Allied Health Professions

Abstract

The allied health professions are the professions in the health care system with some measure of autonomy from the medical profession. Having said this, it is then very difficult to come up with a unitary definition since it varies enormously from country to country and even from region to region. The development of the allied health professions can be seen as one aspect of the decline of medical dominance, as previously subordinated groups of workers have developed their own educational programs, credentials, and career trajectories. Paradoxically, this professionalization is under greatest threat from the state, which is acting to standardize and routinize the training of these occupations. Show more