Allied health professions
Encyclopedia
Allied health professions are clinical health care
professions distinct from dentistry
, nursing
and medicine
. One estimate reported allied health professionals make up 60 percent of the total health workforce. They work in health care teams to make the health care system
function by providing a range of diagnostic, technical, therapeutic and direct patient
care and support services that are critical to the other health professionals they work with and the patients they serve.
to practice, but usually all allied health professions that require a post-secondary degree or higher qualification are included.
Depending on the country and local health care system, a limited subset of the following professions (professional areas) may be represented, and may be regulated:
All professional areas ascribed before belong to the ever-growing group of allied health professionals and their subspecialties. The precise titles, roles, and requisites
of the allied health professions may vary considerably from country to country. For example, the National Council for Homeopathy of Pakistan and the Central Council of Homeopathy of India recognize as allied health professionals those who qualify with a four-year university degree in the discipline, whereas in other countries the practice of homeopathy is not subject to professional regulation
.
include:
However, it is more and more recognised that other professionals have a role to play in regard to healthcare. These include professionals such as youth workers, social workers, sexual health workers and school nurses. Not only do these practitioners have a key role to play due to their interaction with a wide range of the population but they may also have that opportunistic 'teachable' moment that allows them to impart health advice in a non-threatening manner.
The Allied Health Professions Council of South Africa recognizes and regulates practitioners in the following professional areas:
jobs because of the opportunities for advancement within specific fields.
Allied health professions can include the use of many skills. Depending on the profession, these may include basic life support
; medical terminology
, acronyms and spelling
; basics of medical law and ethics
; understanding of human relations; interpersonal communication
skills; counseling skills; computer literacy; ability to document healthcare information; interviewing skills; and proficiency in word processing
; database
management and electronic dictation.
brought increasingly sophisticated and complex medical
diagnostic and treatment procedures. Increasing public demand for medical services combined with higher health care costs provoked a trend toward expansion of service delivery from treating patients in hospitals to widespread provision of care in physician's private and group practices, ambulatory medical and emergency clinics, and mobile clinics and community-based care. In the developing world, international development assistance led to numerous initiatives for strengthening health workforce
capacity to deliver essential health care services. What followed has been an increase in the need for skilled health care delivery personnel worldwide.
Changes in the health industry and emphasis on cost-efficient solutions to health care delivery will continue to encourage expansion of the allied health workforce. The World Health Organization estimates there is currently a worldwide shortage of about 2 million allied health professionals (considering all health workers aside from medical and nursing personnel) needed in order to meet global health
goals.
In recognition of the growth of the number and diversity of allied health professionals in recent years, the newly adopted 2008 version of the International Standard Classification of Occupations
has increased the number of groups dedicated to allied health professions. Depending on the presumed skill level, they may either be identifed as “health professionals” or “health associate professionals”. For example, new categories have been created for delineating “paramedical practitioners” — grouping professions such as clinical officer
s, clinical associates
, physician assistant
s, Feldsher
s, and assistant medical officers
— as well as for community health worker
s; dietitian
s and nutritionist
s; audiologists and speech therapists; and others.
Studies have also pointed to the need for increased diversity
in the allied health workforce to realize a culturally competent
health system in the United States and elsewhere.
Workforce and health care experts anticipate that health services will increasingly be delivered via ambulatory and nursing care settings rather than in hospitals. According to the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS), the health care industry consists of three main sub-sectors, divided by the types of services provided at each facility:
In the US, a larger proportion of the allied health care workforce is already employed in ambulatory settings. In California, nearly half (49.4 percent) of the allied health workforce is employed in ambulatory health care settings, compared with 28.7 percent and 21.9 percent employed in hospital and nursing care, respectively.
Advancements in medical technology also allow for more services that formerly required expensive hospital stays to be delivered via ambulatory care. For example, in California, research has predicted the total consumption of hospital days per person will decline from 4 days in 2010 to 3.2 days in 2020 to 2.5 days in 2030. In contrast, the number of ambulatory visits per person will increase from 3.2 visits per person in 2010 to 3.6 visits per person in 2020 to 4.2 visits in 2030.
