Poster Presentation Australian and New Zealand Stroke Organisation Conference 2026

Learning needs of allied health professionals across a public health setting: implications for stroke rehabilitation workforce development (#132)

Stephanie Baber 1 , David Snowdon 1 2 , Andriel McKay 1 , Beth Storr 1 , Sally Harrowfield 1 , Laura Jolliffe 1 3 4
  1. Peninsula Care Group, Bayside Health, Frankston, VIC, Australia
  2. La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia
  3. Monash University, Frankston, VIC, Australia
  4. National Centre for Healthy Ageing, Melbourne, VIC, Australia

Background/Aim: Allied health professionals (AHPs) play a central role in stroke rehabilitation, yet the learning needs of this multidisciplinary workforce are poorly understood. The Allied Health Clinical Educator role has been established in Australian public health settings to support professional development, however limited research exists on how these roles can best address diverse learning needs, including those specific to stroke care. This study identified AHP learning needs and preferred education formats, with attention to stroke-related priorities.

Method: A cross-sectional anonymous survey was conducted with AHPs and managers at a large metropolitan public health service in Melbourne, Australia. Free-text responses were analysed using qualitative content analysis; descriptive statistics summarised demographic and format preference data.

Results: 104 participants across eight professions completed the survey, providing 314 coded learning need nominations. Neurological assessment and management, particularly stroke, was a prominent clinical learning need identified across professions (n=17), however the skills identified were discipline-specific, including mobility and exercise progression (physiotherapy), upper limb assessment and intervention (occupational therapy), nutritional management (dietetics), and swallowing assessment (speech pathology). Non-clinical priorities, including leadership development (23% of nominations) and quality improvement and research skills (14%), were interdisciplinary. In-person education was the most preferred delivery format (41%), valued for enabling demonstration, feedback, and peer learning suited to complex clinical skills.

Conclusion: Stroke-related learning needs span allied health professions but require profession-specific education to address discipline-specific competency gaps. Education strategies should pair targeted stroke upskilling with structured interdisciplinary development, prioritising in-person delivery to support skill acquisition in complex rehabilitation practice.