Ready, Set, Coach: A Mixed Methods Pilot Study Exploring the Impact of Implementation Coaching to Optimize the Allied...

Area of Science:

• Health Services Management
• Allied Health Workforce Development
• Implementation Science

Background:

• The Victorian Allied Health Assistant Workforce Project (2022) provided 18 recommendations and resources for allied health assistant (AHA) utilization.
• Uptake of these resources in public health settings required evaluation, leading to the development of an implementation coaching program.
• The pilot aimed to enhance the application of recommendations and resources for optimizing the AHA workforce.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design, deliver, and evaluate a pilot implementation coaching program.
• To embed and implement Victorian allied health assistant workforce recommendations and resources within a public health setting.

Main Methods:

• A non-experimental, pre- and post- mixed methods design was employed.
• Data collection included the Organizational Readiness for Implementing Change (ORIC) scale, a workforce survey, Goal Attainment Scale (GAS), interviews, and team reflections.

Main Results:

• Six Victorian public health organizations participated in the 16-week pilot program.
• Significant positive changes in Goal Attainment Scale (GAS) scores were observed (p=0.001).
• Organizational size, geography, managerial support, and the experience/credibility of coaching teams influenced outcomes.

Conclusions:

• Coaching is valuable for implementing statewide workforce recommendations in public health.
• The study offers a model for organizations implementing workforce optimization strategies.
• Successful implementation depends on contextual factors and stakeholder engagement.