title: Oceans apart, yet connected: Findings from a qualitative study on professional supervision in rural and remote allied health services.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Improving the quality and safety of health care in Australia is imperative to ensure the right treatment is delivered to the right person at the right time. Achieving this requires appropriate clinical governance and support for health professionals, including professional supervision. This study investigates the usefulness and effectiveness of and barriers to supervision in rural and remote Queensland.
  
  
  METHODS
  As part of the evaluation of the Allied Health Rural and Remote Training and Support program, a qualitative descriptive study was conducted involving semi-structured interviews with 42 rural or remote allied health professionals, nine operational managers and four supervisors. The interviews explored perspectives on their supervision arrangements, including the perceived usefulness, effect on practice and barriers.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Themes of reduced isolation; enhanced professional enthusiasm, growth and commitment to the organisation; enhanced clinical skills, knowledge and confidence; and enhanced patient safety were identified as perceived outcomes of professional supervision. Time, technology and organisational factors were identified as potential facilitators as well as potential barriers to effective supervision.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This research provides current evidence on the impact of professional supervision in rural and remote Queensland. A multidimensional model of organisational factors associated with effective supervision in rural and remote settings is proposed identifying positive supervision culture and a good supervisor-supervisee fit as key factors associated with effective arrangements.
authors.affiliation: Cunningham Centre, Division of Allied Health, Darling Downs Hospital and Health Service, Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia.|Rural Clinical School, School of Medicine, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia.
authors.forename: Wendy
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9150-6132
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Ducat
authors.affiliation: Cunningham Centre, Division of Allied Health, Darling Downs Hospital and Health Service, Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia.|International Centre for Allied Health Evidence, University of South Australia, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.
authors.forename: Priya
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Martin
authors.affiliation: International Centre for Allied Health Evidence, University of South Australia, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.
authors.forename: Saravana
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kumar
authors.affiliation: Cunningham Centre, Division of Allied Health, Darling Downs Hospital and Health Service, Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia.
authors.forename: Vanessa
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Burge
authors.affiliation: Cunningham Centre, Division of Allied Health, Darling Downs Hospital and Health Service, Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia.
authors.forename: LuJuana
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Abernathy
mesh_terms: D000488:Allied Health Personnel / Q000458:organization & administration*; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D010559:Personnel Management; D036301:Qualitative Research; D011793:Queensland; D019035:Rural Health Services
keywords: allied health; clinical supervision; professional development for rural health professionals; professional supervision; rural health workforce