Boosting Allied Health Participation in Research
Pūtahi Manawa is supporting the Cardiac Society of Australia and New Zealand (CSANZ) Allied Health Chapter, led by Stacey Neilson (Team Leader at Te Whatu Ora Lakes) to look at how we can boost Allied Health participation in research. Allied health professionals in cardiology include physiologists, physiotherapists, pharmacists, cardiac technicians and sonographers. While there are increasing pressures in service delivery, the role of Allied Health in leading, conducting, and implementing research is critical in ensuring our patients are getting the best and most up-to-date care possible. These professionals are best placed to come up with the research questions to impact patient care but may not have the support or funding to do so.
To boost engagement, Lisa Wong, Pūtahi Manawa Research Engagement Manager, and Stacey Neilson (pictured) have conducted small discussion groups and surveys at Tauranga Hospital, Christchurch Hospital, and Waikato Hospital to gauge interest and identify barriers to research in order to develop appropriate resources and support in partnership with CSANZ. Allied Health is the second largest workforce in public health and increasing their participation in research engagement will have enormous impact on health research in the country and, ultimately, improve patient care.
Find out more about the allied health cardiovascular workforce here.