In developing countries, many national human resources for health
strategic plans and international development initiatives are focusing on scaling up training of allied health professions, such as HIV/AIDS counsellors, clinical officer
s and community health worker
s, in providing essential preventive and treatment services in ambulatory and community-based care settings.
With this growing demand for ambulatory health care, researchers expect to witness a heavier demand for professions that are employed within the ambulatory sector and other non-hospital settings — in other words, allied health.
Health care
Health care is the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of disease, illness, injury, and other physical and mental impairments in humans. Health care is delivered by practitioners in medicine, chiropractic, dentistry, nursing, pharmacy, allied health, and other care providers...
professions distinct from dentistry
Dentistry
Dentistry is the branch of medicine that is involved in the study, diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of diseases, disorders and conditions of the oral cavity, maxillofacial area and the adjacent and associated structures and their impact on the human body. Dentistry is widely considered...
, nursing
Nursing
Nursing is a healthcare profession focused on the care of individuals, families, and communities so they may attain, maintain, or recover optimal health and quality of life from conception to death....
and medicine
Medicine
Medicine is the science and art of healing. It encompasses a variety of health care practices evolved to maintain and restore health by the prevention and treatment of illness....
. One estimate reported allied health professionals make up 60 percent of the total health workforce. They work in health care teams to make the health care system
Health care system
A health care system is the organization of people, institutions, and resources to deliver health care services to meet the health needs of target populations....
function by providing a range of diagnostic, technical, therapeutic and direct patient
Patient
A patient is any recipient of healthcare services. The patient is most often ill or injured and in need of treatment by a physician, advanced practice registered nurse, veterinarian, or other health care provider....
care and support services that are critical to the other health professionals they work with and the patients they serve.
Professions
Definitions of allied health professions vary across countries and contexts, but generally indicate that they are health professions distinct from medicine, dentistry, and nursing. Some definitions only include health care providers that require registration by lawHealthcare provider requisites
Healthcare provider requisites refer to the regulations used by countries to control the quality of individual healthcare workers practicing in their jurisdictions and to control the size of the health labour market...
to practice, but usually all allied health professions that require a post-secondary degree or higher qualification are included.
Depending on the country and local health care system, a limited subset of the following professions (professional areas) may be represented, and may be regulated:
- Anesthesia technician
- Athletic TrainerAthletic trainerAn athletic trainer is a certified, health care professional who practices in the field of sports medicine. Athletic training has been recognized by the American Medical Association as an allied health care profession since 1990....
- AudiologistAudiologyAudiology is the branch of science that studies hearing, balance, and related disorders. Its practitioners, who treat those with hearing loss and proactively prevent related damage are audiologists. Employing various testing strategies Audiology (from Latin , "to hear"; and from Greek , -logia) is...
- Bioengineer
- Biomedical scientist
- Cardiographic technician
- Environmental health officerEnvironmental health officerEnvironmental health officers are usually employed by local government or state health authorities to advise on and enforce public health standards...
- Cardiovascular technologistCardiovascular technologistCardiovascular technologists and technicians assist physicians in diagnosing and treating cardiac and peripheral vascular ailments. Cardiovascular technologists may specialize in any of three areas of practice: invasive cardiology, echocardiography, and vascular technology...
- Clinical laboratory scientist
- Clinical officerClinical officerClinical officers are health care providers who practice modern medicine. They practice independently but may be supervised by a physician in some settings....
- Clinical psychologistClinical psychologyClinical psychology is an integration of science, theory and clinical knowledge for the purpose of understanding, preventing, and relieving psychologically-based distress or dysfunction and to promote subjective well-being and personal development...
- Dental hygienistDental hygienistthumb|right|300px|Dental hygienist holding a scalerA dental hygienist is a licensed dental professional who specializes in preventive oral health, typically focusing on techniques in oral hygiene. Local dental regulations determine the scope of practice of dental hygienists...
- Diagnostic medical sonographistSonographerSonographers are diagnostic medical professionals who operate ultrasonic imaging devices to produce diagnostic images, scans, videos, or 3D volumes of anatomy and diagnostic data. Sonography requires specialized education and skills to view, analyze and modify the scan to optimize the information...
