The Deployment and Utilization of the Allied Health Professions Support Workforce: A Scoping Review.

The demand for healthcare services internationally continues to increase, exacerbated by patient backlogs resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic and the difficulties in recruiting and retaining healthcare staff. These difficulties have led to increased interest in workforce redesign, and the upskilling of existing staff in all areas of healthcare, including within the Allied Health Professions (AHP). Clinical support staff are a key component of workforce redesign, yet little has been documented on the utilization of this workforce across the wide range of professions that collectively form the AHP workforce. Existing research is also unclear due to the variety of titles used to describe them (eg, allied health assistants, therapy assistants, etc). This study aimed to review how Support Workers and Assistant Practitioners (SWAPs) are utilized within the AHP professions. Electronic databases (MEDLINE, CINAHL complete, Scopus, and Google Scholar) were searched to find English Language primary research articles that explored the deployment of clinical support staff within Allied Health. Following the scoping review methodology, data from each study were analyzed in terms of design, key findings, and implications. A quality assessment was also completed. Thirty-nine articles met the eligibility criteria. Studies were undertaken in Australia, UK, and USA, and covered a range of AHPs and methodological approaches. Most articles employed qualitative methods, with highly variable research quality identified. Key findings were that cost-effectiveness of this workforce has not been formally evaluated in any setting or AHP discipline, and that support workers are a largely underutilized staff group potentially due to inconsistencies in their deployment and scope of practice, and the lack of a clear career pathway. Rigorous, quantitative, and mixed methods research into the deployment and impact of this staff group is needed in order to gain a clearer understanding of how they are optimally utilized across the different AHP disciplines.

Venous blood point-of-care testing (POCT) for paramedics in urgent and emergency care: protocol for a single-site feasibility study (POCTPara).

The COVID-19 pandemic placed the UK healthcare system under unprecedented pressure, and recovery will require whole-system investment in innovative, flexible and pragmatic solutions. Positioned at the heart of the healthcare system, ambulance services have been tasked with addressing avoidable hospital conveyance and reducing unnecessary emergency department and hospital attendances through the delivery of care closer to home. Having begun to implement models of care intended to increase 'see and treat' opportunities through greater numbers of senior clinical decision makers, emphasis has now been placed upon the use of remote clinical diagnostic tools and near-patient or point-of-care testing (POCT) to aid clinical decision making. In terms of POCT of blood samples obtained from patients in the pre-hospital setting, there is a paucity of evidence beyond its utility for measuring lactate and troponin in acute presentations such as sepsis, trauma and myocardial infarction, although potential exists for the analysis of a much wider panel of analytes beyond these isolated biomarkers. In addition, there is a relative dearth of evidence in respect of the practicalities of using POCT analysers in the pre-hospital setting. This single-site feasibility study aims to understand whether it is practical to use POCT for the analysis of patients' blood samples in the urgent and emergency care pre-hospital setting, through descriptive data of POCT application and through qualitative focus group interviews of advanced practitioners (specialist paramedics) to inform the feasibility and design of a larger study. The primary outcome measure is focus group data measuring the experiences and perceived self-reported impact by specialist paramedics. Secondary outcome measures are number and type of cartridges used, number of successful and unsuccessful attempts in using the POCT analyser, length of time on scene, specialist paramedic recruitment and retention, number of patients who receive POCT, descriptive data of safe conveyance, patient demographics and presentations where POCT is applied and data quality. The study results will inform the design of a main trial if indicated.

Scoping of advanced clinical practitioner role implementation using national job advertisements: Document analysis.

