title: Audit of allied health assistant roles: suggestions for improving quality in rural settings.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  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.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 41 allied health assistant trial roles were audited using an intensive onsite audit by independent clinicians.
  
  
  METHODS
  Queensland public health services across rural/regional and metropolitan settings.
  
  
  METHODS
  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.
  
  
  METHODS
  Appropriately targeted in-service training may facilitate more effective utilisation of rural allied health assistants.
  
  
  RESULTS
  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.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Training in reflective practice may be a step to realising the potential of this crucial and emerging sector of the rural health workforce.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Functioning and Health Research, Metro South Health and CONROD, Griffith Health Institute, Griffith University, Meadowbrook, Queensland, Australia.
authors.forename: Pim
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kuipers
authors.affiliation: Queensland Health, Allied Health Professions Office of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hurwood
authors.affiliation: Queensland Health, Allied Health Professions Office of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
authors.forename: Liza-Jane
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: McBride
mesh_terms: D000488:Allied Health Personnel; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D024382:Professional Role; D036301:Qualitative Research; D058996:Quality Improvement; D011793:Queensland; D019035:Rural Health Services / Q000592:standards*; D012424:Rural Population; D014481:United States; D000078329:Workforce
keywords: allied health; reflective practice; supervision; task shifting; training