- DietitianDietitianDietitians supervise the preparation and service of food, develop modified diets, participate in research, and educate individuals and groups on good nutritional habits. The goals of dietitians are to provide medical nutritional intervention, and to obtain, safely prepare, serve and advise on...
/ NutritionistNutritionNutrition is the provision, to cells and organisms, of the materials necessary to support life. Many common health problems can be prevented or alleviated with a healthy diet.... - Electrocardiogram technician
- Epidemiologist/BiostatisticianPublic healthPublic health is "the science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life and promoting health through the organized efforts and informed choices of society, organizations, public and private, communities and individuals" . It is concerned with threats to health based on population health...
- Exercise physiologistExercise physiologyExercise physiology is the study of the acute responses and chronic adaptations to a wide-range of physical exercise conditions. In addition, many exercise physiologists study the effect of exercise on pathology, and the mechanisms by which exercise can reduce or reverse disease progression...
- Health care administratorHealth administrationHealth administration or healthcare administration is the field relating to leadership, management, and administration of hospitals, hospital networks, health care systems, and public health systems...
- Health coachHealth coachingHealth coaching is a method of guiding others to address their health and, if need be, make behavioral changes to improve health. Like traditional coaching, health coaches utilize goal setting, identification of obstacles, and use of personal support systems...
- Health information technicianHealth information technologyHealth information technology provides the umbrella framework to describe the comprehensive management of health information across computerized systems and its secure exchange between consumers, providers, government and quality entities, and insurers...
- Health inspectorHealth inspectorA health inspector is a public employee who investigates health hazards in a wide variety of locations, then will take action to mitigate or eliminate the hazards...
- KinesiotherapistKinesiotherapyKinesiotherapy is the application of scientifically based exercise principles adapted to enhance the strength, endurance, and mobility of individuals with functional limitations of those requiring extended physical conditioning.- Occupational description :...
- Licensed Practical NurseLicensed Practical NurseLicensed practical nurse is the term used in much of the United States and most Canadian provinces to refer to a nurse who cares for "people who are sick, injured, convalescent, or disabled under the direction of registered nurses and physicians. The term licensed vocational nurses is used in...
- Massage therapist
- Medical assistant
- Medical coder
- Neurophysiologist/END Technologist
- Medical dosimetristRadiation therapistThe Radiation Therapist is an allied health professional who works in the field of radiation oncology...
- Medical physicistMedical physicsMedical physics is the application of physics to medicine. It generally concerns physics as applied to medical imaging and radiotherapy, although a medical physicist may also work in many other areas of healthcare...
- Medical laboratory scientist
- Medical radiation scientistMedical radiation scientistMedical Radiation Scientists are healthcare professionals who perform complex diagnostic imaging studies on patients or plan and administer radiation treatments to cancer patients. Medical radiation scientists include diagnostic radiographers, nuclear medicine radiographers, magnetic resonance...
- Music therapistMusic therapyMusic therapy is an allied health profession and one of the expressive therapies, consisting of an interpersonal process in which a trained music therapist uses music and all of its facets—physical, emotional, mental, social, aesthetic, and spiritual—to help clients to improve or maintain their...
- Nuclear medicine technologistNuclear medicineIn nuclear medicine procedures, elemental radionuclides are combined with other elements to form chemical compounds, or else combined with existing pharmaceutical compounds, to form radiopharmaceuticals. These radiopharmaceuticals, once administered to the patient, can localize to specific organs...
- Occupational therapistOccupational therapyOccupational therapy is a discipline that aims to promote health by enabling people to perform meaningful and purposeful activities. Occupational therapists work with individuals who suffer from a mentally, physically, developmentally, and/or emotionally disabling condition by utilizing treatments...
- OptometristOptometryOptometry is a health care profession concerned with eyes and related structures, as well as vision, visual systems, and vision information processing in humans. Optometrists, or Doctors of Optometry, are state licensed medical professionals trained to prescribe and fit lenses to improve vision,...
- OrthotistOrthoticsOrthotics is a specialty within the medical field concerned with the design, manufacture and application of orthoses. An orthosis is an orthopedic device that supports or corrects the function of a limb or the torso...
/ Prosthetist - Orthoptist
- Osteopath
- ParamedicParamedicA paramedic is a healthcare professional that works in emergency medical situations. Paramedics provide advanced levels of care for medical emergencies and trauma. The majority of paramedics are based in the field in ambulances, emergency response vehicles, or in specialist mobile units such as...
