The History of Allied Health: An International Perspective

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.