Allied health are key to improving health for people with chronic disease: but where are the outcomes and where is the strategy?
Sarah Dennis A B E , Lauren Ball C , Mark Harris D and Kathryn Refshauge A
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations
A Sydney School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia.
B South West Sydney Local Health District, Liverpool, NSW 2170, Australia.
C Menzies Health Institute – Centre for Health Practice Innovation, Gold Coast Campus, Griffith University, Qld 4222, Australia.
D Centre for Primary Health Care and Equity, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia.
E Corresponding author. Email: sarah.dennis@sydney.edu.au
Australian Journal of Primary Health 27(6) 437-441 https://doi.org/10.1071/PY21076
Submitted: 7 April 2021 Accepted: 1 October 2021 Published: 26 November 2021
Abstract
The global burden of chronic disease has forced health systems to focus on improved care. This has led to improved health outcomes for some populations, but not for all people or for all conditions. The rising prevalence of chronic disease has also significantly increased demands on healthcare systems, with unsustainable costs to funders. To improve health and social outcomes for all people with chronic disease, it is critical to embrace allied health professionals as key members of primary healthcare teams. The recognised efficacy and cost-effectiveness of many allied health interventions suggest that implementation into usual care would result in enhanced outcomes for people accessing healthcare, their families and communities, and for health systems. Our aim is to highlight the current unacceptable lack of allied health integration into primary healthcare teams, and illustrate the potential value of improved and equitable access to allied health professionals for managing chronic conditions and multimorbidity.
Keywords: allied health, primary care, chronic conditions, multidisciplinary team care, equity, access, hospital avoidance, integration.
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