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The term allied health is not an uncommon one within the healthcare lexicon. However, the derivation and meaning of the term sit within the murkiness of history, making relevance in the current context perplexing. This article sets out to explore the origins of the term, and in turn how the term and its associated meaning have developed internationally. To give perspective, case studies of the term within the United States, Australia, Scotland, and New Zealand are used. Each is traced within discoverable literature, and a conclusion is drawn as to how the term within these case studies developed, the impact of the term, and whether the term is seen as symbolic or associative. J Allied Health 2020; 49(4):285-289.
THE HEALTH INDUSTRY has a unique set of terminology. Allied Health (AH) is one such term that is both simple and complex. Those in the health workforce will give a knowing nod that they understand who is being referred to when this term is used. However, it is likely that the general public has little idea which health professionals fall within allied health. At its very simplest, a definition of allied health is one which encompasses the health workforce, those who are not medical doctors, and usually not nurses. It is a term well used throughout the Western World but does not have a consistent definition. The intention of this paper is to firstly examine the term allied health and then explore how this term has been used and developed over time. Selected countries are used as examples of how the development has differed, with resultant variety of aim and scope: United States, Scotland (as a country of the United Kingdom), Australia, and New Zealand. By examining the development and evolution of the term, there is an ability to draw conclusions as to how and why the term has such local variability in understanding, and perhaps to begin to understand why there is such a range in the meaning attached to the term. As Ogden and Richards (1p11) in their classic work describe, the difference can lie between the symbolism we attach to the term, or rather the associations that it endears. Secondly, we discuss the changing dynamics of the health industry and question whether the...