Jenny Care

RESEARCH THESIS

Policy and practice in health practitioner regulation in Australia: stakeholder perspectives regarding non-registered health professions

This project seeks to understand the attitudes, perceptions, and experiences of a range of stakeholders regarding the regulation of non-registered health occupations in Australia.

In Australia, there are 16 health professions registered under statutory law known as the National Registration and Accreditation Scheme (NRAS). The paramount guiding principle of the NRAS is protection of the public. The professions regulated under NRAS include chiropractic, dentistry, midwifery, nursing, and medical practice.

Non-registered health professions are regulated under voluntary certification arrangements known as self-regulation in which professional associations and voluntary registering bodies set education/qualification standards, accredit courses, and establish codes of conduct that members agree to when they join. These arrangements are considered voluntary since there is no law compelling a health practitioner of a non-registered occupation to join an association and submit themselves to the standards and codes set by the association. There are other statutory and non-statutory regulation mechanisms in place for health practitioners but these either do not cover all non-registered occupations, or are not in force in all Australian jurisdictions.

The research project investigates the perspectives of four stakeholder groups; consumer advocates, professional associations, peak professional/voluntary registering bodies, and policy/regulatory officials, regarding their views on the regulatory arrangements for non-registered health professions.  Fifteen health occupations not registered under the NRAS as of 1 July 2012 are included in the research scope; audiology, counselling, clinical perfusion, dietetics, exercise physiology, massage therapy, myotherapy, naturopathy, orthoptics, paramedicine, psychotherapy, social work, sonography, speech pathology, and Western herbal medicine.

This research uses a qualitative multi-method approach involving analysis of 560 documents, and 42 interviews with 46 stakeholders. It aims to identify the evidence of and explanations for the perspectives of stakeholders regarding the regulation of non-registered health occupations in Australia. The research employs a Bourdieusian theoretical framework through which to view, understand and explain the findings from the data collected, including any maintaining structures and causal mechanisms. The research aims to inform health practitioner regulation policy and contribute to a reform agenda for non-registered health professions.