AIM: The aim of this study is to profile the contemporary advanced clinical practitioner (ACP) role through standardized document sets. DESIGN: Documentary analysis of job descriptions (JDs), person specification and advertisements. DATA SOURCES: England based jobs advertised on NHS jobs website from 22 January to 21 April 2021. RESULTS: A toatal of 143 trainee and qualified ACP roles were identified. A wide range of sectors and specialities were represented from across all English regions. The most common roles were urgent care, emergency medicine and primary care. Most qualified roles were agenda for change band 8A, although this did vary across specialities. Many roles were restricted to a small number of professions, notably nursing, physiotherapy and paramedic. Inconsistent role titles were noted. A lack of understanding of regulation across different professions was noted. CONCLUSION: The ACP role has become an accepted across healthcare providers in England. Implementation remains varied across specialities and organizations. Eligibility criteria may relate to professional bias. IMPLICATIONS FOR THE PROFESSION AND/OR PATIENT CARE: ACP roles are expanding but this may be at the detriment to advanced nursing posts. Inconsistency in role eligibility suggests some professional bias exists. IMPACT: This was scoping of ACP roles across England using job advertisements. ACP roles are common across sectors and specialities but eligibility varies. The research will have impact on those looking to recruit to ACP roles as well as those refining JDs. REPORTING METHOD: No EQUATOR guideline exists for document analysis. PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION: No Patient or Public Contribution. The research relates to organizational human resource information only.

A Longitudinal Evaluation of Computed Tomography Radiation Incidents Within a Multisite NHS Trust.

OBJECTIVES: This single-center review explores trends in computed tomography "radiation incidents" and suggests strategies for improvement. METHOD: A retrospective mixed-methods approach was used in this longitudinal evaluation of radiation incidents within a multisite NHS Trust in northern England. DATIX was interrogated at the Trust level to identify all records linked to radiation incident in computed tomography departments between January 1, 2015, and December 31, 2018. RESULTS: During the 4-year review period, 159,596 exams were performed at the Trust and a total of 133 incidents were recorded. This comprised 42.1% (n = 56) of radiation incidents, 43.6% (n = 58) of near-miss incidents, and 14.3% (n = 19) of repeat scans due to extravasation of contrast. The reported radiation incident rate was 0.08%. These data suggest an approximation of 1 incident per thousand cases. Most incidents were investigated using a "system approach," and the reports highlighted the relevant action that had been taken to try and prevent recurrence of the incident. Qualitative data collected from the root cause analysis minutes demonstrated themes related to the contributory factors, incident analysis performed, and overall learning. CONCLUSIONS: Computed tomography departments need to focus on a system approach instead of the "person approach" to identify areas where efficiencies can be implemented. Staff should feel open to discuss system inefficiencies that they experience and may highlight problems the management is unaware of. The reporting of all types of incidents, including near misses, should be encouraged, to foster an open culture and to expand learning.

Evaluating the potential for cone beam CT to improve the suspected scaphoid fracture pathway: InSPECTED: A single-centre feasibility study.

BACKGROUND: The suspected scaphoid fracture remains a diagnostic conundrum with over-treatment a common risk-averse strategy. Cross-sectional imaging remains the gold standard with MRI recommended but CT used by some because of easier access or limited MRI availability. The aim of this feasibility study was to evaluate whether cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) could support early diagnosis, or exclusion, of scaphoid fractures. METHODS: Patients with a suspected scaphoid were recruited fracture between March and July 2020. All underwent a 4-view X-ray. If this examination was normal, they were immediately referred for a CBCT scan of the wrist. Those with a normal scan were discharged to research follow-up at 2 and 6-weeks. RESULTS: 68 participants were recruited, 55 had a normal or equivocal X-ray and underwent CBCT. Nine additional radiocarpal fractures (16.2%) were demonstrated on CBCT, the remainder were discharged to research follow-up. Based on the 2-week and 6-week follow up three patients (4.4%) were referred for MRI to investigate persistent symptoms with no bony injuries identified. CONCLUSIONS: CBCT scans enabled a rapid pathway for the diagnosis or exclusion of scaphoid fractures, identifying other fractures and facilitating early treatment. The rapid pathway also enabled those with no bony injury to start rehabilitation, suggesting that patients can be safely discharged with safety-net advice following a CBCT scan.

Comparing the supine and erect pelvis radiographic examinations: an evaluation of anatomy, image quality and radiation dose.

