Skip to main content
Key Specialties
Cardiology Diabetology Endocrinology Gastroenterology Geriatrics and Gerontology Gynecology and Obstetrics Hematology Infectious Disease Internal Medicine Nephrology Neurology Oncology Pediatrics Respiratory Medicine Rheumatology Surgery
Congress Coverage
2024 ACC Congress 2023 ESMO Congress 2023 EASD Congress 2023 ERS Congress 2023 ESC Congress 2023 EHA Congress 2023 ASCO Annual Meeting
Clinical Collections
Advances in Alzheimer’s

Keynote webinar | Spotlight on sleep in brain health

LIVE: Thursday 2nd May 2024, 18:00-19:30 (CEST)

Quality sleep is essential for health. But what happens to our brains when sleep patterns are disturbed? Join our experts to explore the interplay between sleep disruption and neurological diseases, and the questions that you need to be asking your patients to help you prevent the harmful effects of sleep deprivation.
ADVANCED SEARCH
Log in
Top
Human Resources for Health
Published in: Human Resources for Health 1/2015

Open Access 01-12-2015 | Methodology

Factors affecting retention of allied health professionals working with people with disability in rural New South Wales, Australia: discrete choice experiment questionnaire development

Authors: Gisselle Gallego, Angela Dew, Kim Bulkeley, Craig Veitch, Michelle Lincoln, Anita Bundy, Jennie Brentnall

Published in: Human Resources for Health | Issue 1/2015

Login to get access

Abstract

Objective

This paper describes the development of a discrete choice experiment (DCE) questionnaire to identify the factors (attributes) that allied health professionals (AHPs) working with people with disability identify as important to encouraging them to remain practising in rural areas.

Methods

Focus groups and semi-structured interviews were conducted with 97 purposively selected service providers working with people with disability in rural New South Wales, Australia. Focus groups and interviews were digitally recorded, transcribed, and analysed using a modified grounded theory approach involving thematic analysis and constant comparison.

Results

Six attributes that may influence AHPs working with people with disability in rural areas to continue to do so were inductively identified: travel arrangements, work flexibility, professional support, professional development, remuneration, and autonomy of practice. The qualitative research information was combined with a policy review to define these retention factors and ensure that they are amenable to policy changes.

