Characteristically, many readers of periodicals look forward to each new issue to obtain valuable insights. Yet, there also may be considerable value in exploring professional literature archives as a means of obtaining an enhanced understanding of current challenges and perceived dilemmas. During the October 2019 conference of the Association of Schools of Allied Health Professions, it was announced that as of that day the new name would be the Association of Schools Advancing Health Professions, a term that represents the third occasion such a change has occurred since the organization was founded in 1967.
Allied health has a rich history. The federal government provided $276,495,000 between 1967 and 1979 after the Allied Health Professions Personnel Act became law in 1966. While that amount may not sound like much, as measured by its value in purchasing power in dollars in the year 2019, it equates to more than $1.498 billion. Significantly, a portion of that money was directed to the Association and many institutions that belonged to it during that time period.
The Journal of Allied Health was founded in 1972. During its second year of existence, ASAHP’s first President—Darrel Mase—penned an article, “Allied Health-Today and Tomorrow” (reprinted in the Winter 2010 issue). In it, he discussed: interprofessional education; how professional territoriality can impede effective utilization of health manpower; the difficulty of obtaining hard data regarding manpower needs to determine numbers and kinds of allied health personnel needed; the proper ratio of auxiliary to primary personnel; and evaluation of the effects of expanded functions of auxiliary personnel on patient dynamics or practice economics.
That particular manuscript was preceded by an article in the New England Journal of Medicine on April 27, 1972 with the title, “Allied Health Manpower-Solution or Problem?” It contained a discussion of how health manpower analysis and inventories have produced an inappropriate concern with numbers rather than with actual job content, flexibility, and development. Moreover, if non-physician medical manpower is to improve the health system, tasks rather than numbers must be studied, management must be given more authority, and professionalism must be curtailed. Apart from the fact that the term manpower has been replaced by the expression workforce, much of the contents of both papers have relevance today.
To cite work in another field where it may be valuable to glance occasionally in the rearview mirror, it is worth noting that developments in genomics are anticipated to exert meaningful impacts on patient care. Issue 2 in 2006 of the journal Epigenetics furnishes a brief historical account of genetics and developmental biology, and how they diverged for a major part of the 20th century. Epigenetics is the field that attempted to unite them and provide new insights into the mechanisms for unfolding the genetic program for development. That achievement has the potential to affect the ability to continue experimenting with genome editing technologies, such as CRISPR (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats) to go beyond only tweaking what already exists in a genome.
More Articles from October 2019 TRENDS
THE VALUE OF GLANCING IN THE REARVIEW MIRROR
Indicates why it is worthwhile to examine professional literature archives to learn more about present day challenges involving both allied health and genomics. Read More
PRESIDENT’S CORNER
Susan Hanrahan offers her thoughts on recently completing a two-year term as ASAHP President. Read More
THE DANCE OF LEGISLATION
A book published in 1973 bearing this title shows how over the decades, certain patterns continue to remain in effect. Read More
HEALTH REFORM DEVELOPMENTS
Discusses recent efforts to curtail waste, fraud, and abuse in programs, such as Medicare and Medicaid, along with some reflections on how to reduce administrative expenditures. Read More
DEVELOPMENTS IN HIGHER EDUCATION
Summarizes new activity in the regulatory domain, plus recently introduced legislation to protect students when colleges close and reauthorization of the Higher Education Act. Read More
QUICK STAT (SHORT, TIMELY, AND TOPICAL)
Death Rates By Marital Status For Adults Age 25 And Older: United States, 2010-2017
Prevalence Of Screening For Social Determinants Of Health
Hierarchical Encoding Of Attended Auditory Objects In Multi-Talker Speech Perception
Exergaming And Virtual Reality For Health: Implications For Cardiac Rehabilitation Read More
AVAILABLE RESOURCES ACCESSIBLE ELECTRONICALLY
Preparing The Current And Future Health Care Workforce For Interprofessional Practice
Integrating Social Care Into The Delivery Of Health Care
Older Americans’ Views On Navigating The Health Care System
Survey On State And Local Income, Poverty, And Health Insurance Statistics Read More
EVIDENCE FOR LATINO PREFERENCES FOR METAPHOR AND ANALOGY
Mentions how a stronger liking for and a desire to connect with individuals who use metaphoric speech can have an impact on the quality of health care services. Read More
PARKINSON’S DISEASE AFFECTS WOMEN AND MEN DIFFERENTLY
Refers to a recognition that the two groups differ in the risk of developing this disease, how it progresses, and survivor rates. Read More
LEARNING ABOUT FIDGETING WHILE FIDGETING
Despite efforts by parents and teachers to discourage children from fidgeting, this form of behavior may persist in adulthood, while a clearer understanding of its neural origins is enhanced by contributions made by expert mice. Read More