Perceptions of change readiness of allied health professionals within a long-term care facility in Malta

Abstract

Healthcare organisations face dynamic and complex environments that require continuous adaptation to sustain high-quality care. Organisational readiness for change (ORC) is a multidimensional construct shaped by leadership, structural systems, organisational culture, and individual psychology. Literature highlights that strong leadership, transparent communication, robust HR systems, and alignment between organisational values and staff engagement are critical to successful transformation. Readiness can differ significantly across professional and demographic groups and overlooking relational and emotional dimensions risks undermining change initiatives. This mixed-methods study examined ORC among Allied Health Professionals (AHPs) at a government-run long-term care facility in Malta, using the Organisational Change Readiness Assessment (OCRA) survey and a management focus group. The survey achieved a 54% response rate (n = 47), revealing notable departmental disparities: Physiotherapy and Podiatry reported higher readiness, whereas Occupational Therapy (OT) and Speech and Language Pathology (SLP) identified more barriers, especially in HR Systems and Information Processes. Statistical analysis showed significant differences between departments in five levers of change, with OT and SLP consistently perceiving them as greater obstacles. Differences also emerged by seniority and educational level, with more senior and postgraduate-qualified staff reporting more perceived barriers. Focus group findings reinforced these patterns, identifying visible leadership, early involvement, pilot testing, and targeted task delegation as key enablers, while poor communication, resource limitations, and change fatigue were common inhibitors. Reliability testing showed good internal consistency (α > 0.7) for most levers, borderline reliability for Lever G Human Resources (α = 0.689), and unacceptable reliability for Lever A External Environment (α = 0.460), suggesting refinement is needed. The report ends with a number of practical recommendations based on the literature and on the findings of this study for improving readiness in multidisciplinary settings and for further research.