OBJECTIVES: Pelvis radiographs are usually acquired supine despite standing imaging reflecting functional anatomy. We compared supine and erect radiographic examinations for anatomical features, radiation dose and image quality. METHODS: 60 patients underwent pelvis radiography in both supine and erect positions at the same examination appointment. Measures of body mass index and sagittal diameter were obtained. Images were evaluated using visual grading analysis and pelvic tilt was compared. Dose-area product values were recorded and inputted into the CalDose_X software to estimate effective dose (ED). The CalDose_X software allowed comparisons using data from the erect and supine sex-specific phantoms (MAX06 & FAX06). RESULTS: Patient sagittal diameter was greater on standing with an average 20.6% increase at the iliac crest (median 30.0, interquartile range [26.0 to 34.0] cm), in comparison to the supine position [24.0 (22.3 to 28.0) cm; p < 0.001]. 57 (95%) patients had posterior pelvic tilt on weight-bearing. Erect image quality was significantly decreased with median image quality scores of 78% (69 to 85) compared to 87% for the supine position [81 to 91] (p < 0.001). In the erect position, the ED was 47% higher [0.17 (0.13 to 0.33) mSv vs 0.12 (0.08 to 0.18) mSv (p < 0.001)], influenced by the increased sagittal diameter. 42 (70%) patients preferred the standing examination. CONCLUSION: Patient diameter and pelvic tilt were altered on weightbearing. Erect images demonstrated an overall decrease in image quality with a higher radiation dose. Optimal acquisition parameters are required for erect pelvis radiography as the supine technique is not directly transferable.

Point of care creatinine testing in diagnostic imaging: A feasibility study within the outpatient computed tomography setting.

INTRODUCTION: Although the risks associated with iodinated contrast administration are acknowledged to be very low, screening of kidney function prior to administration is still standard practice in many hospitals. This study has evaluated the feasibility of implementing a screening form in conjunction with point of care (PoC) creatinine testing as a method to manage the risks of post contrast acute kidney injury (PC-AKI) within the CT imaging pathway. METHOD: Over an eight-week period 300 adult outpatients attending a UK CT department for contrast-enhanced scans were approached. Participants completed a screening questionnaire for co-morbidities linked to kidney dysfunction and consented to have a PoC and laboratory creatinine tests. Comparison was made against with previous baseline blood tests obtained within the preceding 3 months, as required by the study site. Participants were also invited to attend for follow up PoC and laboratory bloods tests at 48-72 h. RESULTS: 14 patients (4.7%) had a scan-day eGFR below 45mL/min/1.73m2, all identified through screening. The majority of patients (n=281/300; 93.7%) fell in the same risk category based on previous and scan-day blood results. Six PoC test failures were recorded on the scan day. The constant error between the Abbott i-STAT PoC scan-day measurements and the laboratory scan-day measurements was -3.71 (95% CI: -6.41 to -0.50). Five patients had an elevated creatinine (≥25% from baseline) post contrast administration, but no instances of PC-AKI (≥50% from baseline) were identified. CONCLUSION: PoC creatinine testing is a practical method of ensuring renal function and is feasible in the radiology environment.

A UK survey exploring the assistant practitioner role across diagnostic imaging: current practice, relationships and challenges to progression.

OBJECTIVE:: Skill mix has been established as one method of maintaining imaging service delivery, with vertical and horizontal substitution of roles and tasks. Assistant practitioners (APs) have been undertaking limited imaging practice for almost two decades, but there remains a paucity of evidence related to the impact of their roles. METHODS:: This article reports on an electronic survey of individual APs within the NHS in the UK to explore utilisation, role scope and aspirations. RESULTS:: Responses were analysed from APs (n = 193) employed in 97 different organisations across the UK. The majority work in general radiography or mammography, with very few responses from other imaging modalities. Training routes varied across modalities, with most achieving Band 4 under Agenda for Change on completion of education. Limitations on practice vary between organisations and modalities, with many reporting blurring of the radiographer-AP boundary. Many aspire to continue their training to achieve registrant radiographer status, although there were clear frustrations from respondents over the lack of overt career prospects. CONCLUSION:: Integration of the role into imaging department practice does not appear to be universal or consistent and further research is required to examine the optimal skill mix composition. ADVANCES IN KNOWLEDGE:: Skill mix implementation is inconsistent across modalities and geography in the UK. Opportunities for further workforce utilisation and expansion are evident.

