Allied Health student led clinics: An opportunity for Workforce development
Journal Publication ResearchOnline@JCUAbstract
Objective: The project aimed to evaluate multidisciplinary allied health student placements co-located within a rural general practice clinic. Methods: Occupational therapy, social work and speech pathology placement students under discipline-specific supervision led an allied health clinic model servicing MMM 4–6 regions in Queensland, servicing clients with diverse health needs. Design: A cross-sectional survey design recording interventions, student and stakeholder experiences and client satisfaction was applied. Setting and Participants: Between February and July 2024, ten students completed placements within the student-led clinic, working with clients at a rural General Practice Clinic Main outcomes Measure: Descriptive statistics was used to summarise clients’ demographics, satisfaction and the services provided using SPSS version 29.0. Qualitative survey responses were analysed using Nvivo. Results: Student-led allied health services co-located within a General Practice clinic benefited rural communities by providing increased access to allied health services and a holistic approach to health care. Student-led allied health services alleviated the work burden for General Practitioners [GPs] in a rural health care setting. Conclusion: Multidisciplinary allied health student placements within a rural GP clinic benefited rural and remote communities through increased access to allied health services. Further research is needed to investigate interdisciplinary models of care and sustainable funding streams.
Journal
Australian Journal of Rural Health
Publication Name
Australian Journal of Rural Health
Volume
33
ISBN/ISSN
1440-1584
Edition
N/A
Issue
2
Pages Count
5
Location
N/A
Publisher
Wiley-Blackwell
Publisher Url
N/A
Publisher Location
N/A
Publish Date
N/A
Url
N/A
Date
N/A
EISSN
N/A
DOI
10.1111/ajr.70034