I was interviewing someone from Canada the other day and they had never heard of Allied Health professionals.

I was a little shocked but realized that different countries utilize different industries and health care terms.

Still, I know that companies in the UK use the same term as us Americans, “allied health care”.
But what was even more shocking to me was just how big the field of allied health professions in America is and how rapidly it is growing – but they had never heard of it.

I would have thought that around the globe everyone was aware of allied health care, but I guess not.
So, I in this post I’m going to share 5 of the main reasons that allied health professions are booming in the United States right now.

First, a quick definition of allied health, taken from alliedhealthprograms.com:
“Allied Health professionals are the beating heart of healthcare making up about 60% of our healthcare workforce and are a critical component to the system. Allied health jobs may be in administrative, therapeutic, technological, or support professions. 

There are over 50 allied health positions some of which are medical assistants, physical therapist assistants and aides, pharmacy technicians, medical coding and billing employees, dental assistants and many more.”

1. Baby Boomers

My parents are baby boomers and the frequency at which they require health care services has been increasing annually for years now.

The same is true for their 77 million baby boomer buddies that are living in the US.
As this huge segment of our population ages, more and more allied health care professionals are required to treat them and care for them.

2. Technology

As more and more specialized technologies come out, more and more technicians and technologists are required to learn these tools.

For example, medical imaging tools, radiology equipment, and ultrasound machines are all evolving and developing into newer technologies very rapidly.

Each time these technologies changes, new positions maybe created for allied health professionals to assist with managing and maintaining these new technologies.

3. Rise in Obesity and Other Diseases

In the US we have a tremendous rise in obesity and various other conditions and diseases that are requiring more and more health care professionals.

In fact, over 70 million Americans suffer from obesity which means that nearly 40% of our population is obese.

4. Growing Population

It isn’t just baby boomers that are requiring more healthcare services. Our entire population requires health care services and that population is growing.

With over 325 Million US residents, our population will continue to require more and more health care services in the future. Even as technology progresses and health care laws change, the demand for services will continue to increase.

5. Growth in Alternative and Natural Healing

Allied health professionals working in massage therapy and nutrition has seen dramatic increases in their markets over the past 20 years in the US. As obesity from lack of exercise and poor diet has begun to plague Americans, more and more people are coming around to the idea of eating healthy, exercising, and taking good care of your body as a means of both healing and preventative care.
Even physical therapy has grown tremendously as a profession in recent years, bringing many new positions for allied health professionals such as physical therapy assistants as well.

Conclusion

Well, there you have it, the 5 main reasons that allied health careers are growing rapidly.
If you enjoy caring for others and have an interest in health then pursuing an allied health program could be a very rewarding career a path for you.

You can learn more about allied health jobs and schools at alliedhealthprograms.com