From Insight to Impact: Scoping Out Remote Allied Health Models of Practice

Background

Allied health professionals in remote Australia face significant challenges, including professional isolation, extended scopes of practice, and limited access to contextually relevant education. Existing practice models are typically discipline specific and urban focused. Hence, there is a limited guidance on realities of remote practice and there is no current unified model to support the education and practice of allied health professionals in remote settings. This study aims to identify existing models of practice and inform the development of a remote allied health practice model. To achieve this aim, the main study is divided into two sub-studies: a scoping review of the current practice models followed by a qualitative study to explore the applicability of the findings to the real world and develop a transdisciplinary remote allied health practice model. This abstract outlines the first part of the study, the scoping review.

Aim

The aim of this scoping review is to identify the models of practice that are currently used by allied health teams working in remote health settings and explore how these models could better facilitate transdisciplinary practice in remote areas.

Methods

This scoping review was conducted using the PRISMA-ScR framework. The aim of the review was to identify and map current models of allied health practice, and how these might be adapted to facilitate transdisciplinary practice in remote areas. Using the PCC (Population–Concept–Context) framework, the review focused on allied health professionals across various disciplines and models of practice.
A comprehensive, three-step search strategy was implemented, including initial scoping of key databases, a full search across multiple platforms, and manual reference screening. Selection and data extraction was conducted by four reviewers in two stages: a pilot followed by the final selection and review. All disagreements were resolved by consensus. Extracted data covered key study details and practice models and their characteristics. A thematic synthesis was used to analyse the extracted data, enabling the identification of practice models, transdisciplinary features, and adaptations relevant to remote contexts.

Results

The selected data sources include peer-reviewed journal articles, grey literature, policy and strategic documents and practice guidelines. Study designs of the selected articles include both quantitative and qualitative studies. Data analysis identified a limited number of allied health models utilised in remote practice, with telehealth identified as a common practice model. A collaborative transdisciplinary model was the most reported, where professionals shared roles and responsibilities across disciplines. Multidisciplinary practice models were also evident, promoting coordinated input from various allied health professionals. Another commonly reported model was a community-based approach, specifically developed for culturally distinctive communities.

Conclusions

The review highlights a limited range and type of models currently used in remote allied health practice. Notably, no model identified was specifically developed for remote allied health settings. Hence, it is a significant research gap, highlighting the need for the development of an allied health practice model that addresses the unique challenges of remote allied health practice.