Lapchmanan, L. Mageswary and Hussin, Duratul Ain and Mahat, Naji Arafat and Ng, Aik Hao and Bani, Nurul Huda and Hisham, Salina and Teh, Wai Siew and Aziz, Mohd Azmarul and Maniam, Saravanakumar and Dollah, Pauzilah and Hasbullah, Nur Atiqah and Manimaran, Salini and Hassan, Hazirah and Zulkernain, Farina (2024) Developing criteria for a profession to be considered as profession of allied health in Malaysia: a qualitative study from the Malaysian perspective. BMC Health Services Research, 24 (1). p. 165. ISSN 1472-6963, DOI https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-024-10569-0.
Full text not available from this repository.Abstract
BackgroundThe Malaysian Allied Health Profession Act (Act 774) regulates the practice of allied health practitioners in Malaysia, with two described professions viz. allied health profession (AHP) and profession of allied health (PAH). While AHPs have been clearly identified by the law, comprehensive implementation of the act requires development of specific criteria in defining any profession as PAH in the Malaysian context. Hence, the research aims to explore and identify the criteria for defining such professions for healthcare policy direction in Malaysia.MethodsThis research utilised two methods of qualitative research (document review and focus group discussions (FGDs) involving 25 participants from four stakeholders (higher education providers, employers, associations and regulatory bodies). Both deductive and inductive thematic content analysis were used to explore, develop and define emergent codes, examined along with existing knowledge on the subject matter.ResultsSixteen codes emerged from the FGDs, with risk of harm, set of competency and skills, formal qualification, defined scope of practice, relevant training and professional working within the healthcare team being the six most frequent codes. The frequencies for these six codes were 62, 46, 40, 37, 36 and 18, correspondingly. The risk of harm towards patients was directly or indirectly involved with patient handling and also relates to the potential harms that may implicate the practitioners themselves in performing their responsibilities as the important criterion highlighted in the present research, followed by set of competency and skills.ConclusionsFor defining the PAH in Malaysia, the emerged criteria appear interrelated and co-exist in milieu, especially for the risk of harm and set of competency and skills, with no single criterion that can define PAH fully. Hence, the integration of all the empirically identified criteria must be considered to adequately define the PAH. As such, the findings must be duly considered by policymakers in performing suitable consolidation of healthcare governance to formulate the appropriate regulations and policies for promoting the enhanced framework of allied health practitioners in Malaysia.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Funders: | World Health Organization (APW 2018/846577-2) |
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | Allied health profession act; Criteria for profession of allied Health; Allied health professions; Focus group discussion; Document review analysis; Malaysia |
| Subjects: | R Medicine > R Medicine (General) |
| Divisions: | Faculty of Medicine |
| Depositing User: | Ms. Juhaida Abd Rahim |
| Date Deposited: | 08 Nov 2024 04:44 |
| Last Modified: | 08 Nov 2024 04:44 |
| URI: | http://eprints.um.edu.my/id/eprint/45665 |
Actions (login required)
 |
View Item |
