross-sectional online surveys based on the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Usage of Technology (UTAUT). All AHPs at a large tertiary hospital were invited to complete the surveys. Data analysis included descriptive analysis, Mann--Whitney U tests for pre-post item- and construct-level comparison and content analysis of free-text responses. The theoretical model was empirically tested using partial least squares structural equation modelling. Results. AHPs had positive attitudes toward EMR use both pre- and post-implementation. Compared to pre-implementation, AHPs felt more positive post-implementation about system ease of use and demonstrated decreased anxiety and apprehension regarding EMR use. AHPs felt they had adequate resources and knowledge to use EMR and reported real-time data accessibility as a main advantage. Disadvantages of EMR included an unfriendly user interface, system outages and decreased efficiency. Conclusions. As AHPs increase EMR system familiarity, their positivity towards its use increases. An understanding of what influences AHPs when implementing new compulsory technology can inform change management strategies to improve adoption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. Fostering a research culture and enhancing research capacity within the workforce is essential for any health service aiming to provide evidence-based care. This study aims to explore the research culture and capacity in a community health service setting and provide a comparison to previous published research in other health service settings. Methods. Participants were invited to complete a survey consisting of demographics and the Research Capacity and Culture (RCC) tool. Median and interquartile ranges were calculated for each RCC item and compared to three Australian and one international comparison. Results. A total of 73 staff members from Metro North Community and Oral Health service participated. The team-level scores for the RCC were overall the lowest. Comparison to previously published research using the RCC indicated marginally higher scores for individual-level items in our study across all domains. Individual-level items were very weak to weakly correlated with the team and organisation-level RCC items. Strong to very strong correlations were found between a majority of the team and organisation-level items. Conclusions. Team-level scores were substantially lower when compared to individual and organisational levels. The item 'team leaders that support research' was positively correlated with various organisation-level items, indicating that if the respondent perceived the team leader as a low supporter of research the respondent perceived several organisation items also poorly. As an important stakeholder in enabling research in a health service, organisations should investigate the challenges experienced by team leaders in facilitating research and the support or training they may need. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]