Investigating personality and conceptualising allied health as person or technique oriented

Objective. Allied health (AH) includes many diverse professions, each with a unique contribution to healthcare, making it possible to consider these professions as person oriented (PO) or technique oriented (TO). This paper explored the personality traits of AH professionals from the perspective of both the PO or TO orientation and the individual professions. Methods. AH professionals (n = 562) provided demographic data and completed the Temperament and Character Inventory. Examination of the literature and a consultation process resulted in nine professions classified as PO and 10 classified as TO. Multivariate analyses compared levels of personality traits and demographic variables between the PO (n = 492) and TO (n = 70) groups, and the professions within the groups. Results. Professionals in the PO group showed significantly higher levels of traits that emphasise person orientation attributes, such as being sociable, empathic and cooperative, compared with AH professionals in professions with an emphasis on TO. Conclusions. Trends in personality traits among AH professionals were congruent with the PO and TO aspects of their chosen profession. This supports the usefulness of the PO and TO concepts in describing AH professions and may provide new clues for policy aiming to enhance job satisfaction, retention and career development.