Evaluation of the Allied Health Advanced Practice Program

The Objective

Aspex Consulting was commissioned by the Victorian Department of Health to undertake an evaluation of the Advanced Practice grant program, designed to enhance the roles of allied health practitioners across the state. The evaluation aimed to assess the effectiveness and sustainability of the program in shaping advance practice models within healthcare settings.

Our Approach

In the 2022-2024 grant period, the program supported 29 advanced practice models of care in 30 different health services across Victoria.

We adopted a comprehensive data collection approach, incorporating workshops with advanced practitioners and their managers, a survey targeting all stakeholders involved in the program, and telephone consultations with medical specialists. This provided a rich, nuanced understanding of the program’s impact.

Our approach involved developing a robust Evaluation Framework, refining the program theory, and adjusting the existing program logic to ensure it reflected current needs and priorities. We established clear evaluation questions, focusing on the domains of appropriateness, efficiency, and effectiveness, to guide our assessment.

The Outcomes

The evaluation detailed 16 recommendations aimed at improving the procurement, design, implementation and sustainability of the program. These insights will play a pivotal role in refining future grant rounds, ensuring that the program continues to meet the evolving needs of allied health practitioners and healthcare services across Victoria.