Pighills, Alison C., Bradford, Michelle, Bell, Kirsty, Flynn, Laura J., Williams, Gary, Hornsby, Danielle, Torgerson, David J., and Kaltner, Melissa (2015) Skill-sharing between allied health professionals in a community setting: a randomised controlled trial. International Journal of Therapy and Rehabilitation, 22 (11). pp. 524-534.

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Abstract

Background/Aims: The increasing demand for health services necessitates workforce redesign to reduce inefficiencies while maintaining quality of care. Health services have been implementing professional skill-sharing models of care to enable allied health practitioners to expand their scope of practice. This article reports the outcome of a randomised controlled trial that investigated the clinical effectiveness of professional skill-sharing.

Methods: The Calderdale Framework was used to establish a model of professional skill-sharing. A randomised controlled trial was carried out with community-dwelling older people aged 65 years and above experiencing functional decline (n=153). Participants were randomised to professional skill-sharing intervention (n=77) or uni-professional occupational therapy and/or physiotherapy care control (n=76). Disability, mobility, independence in activities of daily living and quality of life were measured by a blinded assessor at baseline, 1 and 4 months post-randomisation.

Results: There were no statistically significant differences in any of the outcome measures between groups. Less than half (43%) of the controls received uni-professional intervention. Sub-group analysis of intervention and control participants who had received uni-professional intervention upheld the results of the main analysis.

Conclusions: Professional skill-sharing was equivalent in outcome to conventional, uni-professional occupational therapy and/or physiotherapy for a community-dwelling ageing population experiencing functional decline. Further research is required.

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