Conclusion

The use of various qualitative research methods allowed the development of a policy-relevant DCE questionnaire that was grounded in the experience of the target population (AHPs).
Literature
1.
2.
Buchan JM, Naccarella L, Brooks PM. Is health workforce sustainability in Australia and New Zealand a realistic policy goal? Aust Health Rev. 2011;35(2):152–5.CrossRefPubMed
3.
Becker S. Critical shortage of allied health professionals in the disability sector. Sydney: National Disability Service (NDS) National Workforce Committee; 2011. Available from: [file:///C:/Users/giga0007/Downloads/Shortage_of_allied_health_professionals_in_the_disability_sector%20(2).pdf]. Accessed on 16 April 2015
4.
Keane S, Lincoln M, Smith T. Retention of allied health professionals in rural New South Wales: a thematic analysis of focus group discussions. BMC Health Serv Res. 2012;12:175.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral
5.
6.
Bundy A, Hemsley B, Brentnall J, Marshall E. Therapy services in the disability sector: literature review. Sydney, NSW: NSW Department of Ageing, Disability and Home Care; 2008.
7.
Chedid R, Lincoln M, Veitch C, Bundy A, Gallego G, Dew A, et al. How many allied health professionals are employed in the disability sector in rural and remote NSW and how often do they leave the sector? Australasian Society for Intellectual Disability: Sydney; 2013.
8.
9.
10.
Lincoln M, Gallego G, Dew A, Bulkeley K, Veitch C, Bundy A, et al. Recruitment and retention of allied health professionals in the disability sector in rural and remote New South Wales Australia. J Intell Disabil Res. 2014;39(1):86–97.CrossRef
11.
Commission AGP. Disability care and support - Productivity Commission Inquiry Report. Commonwealth of Australia: Canberra; 2011.
12.
National Disability Services (NDS). Forming a national disability workforce strategy. Discussion Paper. National Disability Services; 2014.
13.
14.
Lievens T, Lindelow M, Serneels P. Understanding health workforce issues: a selective guide to the use of qualitative methods. In: Handbook on Monitoring and Evaluation of Human Resources for Health. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2009. p. 129–46.
15.
Vujicic M, Shengelia B, Alfano M, Thu HB. Physician shortages in rural Vietnam: using a labor market approach to inform policy. Soc Sci Med. 2011;73(7):970–7.CrossRefPubMed
16.
Hanson K, Jack W. Health worker preferences for job attributes in Ethiopia: results from a discrete choice experiment. Working Paper. Washington, DC: Georgetown University; 2008.
17.
Lagarde M, Blaauw D. A review of the application and contribution of discrete choice experiments to inform human resources policy interventions. Hum Resour Health. 2009;7:62.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral
18.
Mangham LJ, Hanson K. Employment preferences of public sector nurses in Malawi: results from a discrete choice experiment. Trop Med Int Health. 2008;13(12):1433–41.CrossRefPubMed
19.
Lancsar E, Louviere J. Conducting discrete choice experiments to inform healthcare decision making: a user’s guide. Pharmacoeconomics. 2008;26(8):661–77.CrossRefPubMed
20.
de Bekker-Grob EW, Ryan M, Gerard K. Discrete choice experiments in health economics: a review of the literature. Health Econ. 2012;21(2):145–72.CrossRefPubMed
21.
22.
23.
Creswell JW. Qualitative inquiry & research design: choosing among five approaches. 2nd ed. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications; 2007.
24.
Bryman A. Social research methods. 3rd ed. Oxford: Oxford University Press; 2001. p. 529–33.
25.
Veitch C, Dew A, Bulkeley K, Lincoln M, Bundy A, Gallego G, et al. Issues affecting therapist workforce and service delivery in the disability sector in rural and remote New South Wales, Australia: perspectives of policy-makers, managers and senior therapists. Rural Remote Health. 2012;12(2):1903.PubMed
26.
Veitch C, Lincoln M, Bundy A, Gallego G, Dew A, Bulkeley K, et al. Integrating evidence into policy and sustainable disability services delivery in western New South Wales Australia: the ‘wobbly hub and double spokes’ project. BMC Health Serv Res. 2012;12:70.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral
27.
Braun V, Clarke V. Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qual Res Psychol. 2006;3:77–101.CrossRef
28.
Charmaz K. Constructing grounded theory: a practical guide through qualitative analysis. Thousand Oaks: Sage; 2006.
29.
Graham CM. Professional staff contributions to positive student outcomes: a case study. Aust Univ Rev. 2013;55(1):7–16.
30.
Dew A, Gallego G, Bulkeley K, Veitch C, Lincoln M, Bundy A, et al. Policy development and implementation for disability services in rural New South Wales Australia. J Policy Pract Intel. 2014;11(3):200–9.