Point-of-care creatinine testing for kidney function measurement prior to contrast-enhanced diagnostic imaging: evaluation of the performance of three systems for clinical utility.

BACKGROUND: Acute kidney injury (AKI) can occur rarely in patients exposed to iodinated contrast and result in contrast-induced AKI (CI-AKI). A key risk factor is the presence of preexisting chronic kidney disease (CKD); therefore, it is important to assess patient risk and obtain kidney function measurement prior to administration. Point-of-care (PoC) testing provides an alternative strategy but there remains uncertainty, with respect to diagnostic accuracy and clinical utility. METHODS: A device study compared three PoC analysers (Nova StatSensor, Abbott i-STAT and Radiometer ABL800 FLEX) with a reference laboratory standard (Roche Cobas 8000 series, enzymatic creatinine). Three hundred adult patients attending a UK hospital phlebotomy department were recruited to have additional blood samples for analysis on the PoC devices. RESULTS: The ABL800 FLEX had the strongest concordance with laboratory measured serum creatinine (mean bias=-0.86, 95% limits of agreement=-9.6 to 7.9) followed by the i-STAT (average bias=3.88, 95% limits of agreement=-8.8 to 16.6) and StatSensor (average bias=3.56, 95% limits of agreement=-27.7 to 34.8). In risk classification, the ABL800 FLEX and i-STAT identified all patients with an eGFR≤30, whereas the StatSensor resulted in a small number of missed high-risk cases (n=4/13) and also operated outside of the established performance goals. CONCLUSIONS: The screening of patients at risk of CI-AKI may be feasible with PoC technology. However, in this study, it was identified that the analyser concordance with the laboratory reference varies. It is proposed that further research exploring PoC implementation in imaging department pathways is needed.

Optimum Positioning for Anteroposterior Pelvis Radiography: A Literature Review.

AIM: Pelvic radiography is used for the identification of hip joint changes, including pathologies such as osteoarthritis. Several studies have recommended that the position for this radiological procedure should be standing, not supine, to reflect the functional appearances of the hip joint. The aim of this review was to evaluate pelvis radiography positioning with respect to the image appearances and information provided for clinical decision-making. Aside from this, potential recommendations to the radiographic technique for an erect pelvis projection will be considered. METHOD: A literature search was performed using databases/abstract systems (ScienceDirect, Web of Science, PubMed, and MEDLINE). Only articles written in English were included. RESULTS: Twenty-five articles were identified. Findings from the review describe the effect of repositioning from supine to erect on a series of specific hip measurements. These include pelvic tilt, joint space width, and the acetabular component. CONCLUSION: Evidence within the literature illustrates that in several studies, there were differences when repositioning from supine to standing for a number of pelvic metrics. Standing positioning is promoted by some authors since this may facilitate the early diagnosis of hip joint pathology and assist in the planning of surgical interventions. Literature is very limited on how to optimally perform erect pelvis radiography, and this should be an area for future research.

Doctoral profile of the medical radiation sciences: a baseline for Australia and New Zealand.