- PedorthistPedorthistPedorthist is the title of a health care professional who specializes in the use of footwear and supportive devices to address conditions which affect the feet and lower limbs. They are trained in the assessment of lower limb anatomy and biomechanics, and the appropriate use of corrective footware...
- PerfusionistPerfusionistA perfusionist, also known as a clinical perfusionist or a cardiovascular perfusionist, is a specialized health professional who operates the heart-lung machine during cardiac surgery and other surgeries that require cardiopulmonary bypass....
- Personal trainerPersonal trainerA personal trainer is a fitness professional involved in exercise prescription and instruction. They motivate clients by setting goals and providing feedback and accountability to clients. Trainers also measure their client's strengths and weaknesses with fitness assessments...
- PharmacistPharmacistPharmacists are allied health professionals who practice in pharmacy, the field of health sciences focusing on safe and effective medication use...
- Pharmacy technicianPharmacy technicianA pharmacy technician, also sometimes known as a pharmaceutical technician, is a health care worker who performs pharmacy related functions, generally working under the direct supervision of a licensed pharmacist or other health professional...
- PhlebotomistPhlebotomistPhlebotomists are individuals trained to draw blood from a live person or animal.Phlebotomists collect blood primarily by performing venipuncture and, for collection of minute quantities of blood, fingersticks. Blood may be collected from infants by means of a heel stick...
- Physiotherapy
- Radiation therapistRadiation therapyRadiation therapy , radiation oncology, or radiotherapy , sometimes abbreviated to XRT or DXT, is the medical use of ionizing radiation, generally as part of cancer treatment to control malignant cells.Radiation therapy is commonly applied to the cancerous tumor because of its ability to control...
- Radiologic TechnologistRadiologic technologistA radiologic technologist, also known as medical radiation technologist and as radiographer, performs imaging of the human body for diagnosis or treating medical problems...
- Rehabilitation counsellorRehabilitation counselingRehabilitation Counseling is focused on helping people who have disabilities achieve their personal, career, and independent living goals through a counseling process...
- Respiratory therapistRespiratory therapyRespiratory therapy is a healthcare profession in which specialists work with patients suffering from either acute or chronic respiratory problems. These specialists are termed Respiratory Therapists in most places internationally but may also be referred to as Respiratory Scientists or...
- Speech and language pathologistSpeech and language pathologySpeech-Language Pathology specializes in communication disorders.The main components of speech production include: phonation, the process of sound production; resonance, opening and closing of the vocal folds; intonation, the variation of pitch; and voice, including aeromechanical components of...
- Surgical technologistSurgical technologistA surgical technologist, also called "scrub tech," "surgical technician," or "operating room technician", is an allied health professional working as a part of the team delivering surgical care in some countries. They possess knowledge and skills in sterile and aseptic techniques...
- Recreational therapistRecreational therapyRecreational therapy, also referred to as recreation therapy and therapeutic recreation, is a treatment service that provides treatments and recreation activities to individuals with illnesses or disabling conditions to improve or maintain physical, mental and emotional well-being and help reduce...
- Ultrasound technologistUltrasoundUltrasound is cyclic sound pressure with a frequency greater than the upper limit of human hearing. Ultrasound is thus not separated from "normal" sound based on differences in physical properties, only the fact that humans cannot hear it. Although this limit varies from person to person, it is...
All professional areas ascribed before belong to the ever-growing group of allied health professionals and their subspecialties. The precise titles, roles, and requisites
Healthcare provider requisites
Healthcare provider requisites refer to the regulations used by countries to control the quality of individual healthcare workers practicing in their jurisdictions and to control the size of the health labour market...
of the allied health professions may vary considerably from country to country. For example, the National Council for Homeopathy of Pakistan and the Central Council of Homeopathy of India recognize as allied health professionals those who qualify with a four-year university degree in the discipline, whereas in other countries the practice of homeopathy is not subject to professional regulation
Regulation and prevalence of homeopathy
Homeopathy is fairly common in some countries while being uncommon in others. Regulations vary in Europe depending on the country. In some countries, there are no specific legal regulations concerning the use of homeopathy, while in others, licenses or degrees in conventional medicine from...
