Allied health surge capacity in Australian intensive care units during the COVID-19 pandemic: A cross-sectional survey

Paykel, M; Ridley, E; Freeman-Sanderson, A; Ramanan, M; Booth, S; Cook, K; Ip, K; De Gori, M; Blackshaw, J; Markham, D; Downie, S; Haines, K

Allied health surge capacity in Australian intensive care units during the COVID-19 pandemic: A cross-sectional survey

Paykel, M Ridley, E Freeman-Sanderson, A

Ramanan, M Booth, S Cook, K Ip, K De Gori, M Blackshaw, J Markham, D Downie, S Haines, K

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Publisher:: Elsevier
Publication Type:: Journal Article
Citation:: Australian Critical Care, 2023, 36, (1), pp. 108-113
Issue Date:: 2023-01-01

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Field	Value	Language
dc.contributor.author	Paykel, M
dc.contributor.author	Ridley, E
dc.contributor.author	Freeman-Sanderson, A https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2161-6421
dc.contributor.author	Ramanan, M
dc.contributor.author	Booth, S
dc.contributor.author	Cook, K
dc.contributor.author	Ip, K
dc.contributor.author	De Gori, M
dc.contributor.author	Blackshaw, J
dc.contributor.author	Markham, D
dc.contributor.author	Downie, S
dc.contributor.author	Haines, K
dc.date.accessioned	2023-09-19T00:27:09Z
dc.date.available	2023-09-19T00:27:09Z
dc.date.issued	2023-01-01
dc.identifier.citation	Australian Critical Care, 2023, 36, (1), pp. 108-113
dc.identifier.issn	1036-7314
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10453/172173
dc.description.abstract	Background: Based on the early international COVID-19 experience, it was anticipated that intensive care services and workforces in Australia would be placed under similar pressure. While surge capacity of medical and nursing workforces was estimated, little was known about baseline allied health staffing, making it difficult to estimate surge capacity and coordinate planning. Objectives: The purpose of this study was to (i) capture baseline allied health staffing levels in Australian adult intensive care units (ICUs) prior to the COVID-19 pandemic emergence in Australia and (ii) describe the allied health pandemic planning and surge response in Australian ICUs during the early waves of the pandemic. Methods: This was a cross-sectional, investigator-devised, prospective survey study. The survey was administered via the national chief allied health network to a convenience sample of senior ICU allied health clinicians at hospitals throughout Australia. Results: A total of 40 responses were received from tertiary and metropolitan hospitals; 12 (30%) physiotherapists and eight (20%) occupational therapists were the most frequent respondents. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, 28 (70%) allied health respondents had a mean (interquartile range) of 1.74 (2.00) full-time equivalent staff designated to the ICU, where these ICUs had a mean of 21.53 (15.00) ventilator beds. Few respondents serviced their ICU on a referral-only basis and did not have dedicated ICU full-time equivalent (12; 20%). Surge planning was mostly determined by discussion within the ICU, allied health department, and/or respective disciplines. This approach meant that allied health staffing and associated decision-making was ad hoc at a local level. Conclusions: The baseline rate of allied health coverage in Australian ICUs remains unknown, and the variability across allied health and within the specific disciplines is undetermined. Further research infrastructure to capture ICU allied health workforce data is urgently needed to guide future pandemic preparedness.
dc.language	en
dc.publisher	Elsevier
dc.relation.ispartof	Australian Critical Care
dc.relation.isbasedon	10.1016/j.aucc.2022.09.001
dc.rights	info:eu-repo/semantics/closedAccess
dc.subject	1103 Clinical Sciences, 1110 Nursing
dc.subject.classification	Nursing
dc.subject.classification	4205 Nursing
dc.title	Allied health surge capacity in Australian intensive care units during the COVID-19 pandemic: A cross-sectional survey
dc.type	Journal Article
utslib.citation.volume	36
utslib.for	1103 Clinical Sciences
utslib.for	1110 Nursing
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Health
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Health/Graduate School of Health
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Health/Graduate School of Health/GSH.Speech Pathology
utslib.copyright.status	closed_access	*
dc.date.updated	2023-09-19T00:27:08Z
pubs.issue	1
pubs.publication-status	Published
pubs.volume	36
utslib.citation.issue	1

Abstract:

Background: Based on the early international COVID-19 experience, it was anticipated that intensive care services and workforces in Australia would be placed under similar pressure. While surge capacity of medical and nursing workforces was estimated, little was known about baseline allied health staffing, making it difficult to estimate surge capacity and coordinate planning. Objectives: The purpose of this study was to (i) capture baseline allied health staffing levels in Australian adult intensive care units (ICUs) prior to the COVID-19 pandemic emergence in Australia and (ii) describe the allied health pandemic planning and surge response in Australian ICUs during the early waves of the pandemic. Methods: This was a cross-sectional, investigator-devised, prospective survey study. The survey was administered via the national chief allied health network to a convenience sample of senior ICU allied health clinicians at hospitals throughout Australia. Results: A total of 40 responses were received from tertiary and metropolitan hospitals; 12 (30%) physiotherapists and eight (20%) occupational therapists were the most frequent respondents. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, 28 (70%) allied health respondents had a mean (interquartile range) of 1.74 (2.00) full-time equivalent staff designated to the ICU, where these ICUs had a mean of 21.53 (15.00) ventilator beds. Few respondents serviced their ICU on a referral-only basis and did not have dedicated ICU full-time equivalent (12; 20%). Surge planning was mostly determined by discussion within the ICU, allied health department, and/or respective disciplines. This approach meant that allied health staffing and associated decision-making was ad hoc at a local level. Conclusions: The baseline rate of allied health coverage in Australian ICUs remains unknown, and the variability across allied health and within the specific disciplines is undetermined. Further research infrastructure to capture ICU allied health workforce data is urgently needed to guide future pandemic preparedness.

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http://hdl.handle.net/10453/172173