With estimates of their numbers ranging from one million to almost four million people, allied health care personnel make up a large part of the health care work force. Yet, they are among the least studied elements of our health care system. This book describes the forces that drive the demand for and the supply of allied health practitionersâ€"forces that include demographic change, health care financing policies, and career choices available to women. Exploring such areas as credentialing systems and the employment market, the study offers a broad range of recommendations for action in both the public and private sectors, so that enough trained people will be in the right place at the right time.

News: this book has been included as one of the texts for the National Psychology Examination - Curriculum Domains 1 (Ethics) and 4 (Communication), developed by the Psychology Board of AustraliaThis book targets a wide range of allied health professions. The list, while not exhaustive, embraces occupational therapy, podiatry, Chinese medicine, complementary medicine, nuclear medicine, speech pathology, radiography, physiotherapy, psychology, osteopathy, chiropractic care and optometry.The authors explain the legal context in which these professions function, the various forms of legal regulation which apply to them, their legal liabilities, and legal imperatives which bear upon their practice.Also included is commentary on the limits and ambiguities of law in relation to allied health activity, the interaction between law and professional ethics, and some significant legal challenges in normal professional life. Allied Health Professionals and the Law expands the legal knowledge of allied health readers whether they are practitioners seeking to understand the legal aspects of their work or researchers engaged in analysis of professional matters which have legal dimensions and implications.