Allied Health Research Unit
The SMHS Allied Health Research Unit (AHRU) provides leads and supports SMHS allied health professionals who are planning to engage, or are already engaged, in research.
Allied health professions across SMHS include:
- audiology
- clinical (neuro)psychology
- dietetics
- exercise physiology
- occupational therapy
- physiotherapy
- podiatry
- social work
- speech pathology.
The unit was established in October 2019 via the joint appointment (SMHS-Curtin University) of an Allied Health Research Director. Its vision is to make research (driven by consumer priorities and clinical practice) and knowledge translation core practice for allied health professionals across SMHS for the benefit of Western Australians.
The unit's focus is to strengthen the clinical expertise of allied health professionals with complementary research skills so they can contribute to producing high-quality research which:
- advances the knowledge base of their profession
- enables evidence-based practice
- demonstrates the effectiveness of interventions and models of service delivery.
The unit provides opportunities to allied health professionals to:
- be involved in quality improvement, research and multicentre clinical trials
- pursue higher degree by research studies and postdoctoral research.
Allied Health Research Capacity and Culture Survey
In 2020, the unit conducted an initial Allied Health Research Survey using the Research Capacity and Culture (RCC) tool. The tool measures indicators of research capacity and culture at the level of individuals as well as teams (profession) and organisation. It is often used to conduct needs assessments and inform the planning and evaluation of research capacity building interventions.
This initial survey provided an understanding of SMHS Allied Health research capacity and culture in 2020, as well as barriers and motivators to engaging in research.
A SMHS Allied Health Research Strategy was then put in place, based on 3 main pillars:
- Supporting allied health professionals
- Working together (collaboration and interdisciplinary research)
- Valuing research for excellence.
Follow up surveys
The Allied Health Research Survey using the RCC tool was repeated in 2022 and 2024.
The 2024 survey and report:
- highlighted improvements in SMHS Allied Health research capacity and culture since the initial 2020 survey
- informed ongoing and future strategies for building allied health research capacity across SMHS
- includes a summary of research initiatives and achievements of our allied health professionals between 2020 and 2023.
Allied health research initiatives
The following initiatives have already been established to support research and foster a research culture within SMHS allied health professions include:
- Establishment of recurring Building Research Capacity grants (up to 10 days per project) to fund clinical backfill for allied health professionals to develop and/or implement research projects/activities.
- Support to apply for PhD and MPhil scholarships.
- Support to collaborate in Honours student projects and Clinical Masters projects in partnership with academics.
- Additional links with WA Allied Health academics/researchers, especially Curtin University.
- Opportunities for collaboration and involvement in national and international trials.
- Creation of the Fiona Stanley Fremantle Hospitals Group (FSFHG)-Curtin University Allied Health Postdoctoral Research Fellowship, to provide allied health professionals who have completed a PhD the opportunity to have protected-research time.
- In collaboration with Curtin University:
- four FSFHG research coordinators were appointed to provide research support/mentoring within dietetics, occupational therapy, physiotherapy and speech pathology
- an Honorary Research Consultant for FSFHG Social Work was appointed.
- Creation of the intranet page as a central source of information for SMHS allied health researchers.
- Support for conference attendance and manuscript publication.
- Streaming allied health research short video lessons.
- Celebration and acknowledgement of research achievements through internal and external platforms.
Contact us
Allied Health Research Unit
Level 2, Harry Perkins South, Fiona Stanley Hospital
Phone: 6151 1223
Return to the main research page.