.
Allied health professions in Australia
In Australia, Allied Health typically includes all health professions other than medicine and nursing that require a tertiary degree to practice, and who form part of the public health system. Queensland Health employs more than 5000 allied health professionals across the following disciplines:- AudiologyAudiologyAudiology is the branch of science that studies hearing, balance, and related disorders. Its practitioners, who treat those with hearing loss and proactively prevent related damage are audiologists. Employing various testing strategies Audiology (from Latin , "to hear"; and from Greek , -logia) is...
- Behavioral health (counseling, marriage and family therapy)
- Clinical measurement science
- Exercise physiologyExercise physiologyExercise physiology is the study of the acute responses and chronic adaptations to a wide-range of physical exercise conditions. In addition, many exercise physiologists study the effect of exercise on pathology, and the mechanisms by which exercise can reduce or reverse disease progression...
- Nuclear medicineNuclear medicineIn nuclear medicine procedures, elemental radionuclides are combined with other elements to form chemical compounds, or else combined with existing pharmaceutical compounds, to form radiopharmaceuticals. These radiopharmaceuticals, once administered to the patient, can localize to specific organs...
technology - Medical Laboratory Scientist
- Dietetics
- Music therapyMusic therapyMusic therapy is an allied health profession and one of the expressive therapies, consisting of an interpersonal process in which a trained music therapist uses music and all of its facets—physical, emotional, mental, social, aesthetic, and spiritual—to help clients to improve or maintain their...
- Occupational therapyOccupational therapyOccupational therapy is a discipline that aims to promote health by enabling people to perform meaningful and purposeful activities. Occupational therapists work with individuals who suffer from a mentally, physically, developmentally, and/or emotionally disabling condition by utilizing treatments...
- OptometryOptometryOptometry is a health care profession concerned with eyes and related structures, as well as vision, visual systems, and vision information processing in humans. Optometrists, or Doctors of Optometry, are state licensed medical professionals trained to prescribe and fit lenses to improve vision,...
- OrthoticsOrthoticsOrthotics is a specialty within the medical field concerned with the design, manufacture and application of orthoses. An orthosis is an orthopedic device that supports or corrects the function of a limb or the torso...
and prosthetics
- PharmacyPharmacyPharmacy is the health profession that links the health sciences with the chemical sciences and it is charged with ensuring the safe and effective use of pharmaceutical drugs...
- PodiatryPodiatryPodiatry is a branch of medicine devoted to the study, diagnosis, and treatment of disorders of the foot, ankle, and lower leg. The term podiatry came into use first in the early 20th century United States, where it now denotes a Doctor of Podiatric Medicine , a specialist who is qualified by their...
- PsychologyPsychologyPsychology is the study of the mind and behavior. Its immediate goal is to understand individuals and groups by both establishing general principles and researching specific cases. For many, the ultimate goal of psychology is to benefit society...
- Physiotherapy
- Radiation therapyRadiation therapyRadiation therapy , radiation oncology, or radiotherapy , sometimes abbreviated to XRT or DXT, is the medical use of ionizing radiation, generally as part of cancer treatment to control malignant cells.Radiation therapy is commonly applied to the cancerous tumor because of its ability to control...
- RadiographyRadiographyRadiography is the use of X-rays to view a non-uniformly composed material such as the human body. By using the physical properties of the ray an image can be developed which displays areas of different density and composition....
/ Medical imagingMedical imagingMedical imaging is the technique and process used to create images of the human body for clinical purposes or medical science... - Respiratory TherapyRespiratory therapyRespiratory therapy is a healthcare profession in which specialists work with patients suffering from either acute or chronic respiratory problems. These specialists are termed Respiratory Therapists in most places internationally but may also be referred to as Respiratory Scientists or...
- Sonography
- Social workSocial workSocial Work is a professional and academic discipline that seeks to improve the quality of life and wellbeing of an individual, group, or community by intervening through research, policy, community organizing, direct practice, and teaching on behalf of those afflicted with poverty or any real or...