31.
Al-Janabi H, Coast J, Flynn TN. What do people value when they provide unpaid care for an older person? A meta-ethnography with interview follow-up. Soc Sci Med. 2008;67(1):111–21.CrossRefPubMed
32.
Coast J, Al-Janabi H, Sutton EJ, Horrocks SA, Vosper AJ, Swancutt DR, et al. Using qualitative methods for attribute development for discrete choice experiments: issues and recommendations. Health Econ. 2012;21(6):730–41.CrossRefPubMed
33.
Ryan M. Using consumer preferences in health care decision making: the application of conjoint analysis. London: Office of Health Economics; 1996.
34.
O’Toole K, Schoo A, Hernan A. Why did they leave and what can they tell us? Allied health professionals leaving rural settings. Aust Health Rev. 2010;34(1):66–72.CrossRefPubMed
35.
Campbell N, McAllister L, Eley D. The influence of motivation in recruitment and retention of rural and remote allied health professionals: a literature review. Rural Remote Health. 2012;12:1900.PubMed
36.
Keane S, Smith T, Lincoln M, Fisher K. Survey of the rural allied health workforce in New South Wales to inform recruitment and retention. Aust J Rural Health. 2011;19(1):38–44.CrossRefPubMed
37.
Mills A, Millsteed J. Retention: an unresolved workforce issue affecting rural occupational therapy services. Aust OccupTher J. 2002;49(4):170–81.CrossRef
38.
Schoo AM, Stagnitti KE, Mercer C, Dunbar J. A conceptual model for recruitment and retention: allied health workforce enhancement in Western Victoria Australia. Rural Remote Health. 2005;5(4):477.PubMed
39.
Denham LA, Shaddock AJ. Recruitment and retention of rural allied health professionals in developmental disability services in New South Wales. Aust J Rural Health. 2004;12(1):28–9.CrossRefPubMed
40.
Wielandt PM, Taylor E. Understanding rural practice: implications for occupational therapy education in Canada. Rural Remote Health. 2010;10(3):1488.PubMed
41.
Bent A. Allied health in Central Australia: challenges and rewards in remote area practice. Aust J Physiother. 1999;45(3):203–12.CrossRefPubMed
42.
Gillham S, Ristevski E. Where do I go from here: we’ve got enough seniors? Aust J Rural Health. 2007;15(5):313–20.CrossRefPubMed
43.
Grewal I, Lewis J, Flynn T, Brown J, Bond J, Coast J. Developing attributes for a generic quality of life measure for older people: preferences or capabilities? Soc Sci Med. 2006;62(8):1891–901.CrossRefPubMed
44.
Fitzpatrick E, Graham ID, Durieux-Smith A, Angus D, Coyle D. Parents’ perspectives on the impact of the early diagnosis of childhood hearing loss. Int J Audiol. 2007;46(2):97–106.CrossRefPubMed
45.
Witter S. Thi Thu Ha B, Shengalia B, Vujicic M. Understanding the ‘four directions of travel’: qualitative research into the factors affecting recruitment and retention of doctors in rural Vietnam. Hum Resour Health. 2011;9(1):20.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral
46.
Ke KM, Mackichan F, Sandy JR, Ness AR, Hollingworth W. Parents’ perspectives on centralized cleft services for children: the development of a DCE questionnaire. Oral Dis. 2013;19(2):185–92.CrossRefPubMed
47.
Coast J, Horrocks S. Developing attributes and levels for discrete choice experiments using qualitative methods. J Health Serv Res Policy. 2007;12(1):25–30.CrossRefPubMed
Metadata
Title
Factors affecting retention of allied health professionals working with people with disability in rural New South Wales, Australia: discrete choice experiment questionnaire development
Authors
Gisselle Gallego
Angela Dew
Kim Bulkeley
Craig Veitch
Michelle Lincoln
Anita Bundy
Jennie Brentnall
Publication date
01-12-2015
Publisher
BioMed Central
Published in
Human Resources for Health / Issue 1/2015
Electronic ISSN: 1478-4491
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12960-015-0013-7

Other articles of this Issue 1/2015

Human Resources for Health 1/2015 Go to the issue

Research

Profile, knowledge, and work patterns of a cadre of maternal, newborn, and child health CHWs focusing on preventive and promotive services in Morogoro Region, Tanzania

Research

Perspectives of key stakeholders regarding task shifting of care for HIV patients in Mozambique: a qualitative interview-based study with Ministry of Health leaders, clinicians, and donors

Research

What motivates doctors to leave the UK NHS for a “life in the sun” in New Zealand; and, once there, why don’t they stay?

Review

Analysis of context factors in compulsory and incentive strategies for improving attraction and retention of health workers in rural and remote areas: a systematic review

Research

The effect of pre-service training on post-graduation skill and knowledge retention among mid-level healthcare providers in Mozambique

Research

The privatization of medical education in Brazil: trends and challenges