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Lapchmanan LM, Hussin DA, Mahat NA, Ng AH, Bani NH, Hisham S, Teh WS, A Aziz MA, Maniam S, Dollah P, Hasbullah NA, Manimaran S, Hassan H, Zulkernain F. Developing criteria for a profession to be considered as profession of allied health in Malaysia: a qualitative study from the Malaysian perspective. BMC Health Serv Res 2024; 24:165. [PMID: 38308291 PMCID: PMC10835829 DOI: 10.1186/s12913-024-10569-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2023] [Accepted: 01/05/2024] [Indexed: 02/04/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The 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. METHODS This 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. RESULTS Sixteen 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. CONCLUSIONS For 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.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Duratul Ain Hussin
- Allied Health Sciences Division, Ministry of Health Malaysia, Putrajaya, Malaysia
| | - Naji Arafat Mahat
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Johor Bahru, Johor, Malaysia
- Centre for Sustainable Nanomaterials, Ibnu Sina Institute for Scientific and Industrial Research, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Johor Bahru, Johor, Malaysia
- Centre of Research for Fiqh Forensics and Judiciary, Faculty of Syariah and Law, Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia, Nilai, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia
| | - Aik Hao Ng
- Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Malaya, Kuala, Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Nurul Huda Bani
- Audiology Unit, Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Cheras Rehabilitation Hospital, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Salina Hisham
- Department of Forensic Medicine, Hospital Sultan Idris Shah Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Wai Siew Teh
- Nutrition Division, Ministry of Health Malaysia, Putrajaya, Malaysia
| | - Mohd Azmarul A Aziz
- School of Health Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Kubang Kerian, Kelantan, Malaysia
| | - Saravanakumar Maniam
- Allied Health Sciences Division, Ministry of Health Malaysia, Putrajaya, Malaysia
| | - Pauzilah Dollah
- Allied Health Sciences Division, Ministry of Health Malaysia, Putrajaya, Malaysia
| | - Nur Atiqah Hasbullah
- Allied Health Sciences Division, Ministry of Health Malaysia, Putrajaya, Malaysia
| | - Salini Manimaran
- Allied Health Sciences Division, Ministry of Health Malaysia, Putrajaya, Malaysia
| | - Hazirah Hassan
- Allied Health Sciences Division, Ministry of Health Malaysia, Putrajaya, Malaysia
| | - Farina Zulkernain
- Allied Health Sciences Division, Ministry of Health Malaysia, Putrajaya, Malaysia
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