Research in the allied health professions: Why fund it? A report of the ASAHP research committee

Many professionals work closely with physicians and nurses to provide healthcare that is safe, patient-centered, efficient, equitable, timely, and effective. These professionals represent many and varied allied health disciplines. Each allied health professional is ethically accountable for bringing a theoretically-sound and evidence-based approach to problem-solving in healthcare delivery. Although allied health research is in its infancy, the breadth and depth of its potential contributions to effective healthcare research and its interprofessional application may be under-recognized, particularly by funding agencies. The purpose of this paper is to define allied health, clarify its theoretical and scientific foundation, emphasize the breadth of its application to evidence-based practice, and document its relevance to, and suitability for, funding through national organizations.