Health
The COVID-19 pandemic reminded us how crucial essential health care workers are to preserving our well-being. The services of allied health professionals ensure that the complex needs of individuals and communities are met with evidence-based solutions. By collaborating across specialties, allied health workers help improve health outcomes and advocate for patient needs.
2.4 million
new health care positions
from 2019–2029*
$68,190
average salary
for health care workers*
*U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Allied health definition
Allied health professionals work alongside physicians, nurses, and other care providers to ensure quality outcomes. This broad category includes professions such as dietitians, health educators, and health information managers.
The diverse set of professions that make up the allied health field are highly important to our national health care system. The expansion of new and existing professions is crucial as the U.S. faces physician shortages, an aging population, and increases in chronic conditions. In addition, government programs have shifted the health care system to place a greater emphasis on preventive care, making collaborative efforts even more important.
Here’s a look at three major subfields within the allied health industry:
Dietetics and nutrition definition
Dietitians and nutritionists help patients make informed decisions about the food they consume.
Dietetics and nutrition duties
- Advising patients on nutritional strategies
- Helping patients manage weight loss goals
- Assessing how patient behaviors impact health outcomes
- Providing consultation to prevent chronic diseases
- Working with product developers to educate customers
Dietetics and nutrition skills
COMMUNICATION
As a dietetics and nutrition professional, you’ll need to communicate complex information to patients in a manner that’s easy to understand. Dietitians also consult with other members of the patient’s care team, so you’ll need to be able to comprehend medical terminology.
COLLABORATION
Working as part of a care team means interacting with patients and their families as well as your colleagues. While you strive to provide a holistic care plan for each patient, you’ll be expected to share resources with physicians, nurses, and specialists.
BIOSTATISTICS
To make informed decisions, you must be able to assess and analyze data using mathematical and scientific methodologies.
RESEARCH
Advanced dietitians may take part in research efforts to increase the understanding of certain conditions. A strong grasp of analytical models and evidence-based reasoning will help you succeed in these types of roles.
BIOLOGY
You’ll use advanced knowledge of bioactive compounds, nutrigenomics, microbiomes, and similar topics to provide informed guidance to patients.
Public health definition
Public health professionals work at the community level to implement policies, monitor the spread of diseases, and promote health initiatives.
Public health duties
- Conducting lab work
- Analyzing data
- Collaborating with government policymakers
- Performing public outreach
Public health skills
DATA ANALYSIS
You will use critical thinking skills to analyze data sets, ask questions, and conduct research. Advanced logical reasoning abilities will help you find patterns in data that can be applied to public health policies.
COMMUNICATION
As someone who works in public health, you’ll work closely with other researchers, clinicians, and government representatives. You’ll often need to explain complex topics to colleagues and community members who may not be as familiar with scientific terminology.
STATISTICAL REPORTING
Public health professionals often use programming languages like Python and R to glean important insights from massive datasets. An understanding of machine learning techniques can help you create reports that tell a clear story.
LEADERSHIP
Public health professionals who work with government organizations are often responsible for determining policies that impact communities. The ability to clearly communicate complex ideas to the public is critical for making an impact on community health.
Health informatics definition
Professionals who work in health informatics obtain, evaluate, and protect patient health data.
Health informatics duties
- Organizing digital and paper records
- Tracking patient outcomes
- Designing and creating medical reports
Health informatics skills
- Converting written documentation for statistical analysis
- Ensuring patient privacy
RESEARCH
Health information managers conduct research into a variety of health topics. The ability to find and verify data sources is critical to ensuring that data analyses are based on factual evidence.
DATA ANALYSIS
Utilizing statistical modeling software, health information experts look for trends and develop reports for organizational administrators.
COMMUNICATION
You will need to be able to communicate complex information to administrators and health care providers. The ability to craft concise written reports is essential.
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Dietetics and nutrition
Sports dietetics
Sports dietitians work with individuals, groups, and teams to enhance the abilities of athletes. They provide advice on daily nutrition, develop diet plans, and track health outcomes. They may take on an educational role while working with coaches to develop athletic wellness programs.
Pediatric nutrition
Working exclusively with infants and children, pediatric nutritionists help parents create meal plans and treat medical issues. In addition to health care settings, pediatric nutritionists work in educational environments to develop specialized menus for students.
Public health
Epidemiology
Working in offices, laboratories, government departments, hospitals, and universities, epidemiologists investigate patterns and causes of disease. They conduct critical work to ensure health and safety at the population level.
Environmental health
Professionals who work in environmental health determine how community environments impact individual health. From toxic waste spills to noise pollution, these experts consult with government agencies and universities to devise solutions that promote public health.
Health informatics
Clinical informatics
This technology-based field examines how information can be used to enhance patient outcomes. Clinical informatics professionals use data to evaluate health care delivery, create reports for facility administrators, and help providers take advantage of information technology to optimize patient care.