INTRODUCTION: Research is critical to evidence-based practice, and the rapid developments in technology provide opportunities to innovate and improve practice. Little is known about the research profile of the medical radiation science (MRS) profession in Australia and New Zealand (NZ). This study provides a baseline of their doctoral activity. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey of MRS professionals in Australia and NZ holding a doctorate or undertaking doctoral studies, was performed using an online tool (Bristol Online Survey® , Bristol, UK). A chain-referral sampling technique was adopted for data collection. An email invitation with a link to the survey was generated and distributed through email and social media. The survey contained questions related to participant demographics, doctoral status, qualification route, funding and employment. RESULTS: There were 63 responses to the survey comprising 50.8% diagnostic radiographers (DRs; n = 32), 23.8% radiation therapists (RTs; n = 15), with the remaining 25.4% (n = 16) equally split between sonographers and nuclear medicine technologists (NMTs). A total of 40 (63.5%) of respondents had completed their doctoral qualification. In NZ, only DRs held a doctoral award constituting 0.3% of DRs and 0.2% of the total registered MRS population. In Australia, there was a greater proportion of doctoral NMTs (n = 8/1098; 0.7%) than RTs (n = 15/2394; 0.6%) and DRs (n = 27/12,001; 0.2%). CONCLUSION: Similar to other countries, findings show a very small percentage of doctoral MRS professionals in Australia and NZ. Strategies to engage and support individuals in research, up to and beyond doctoral study, need to be embedded in practice.

Strategies for assessing renal function prior to outpatient contrast-enhanced CT: a UK survey.

OBJECTIVE: To identify current UK screening practices prior to contrast-enhanced CT. To determine the patient management strategies to minimize the risk of contrast-induced acute kidney injury (CI-AKI) risk in outpatients. METHODS: An invitation to complete an electronic survey was distributed to the CT managers of 174 UK adult National Health Service hospital trusts. The survey included questions related to local protocols and national guidance on which these are based. Details of the assessment of renal function prior to imaging and thresholds for contrast contraindication and patient management were also sought. RESULTS: A response rate of 47.1% was received. Almost all sites had a policy in place for contrast administration (n = 80/82; 97.6%). The majority of sites require a blood test on outpatients undergoing a contrast-enhanced CT scan (n = 75/82; 91.5%); however, some (15/75; 20.0%) sites only check the result in patients at high risk and a small number (7/82; 8.5%) of sites indicated that it was a referrer responsibility. The estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) or serum creatinine (SCr) result threshold at which i.v. contrast was contraindicated varied and 19 different threshold levels of eGFR or SCr were identified, each leading to different prophylactic strategies. Inconsistency was noted in the provision of follow-up blood tests after contrast administration. CONCLUSION: The wide variation in practice reflects inconsistencies in published guidance. Evidence-based consensuses of which patients to test and subsequent risk thresholds will aid clinicians identify those patients in which the risk of CI-AKI is clinically significant but manageable. There is also a need to determine the value of the various prophylactic strategies, follow-up regimen and efficient service delivery pathways. Advances in knowledge: This survey has identified that further work is required to define which patients are high risk, confirm those which require renal function testing prior to contrast administration and how best to manage patients at risk of CI-AKI. The role of new technologies within this service delivery pathway requires further investigation.

Radiographer reporting in the UK: is the current scope of practice limiting plain-film reporting capacity?

OBJECTIVE: To update knowledge on individual radiographer contribution to plain-film reporting workloads; to assess whether there is scope to further increase radiographer reporting capacity within this area. METHODS: Reporting radiographers were invited to complete an online survey. Invitations were posted to every acute National Health Service trust in the UK whilst snowball sampling was employed via a network of colleagues, ex-colleagues and acquaintances. Information was sought regarding the demographics, geographical location and anatomical and referral scope of practice. RESULTS: A total of 259 responses were received. 15.1% and 7.7% of respondents are qualified to report chest and abdomen radiographs, respectively. The mean time spent reporting per week is 14.5 h (range 1-37.5). 23.6% of radiographers report only referrals from emergency departments whilst 50.6% of radiographers have limitations on their practice. CONCLUSION: The scope of practice of reporting radiographers has increased since previous studies; however, radiographer reporting of chest and abdomen radiographs has failed to progress in line with demand. There remain opportunities to increase radiographer capacity to assist the management of reporting backlogs. ADVANCES IN KNOWLEDGE: This study is the first to examine demographic factors of reporting radiographers across the UK and is one of the largest in-depth studies of UK reporting radiographers, at individual level, to date.