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.

The Institute of Medicine study Crossing the Quality Chasm (2001) recommended that an interdisciplinary summit be held to further reform of health professions education in order to enhance quality and patient safety. Health Professions Education: A Bridge to Quality is the follow up to that summit, held in June 2002, where 150 participants across disciplines and occupations developed ideas about how to integrate a core set of competencies into health professions education. These core competencies include patient-centered care, interdisciplinary teams, evidence-based practice, quality improvement, and informatics. This book recommends a mix of approaches to health education improvement, including those related to oversight processes, the training environment, research, public reporting, and leadership. Educators, administrators, and health professionals can use this book to help achieve an approach to education that better prepares clinicians to meet both the needs of patients and the requirements of a changing health care system.

Freeman, is your go-to resource for practical, up-to-date guidance on ocular diseases, surgical procedures, medications, and equipment, as well as paramedical procedures and office management in the ophthalmology, optometry, opticianry or eye care settings. Thoroughly updated content and more than 1,000 full-color illustrations cover all the knowledge and skills you need for your day-to-day duties as well as success on certification and recertification exams. This comprehensive text provides essential learning and practical guidance for ophthalmic assistants, technicians, medical technologists, physician assistants, and all others involved in ocular care, helping each become a valuable asset to the eye care team. Full-color visual guidance for identification of ophthalmic disorders, explanations of difficult concepts, and depictions of the newest equipment used in ophthalmology and optometry. Quick-reference appendices provide hospital/practice forms for more efficient patient record keeping, conversion tables, and numerous language translations, plus information on ocular emergencies, pharmaceuticals, and more. Updated throughout with the latest information on basic science, new testing procedures, new equipment, the role of the assistant in the practice, and an expanded chapter on OCT imaging. A new bonus color image atlas tests your clinical recognition of disease and disorders of the eye. Four brand-new chapters cover the latest industry advances regarding dry eye, vision function and impairment, uveitis, and surgical correction of presbyopia.

The demand for health care is growing as the nation ages and seeks to provide coverage for the millions of Americans who lack health insurance. At the same time, escalating costs have led to a variety of initiatives to make the delivery of health care more effective and efficient. The allied health workforce is critical to the success of these efforts. The IOM held a workshop May 9-10, 2011, to examine the current allied health care workforce and consider how it can contribute to improving health care access, quality, and effectiveness.