- Speech pathology
Allied health professions in the UK
In the United Kingdom, allied health professions recognized by the National Health ServiceNational Health Service
The National Health Service is the shared name of three of the four publicly funded healthcare systems in the United Kingdom. They provide a comprehensive range of health services, the vast majority of which are free at the point of use to residents of the United Kingdom...
include:
- Chiropody/Podiatry
- Diagnostic radiography
- Dietetics
- Drama therapy
- Music therapy
- Orthoptics
- OrthoticsOrthoticsOrthotics is a specialty within the medical field concerned with the design, manufacture and application of orthoses. An orthosis is an orthopedic device that supports or corrects the function of a limb or the torso...
- Occupational therapy
- Physiotherapy
- Paramedics
- Prosthetics
- Speech and language therapy
- Therapeutic radiography
However, it is more and more recognised that other professionals have a role to play in regard to healthcare. These include professionals such as youth workers, social workers, sexual health workers and school nurses. Not only do these practitioners have a key role to play due to their interaction with a wide range of the population but they may also have that opportunistic 'teachable' moment that allows them to impart health advice in a non-threatening manner.
Allied health professions in South Africa
In South Africa, different professions are regulated by different boards. The Health Professions Council of South Africa regulates 26 different professional titles in medicine and dentistry plus the following areas:- Dental therapy & oral hygiene
- Dietetics
- Emergency care
- Environmental health
- Medical technology
- Occupational therapy, medical orthotics / prosthetics & creative arts therapy
- Optometry & dispensing opticians
- Physiotherapy, podiatry & biokinetics
- Psychology
- Radiography & clinical technology
- Speech, language & hearing professions
The Allied Health Professions Council of South Africa recognizes and regulates practitioners in the following professional areas:
- Acupuncture
- Ayurveda
- Chinese Medicine
- Chiropractic
- Homeopathy
- Naturopathy
- Osteopathy
- Phytotherapy
- Therapeutic aromatherapy
- Therapeutic massage therapy
- Therapeutic reflexology
- UnaniUnaniUnani-tibb or Unani Medicine also spelled Yunani Medicine means "Greek Medicine", and is a form of traditional medicine widely practiced in South Asia...
-Tibb
Training and education
Some allied health professions are more specialized, and so must adhere to national training and education standards and their professional scope of practice. Often they must prove their skills through degrees, diplomas, certified credentials, and continuing education. Other allied health professions require no special training or credentials and are trained for their work by their employer through on-the-job training (which would then exclude them from consideration as an Allied Health Profession in a country like Australia). Many allied health jobs are considered career ladderCareer ladder
The term "career ladder" is a metaphor or buzzword used to denote vertical job promotion. In business and human resources management, the ladder typically describes the progression from entry level positions to higher levels of pay, skill, responsibility, or authority. This metaphor is spatially...
jobs because of the opportunities for advancement within specific fields.
Allied health professions can include the use of many skills. Depending on the profession, these may include basic life support
Basic life support
Basic life support is the level of medical care which is used for patients with life-threatening illnesses or injuries until the patient can be given full medical care at a hospital. It can be provided by trained medical personnel, including emergency medical technicians, paramedics, and by...
; medical terminology
Terminology
Terminology is the study of terms and their use. Terms are words and compound words that in specific contexts are given specific meanings, meanings that may deviate from the meaning the same words have in other contexts and in everyday language. The discipline Terminology studies among other...
, acronyms and spelling
Spelling
Spelling is the writing of one or more words with letters and diacritics. In addition, the term often, but not always, means an accepted standard spelling or the process of naming the letters...
; basics of medical law and ethics
Ethics
Ethics, also known as moral philosophy, is a branch of philosophy that addresses questions about morality—that is, concepts such as good and evil, right and wrong, virtue and vice, justice and crime, etc.Major branches of ethics include:...
; understanding of human relations; interpersonal communication
Interpersonal communication
Interpersonal communication is usually defined by communication scholars in numerous ways, usually describing participants who are dependent upon one another. It...
skills; counseling skills; computer literacy; ability to document healthcare information; interviewing skills; and proficiency in word processing
Word processing
Word processing is the creation of documents using a word processor. It can also refer to advanced shorthand techniques, sometimes used in specialized contexts with a specially modified typewriter.-External links:...