Telemedicine informatics
The use of telehealth systems has been on the rise for years, and the COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated its prevalence. Informatics specialists use data from telemedicine technology to assess how systems can be improved to facilitate preventive care and other initiatives.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics anticipates that the job market for health care professionals will grow 15% between 2019 and 2029, nearly four times faster than the average growth rate for all occupations. This growth will support an aging population that will need access to specialty care providers. In fact, based on data from the U.S. Census Bureau, one in every five Americans is projected to be retirement age by 2030.
Here’s a brief look at where the industry is headed based on research conducted by Burning Glass Technologies:
Importance of trust in health care delivery
The COVID-19 pandemic has reshaped the way we look at health care. During the early months of the pandemic, cancer diagnosis rates fell by 46.4%, indicating that many individuals delayed routine doctor’s visits and health screenings to reduce their risk of exposure to the virus. Going forward, it will be important for health professionals to rebuild trust with patients so they feel safe to return to health care settings.
Growing gaps in medical coverage and issues in population health
Lack of health insurance and higher rates of chronic illnesses could potentially impact health services for years to come. The rate of uninsured adults has been steadily on the rise since 2016, with 13.7% of the U.S. population lacking coverage in the fourth quarter of 2018, according to Gallup. Meanwhile, 48% of U.S. adults have some form of cardiovascular disease, which can increase the risk of other chronic conditions and decrease life expectancy.
Factors like these could put additional strains on health systems across the country, underscoring the need for well-trained allied health workers to help ease the burden placed on direct care providers.
Evolution of patient data systems
Although health information systems have existed for decades, there’s still room for innovation. In March 2020, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services finalized two new rules that require both public and private entities to share health information between patients and other parties.
One of the biggest challenges of the next decade will be designing systems that can effectively share data while keeping patient health information secure. Health informatics professionals will play a large role in developing solutions to bring these data systems up to the standards set by consumer technology.
Top skills in allied health
Dietetics and nutrition
In the dietetics and nutrition subfield, 50% of the fastest growing skills are directly related to food and beverage service, while the others relate to general health care.
Here are the top 10 skills that will see the highest projected growth:
Skill Cluster |
Projected Posting Growth (2018-2023) |
|---|---|
| Health information management and security | 66% |
| Social work | 55% |
| Food and beverage service (food delivery) | 54% |
| Food and beverage service (restaurant experience) | 54% |
| Food and beverage service (meal preparation) | 49% |
| Food and beverage service (meal serving) | 49% |
| Food and beverage service (food safety) | 36% |
| Basic living activities support (assisted living) | 33% |
| Basic patient care | 33% |
| Basic living activities support (home health) | 24% |
Source: Burning Glass Occupational Insights, 2019
Public health
In the public health subfield, 20% of the fastest growing skills are directly related to a technology or technical skill, while the remaining skills involve medical or administrative knowledge.
Here are the top 10 skills that will see the highest projected growth:
Skill Cluster |
Projected Posting Growth (2018-2023) |
|---|---|
| Medical billing and coding (e.g., ICD-10) | 115% |
| Patient education and support | 98% |
| Patient physical measurements | 77% |
| Employee relations | 57% |
| Employee training | 56% |
| Claims processing | 51% |
| Microsoft Office and productivity tools | 50% |
| Infectious diseases (communicable disease knowledge) | 40% |
| Basic patient care | 39% |
| Infectious diseases (bloodborne pathogens) | 39% |
Source: Burning Glass Occupational Insights, 2019
Health informatics
In the health informatics subfield, 80% of the fastest growing skills are directly related to a technology or technical skill, and the other 20% involve administrative competencies.
Here are the top 10 skills that will see the highest projected growth:
Skill Cluster |
Projected Posting Growth (2018-2023) |
|---|---|
| Data science | 102% |
| Data visualization (Tableau) | 86% |
| Scripting languages (Python) | 72% |
| Employee training | 67% |
| Data visualization | 65% |
| Employee relations | 60% |
| Medical billing and coding (ICD-10) | 59% |
| Medical billing and coding (coding quality) | 53% |
| Microsoft Office and productivity tools | 50% |
| Statistical software (R) | 42% |
Source: Burning Glass Occupational Insights, 2019
Outlook for new graduates
If you’re eager to play a part in helping to deliver high-quality patient care, a career in allied health may be right for you. An allied health education can prepare you for a number of exciting job opportunities in this growing field.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics:
- More jobs are projected to be created in health care than any other occupational group between 2019 and 2029
- There will be greater demand for health care services due to an aging population
- Industries with the highest levels of employment in this occupational group include general medical and surgical hospitals, physicians’ offices, nursing care facilities, health and personal care stores, and outpatient care centers
