Allied and scientific health research and evidence informed practice

The Allied and Scientific Health Office (ASHO) support excellence in allied health research and translation to clinical practice, which is crucial to delivering quality, sustainable health care and evidence-informed practice to South Australians.

Current research and evidence informed practice

Further information

Further information on evidence based practice is also available on the Standards and guidelines page.

Allied Health Journal Clubs supported by the South Australian Health Library Service (SALUS)

SALUS provide high quality library and information services to support the SA Health workforce in the delivery of evidence based health care, clinical governance, continuing professional development, lifelong learning and ultimately, high quality patient care.

SALUS and ASHO will assist Allied Health Journal Clubs search for appropriate references. To access this service Journal Clubs should:

  1. Initially register for a SALUS username;
  2. Complete and submit the ASHO Journal Club literature search request form

Results will be returned directly to the nominated email address on the search request form.

Journal Clubs will be required to critically appraise returned articles with the following resources available to assist:

This represents a transition from the previously available iCAHE journal club process and aims to connect similar research requests across SA Health allied health teams, reducing reduplication and potentially expanding opportunities for collaborative processes (discipline-specific or interdisciplinary).

ASHO will assist this connectivity by monitoring the request themes and actively linking common focus areas. Additionally ASHO can be contacted via HealthAlliedandScientificHealth@sa.gov.au for details of similar research themes to assist development of a well-built clinical question.

Additional helpful resources available via the SALUS website include:

  1. Support to implement Evidence Based Practice 
  2. Hints and tips to develop new and improve existing Journal Clubs and
  3. Training to optimise other library services.

For further information or assistance with Allied Health Journal Clubs please contact ASHO via HealthAlliedandScientificHealth@sa.gov.au or telephone (08) 8226 6406.

Clinical Excellence: Strategic Directions for Building Allied Health Research and Translation Capacity

The purpose of the Clinical Excellence: Strategic Directions for Building Allied Health Research and Translation Capacity is to be visionary in its approach to research and evidence informed practice, to embed and sustain clinical research and the translation of research directly into clinical practice as recognised components of core business at all levels of allied health. This will enable provision of improved health care and health outcomes for individuals and the population. This strategy proposes to ensure that research is embedded and sustained in all health services and by all allied health professionals and is aligned with the Research Focus 2020 (SA Health) (PDF 130KB) and SA Health Strategic Plan 2017 to 2020. The strategy aims to:

  • Influence and guide allied health directors, line managers, heads of departments and staff in the clinical application of research and evidence-informed practice;
  • Co-ordinate and integrate research structures and systems and promote continued steps to build the application of allied health research to clinical practice; and
  • Promote clinical research excellence as a driver of better health and better health care for all South Australians.

The discussion document Clinical Excellence, Developing Strategic Directions to Build Allied Health Research and Translation Capacity (PDF1MB) written in consultation with the Allied Health Research Reference Group is now available.

International Centre for Allied Health Evidence (iCAHE)

The International Centre for Allied Health Evidence (iCAHE) works locally, nationally and globally to create new knowledge and translate evidence into safe, quality health care. iCAHE partners with researchers, clinicians, educators, policy makers, government, industry, professional and consumer groups and the broader community.

iCAHE provides a wide range of tools, services and resources to support health practitioners, in translating evidence into policy and practice. Please visit and explore the iCAHE website for more information. 

Health Consumers Alliance

International Centre for Allied Health Evidence (iCAHE) is visionary with its partnership with Healthcare Consumers Alliance (HCA). Consumer / patient engagement is a critical element in evidence-based practice, and is required in Australia for health service accreditation, and while it is attracting increasing community attention worldwide, there is very little evidence regarding the role of the Allied Health professional in translating this intent into effective practice.

iCAHE aims to make a difference to allied health interpretation of the evidence based practice components by focusing on the consumer aspects. This will be achieved by partnering with consumers, identifying exemplar allied health clinician / consumer activities (lived patient experiences) and attempting to understand consumer perspectives of healthcare consumption (Grimmer 2014).

Professional Certificate in Health Consumer Engagement

This Certificate resulted from collaboration between the iCAHE, University of South Australia and Health Consumers Alliance SA. It provides an opportunity to learn about health consumer engagement in the context of best evidence research and implementation. The Health Consumers Engagement Professional Certificate consists of two courses; Best Evidence, Policy and Practise for Health, and Application of Best Evidence in Health.

More information can be found via the University of South Australia.

Allied Health Evidence Database

The Allied and Scientific Health Office has collated a database of resources providing links and summary information for evidence related to Allied Health practice. The database includes research papers, clinical guidelines, practice frameworks, conference presentations and other resources which can be used to inform clinical practice.

Resources can be filtered by Profession, to see only discipline-specific information, or can be sorted by clinical area or by operational theme (such as scope of practice, AH led services, AH extended hours services and so on). The excel table format allows users to sort and filter the resources to see only relevant resources and instructions for these functions can be found within the document.

For further information, corrections or additions to the resource list, please contact the ASHO at HealthAlliedandScientificHealth@sa.gov.au

ASPIRE for quality

The ASPIRE for quality is an evidence-based tool developed by the International Centre for Allied Health Evidence to evaluate clinical service performance in South Australian Local Health Networks.

The development, implementation and pilot evaluation of the ASPIRE was funded by SA Health's Allied Health and Scientific Office.