; database
Database
A database is an organized collection of data for one or more purposes, usually in digital form. The data are typically organized to model relevant aspects of reality , in a way that supports processes requiring this information...
management and electronic dictation.
History
The explosion of scientific knowledge that followed World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
brought increasingly sophisticated and complex medical
Medicine
Medicine is the science and art of healing. It encompasses a variety of health care practices evolved to maintain and restore health by the prevention and treatment of illness....
diagnostic and treatment procedures. Increasing public demand for medical services combined with higher health care costs provoked a trend toward expansion of service delivery from treating patients in hospitals to widespread provision of care in physician's private and group practices, ambulatory medical and emergency clinics, and mobile clinics and community-based care. In the developing world, international development assistance led to numerous initiatives for strengthening health workforce
Health Human Resources
Health human resources — also known as “human resources for health” or “health workforce” — is defined as “all people engaged in actions whose primary intent is to enhance health”, according to the World Health Organization's World Health Report 2006. Human resources for health are identified as...
capacity to deliver essential health care services. What followed has been an increase in the need for skilled health care delivery personnel worldwide.
Changes in the health industry and emphasis on cost-efficient solutions to health care delivery will continue to encourage expansion of the allied health workforce. The World Health Organization estimates there is currently a worldwide shortage of about 2 million allied health professionals (considering all health workers aside from medical and nursing personnel) needed in order to meet global health
Global health
Global health is the health of populations in a global context and transcends the perspectives and concerns of individual nations. Health problems that transcend national borders or have a global political and economic impact, are often emphasized...
goals.
In recognition of the growth of the number and diversity of allied health professionals in recent years, the newly adopted 2008 version of the International Standard Classification of Occupations
International Standard Classification of Occupations
The International Standard Classification of Occupations is an International Labour Organization classification structure for organizing information on labour and jobs. It is part of the international family of economic and social classifications of the United Nations...
has increased the number of groups dedicated to allied health professions. Depending on the presumed skill level, they may either be identifed as “health professionals” or “health associate professionals”. For example, new categories have been created for delineating “paramedical practitioners” — grouping professions such as clinical officer
Clinical officer
Clinical officers are health care providers who practice modern medicine. They practice independently but may be supervised by a physician in some settings....
s, clinical associates
Clinical associates
Clinical associates are a category of healthcare providers found in South Africa. They assess patients, make diagnoses, prescribe treatment and perform minor surgery under the supervision of a physician....
, physician assistant
Physician assistant
A physician assistant/associate ' is a healthcare professional trained and licensed to practice medicine with limited supervision by a physician.-General description:...
s, Feldsher
Feldsher
Feldsher is the name of a health care professional who provides various medical services in Russia and other countries of the former Soviet Union, mainly in rural areas...
s, and assistant medical officers
Assistant Medical Officer
Assistant Medical Officers are health care providers in countries like Tanzania and Malaysia. They work independently or with limited supervision of a physician to provide healthcare services to largely underserved populations....
— as well as for community health worker
Community health worker
Community health workers are members of a community who are chosen by community members or organizations to provide basic health and medical care to their community...
s; dietitian
Dietitian
Dietitians supervise the preparation and service of food, develop modified diets, participate in research, and educate individuals and groups on good nutritional habits. The goals of dietitians are to provide medical nutritional intervention, and to obtain, safely prepare, serve and advise on...
s and nutritionist
Nutritionist
A nutritionist is a person who advises on matters of food and nutrition impacts on health. Different professional terms are used in different countries, employment settings and contexts — some examples include: nutrition scientist, public health nutritionist, dietitian-nutritionist, clinical...
s; audiologists and speech therapists; and others.
Allied health employment projections
Projections in the United States and many other countries have shown an expected long-term shortage of qualified workers to fill many allied health positions. This is primarily due to expansion of the health industry due to demographic changes (a growing and aging population), large numbers of health workers nearing retirement, the industry’s need to be cost efficient, and a lack of sufficient investment in training programs to keep pace with these trends.Studies have also pointed to the need for increased diversity
Diversity (politics)
In the political arena, the term diversity is used to describe political entities with members who have identifiable differences in their backgrounds or lifestyles....
in the allied health workforce to realize a culturally competent
Cultural competence
Cultural competence refers to an ability to interact effectively with people of different cultures, particularly in the context of human resources, non-profit organizations, and government agencies whose employees work with persons from different cultural/ethnic backgrounds.Cultural competence...
health system in the United States and elsewhere.
