Allied health care professionals are distinct from nursing, medicine and Pharmacy. Allied health care Work in Healthcare teams and provide various diagnostic, technical, and therapeutics and support services.
In this article post we will provide widely accepted definitions of allied healthcare professionals in India and the world.
Definition Of Allied Healthcare Professionals In India
According to The Allied and Healthcare Professions Bill 2018.
“Allied health professional includes an associate, technician or technologist who is trained to perform any technical and practical task to support diagnosis and treatment of illness, disease, injury or impairment, and to support implementation of any healthcare treatment and referral plan, recommended by a medical, nursing or any other healthcare professional, and, who has obtained any qualification of diploma or degree under this Act, the duration of which shall not be less than two thousand hours.”
The bill recognizes following categories of Allied Healthcare professionals
- Life Science Professional
- Trauma and Burn Care Professional
- Physiotherapy Professional
- Nutrition Science Professional
- Ophthalmic Sciences Professional
- Occupational Therapy Professional
- Behavioural Health Sciences Professional
- Primary, Community and other Miscellaneous Care Professional
- Medical Radiology, Imaging and Therapeutic Technology Professional
- Medical Laboratory Sciences Professional
- Health and Information Management Professional
- Physician Associate or Physician Assistant
- Cardio-vascular, Neuroscience and Pulmonary Technology Professional
- Renal Technology Professional
- Surgical and Anaesthesia-related Technology Professional
Definition Of Allied Healthcare Professionals In United Kingdom
The Allied Health Professions (AHPs) are the third largest workforce in the NHS. In the main they are degree level professions, and are professionally autonomous practitioners. 13 of the 14 AHPs are regulated by the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) with Osteopaths regulated by the General Osteopathic Council (GOC).
Following are the Allied health Care professionals in UK.
- Art Therapists
- Drama therapists
- Music therapists
- Chiropodists/podiatrists
- Dietitians
- Occupational therapists
- Operating Department Practitioners
- Orthoptists
- Osteopaths
- Paramedics
- Physiotherapists
- Prosthetists and Orthotists
- Radiographers
- Speech and language therapists
ICHPO Definition Of Allied Healthcare Professionals
In 2012 the organization of International Chief Health Professions Officers (ICHPO) provided an agreed-upon definition of an allied health professional.
“Direct Health Professions are a distinct group of health professionals who apply their expertise to prevent disease transmission, diagnose, treat and rehabilitate people of all ages and all specialties. Together with a range of technical and support staff they may deliver direct patient care, rehabilitation, treatment, diagnostics and health improvement interventions to restore and maintain optimal physical, sensory, psychological, cognitive and social functions.”
USA Federal Code Definition Of Allied Healthcare Professionals
Title 42, Chapter 6A, Subchapter V, Part F, Sec. 295p of the Federal Code states that the term ”allied health professionals” means a health professional (other than a registered nurse or physician assistant) who has not received a degree of doctor of medicine, a degree of doctor of osteopathy, a degree of doctor of dentistry or an equivalent degree, a degree of doctor of veterinary medicine or an equivalent degree, a degree of doctor of optometry or an equivalent degree, a degree of doctor of podiatric medicine or an equivalent degree, a degree of bachelor of science in pharmacy or an equivalent degree, a degree of doctor of pharmacy or an equivalent degree, a graduate degree in public health or an equivalent degree, a degree of doctor of chiropractic or an equivalent degree, a graduate degree in health administration or an equivalent degree, a doctoral degree in clinical psychology or an equivalent degree, or a degree in social work or an equivalent degree or a degree in counseling or an equivalent degree.
The Association of Schools of Allied Health Professions (ASAHP) Board of Directors approves the above definition of allied health on this 27th day of October, 2015.
Indicative List Of Allied Healthcare Professionals Worldwide
Depending on the country health care system following professions could be listed as allied health care professionals.
- Anesthesia technician
- Anesthesiologist assistant
- Art therapist/art psychotherapist
- Athletic trainer
- Audiologist
- Autotransfusionist
- Cardiovascular technologist
- Chiropractor
- Clinical laboratory scientist
- Clinical neurophysiology
- Clinical officer
- Dental hygienist
- Dental therapist
- Denturist/clinical dental technician
- Dietitian/nutritionist
- Electrocardiogram technician
- Emergency medical technician
- Environmental health officer
- Exercise physiologist
- Lactation consultant
- Massage therapist
- Medical assistant
- Medical coder
- Medical interpreter
- Medical laboratory scientist
- Medical radiation scientist
- Medical scribe
- Medical transcriptionist
- Music therapist
- Occupational therapist
- Operating department practitioner
- Orthoptist
- Orthotist/prosthetist
- Osteopathy
- Paramedic
- Pedorthist
- Perfusionist
- Phlebotomist
- Psychologist
- Physician Assistant
- Physical therapist/physiotherapist
- Podiatrist
- Public health epidemiologist
- Radiographer (or radiology technologist; includes specialist radiographers, e.g. angiographer, mammographer, etc.)
- Radiotherapist/radiation therapist/medical dosimetrist
- Recreational therapist
- Rehabilitation counselor
- Renal dialysis technologist
- Respiratory therapist
- Social workers
- Sonographer (often, but not always, state-registered radiographers)
- Speech and language pathologist
- Sterile processing technician
- Surgical technologist
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List Of Allied Healthcare Professionals In India