Extending access to care: preparing allied health practitioners for nontraditional settings

Promoting access to quality health care is a primary emphasis in the allied health professions. However, many populations cannot access primary care services through traditional health care settings, due to financial, geographic, cultural, and manpower distribution barriers. Allied health programs typically prepare graduates to function in traditional health care settings. However, if one of the goals of allied health is to increase access to care, graduates need to be prepared to function in a variety of nontraditional settings. This paper examines the problems inherent in preparing allied health graduates for traditional roles, and presents a model educational program that provides practitioners with the knowledge and skills necessary to provide quality health care services in a variety of settings. Mechanisms for utilizing this model in allied health disciplines are addressed, as well as how this model promotes increased access to care.