Workforce and health care experts anticipate that health services will increasingly be delivered via ambulatory and nursing care settings rather than in hospitals. According to the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS), the health care industry consists of three main sub-sectors, divided by the types of services provided at each facility:
- HospitalHospitalA hospital is a health care institution providing patient treatment by specialized staff and equipment. Hospitals often, but not always, provide for inpatient care or longer-term patient stays....
s: Primarily provides inpatient health services and may provide some outpatient services as a secondary activity. - Ambulatory health careAmbulatory careAmbulatory care is a personal health care consultation, treatment or intervention using advanced medical technology or procedures delivered on an outpatient basis Ambulatory care is a personal health care consultation, treatment or intervention using advanced medical technology or procedures...
settings: Primarily provides outpatient services at facilities such as doctors’ offices, outpatient clinicClinicA clinic is a health care facility that is primarily devoted to the care of outpatients...
s and clinical laboratories. - Nursing and residential care facilitiesNursing homeA nursing home, convalescent home, skilled nursing unit , care home, rest home, or old people's home provides a type of care of residents: it is a place of residence for people who require constant nursing care and have significant deficiencies with activities of daily living...
: Provides residential care, such as community care for the elderly or mental healthMental healthMental health describes either a level of cognitive or emotional well-being or an absence of a mental disorder. From perspectives of the discipline of positive psychology or holism mental health may include an individual's ability to enjoy life and procure a balance between life activities and...
and substance abuse facilities.
In the US, a larger proportion of the allied health care workforce is already employed in ambulatory settings. In California, nearly half (49.4 percent) of the allied health workforce is employed in ambulatory health care settings, compared with 28.7 percent and 21.9 percent employed in hospital and nursing care, respectively.
Advancements in medical technology also allow for more services that formerly required expensive hospital stays to be delivered via ambulatory care. For example, in California, research has predicted the total consumption of hospital days per person will decline from 4 days in 2010 to 3.2 days in 2020 to 2.5 days in 2030. In contrast, the number of ambulatory visits per person will increase from 3.2 visits per person in 2010 to 3.6 visits per person in 2020 to 4.2 visits in 2030.
In developing countries, many national human resources for health
Health Human Resources
Health human resources — also known as “human resources for health” or “health workforce” — is defined as “all people engaged in actions whose primary intent is to enhance health”, according to the World Health Organization's World Health Report 2006. Human resources for health are identified as...
strategic plans and international development initiatives are focusing on scaling up training of allied health professions, such as HIV/AIDS counsellors, clinical officer
Clinical officer
Clinical officers are health care providers who practice modern medicine. They practice independently but may be supervised by a physician in some settings....
s and community health worker
Community health worker
Community health workers are members of a community who are chosen by community members or organizations to provide basic health and medical care to their community...
s, in providing essential preventive and treatment services in ambulatory and community-based care settings.
With this growing demand for ambulatory health care, researchers expect to witness a heavier demand for professions that are employed within the ambulatory sector and other non-hospital settings — in other words, allied health.
See also
- Health care providerHealth care providerA health care provider is an individual or an institution that provides preventive, curative, promotional or rehabilitative health care services in a systematic way to individuals, families or communities....
s - Human resources for healthHealth Human ResourcesHealth human resources — also known as “human resources for health” or “health workforce” — is defined as “all people engaged in actions whose primary intent is to enhance health”, according to the World Health Organization's World Health Report 2006. Human resources for health are identified as...
- Unlicensed assistive personnelUnlicensed assistive personnelUnlicensed assistive personnel is an umbrella term to describe a job class of paraprofessionals who assist individuals with physical disabilities, mental impairments, and other health care needs with their activities of daily living and provide bedside care — including basic nursing...
External links
- Allied health careers
- Association of Schools of Allied Health Professions (ASAHP)
- NHS Careers - UK
- Health Jobs Start Here - California
- Healthcare Education and Career Resources (Allied Health Resources)
- Allied Health Education (U.S. News University Directory)