Baini, Rosanna (2023) Regulation of Emerging Allied Health Professions in Australia: A Case Study of the Dermal Clinician. Research Master thesis, Victoria University.

Abstract

This study explored the regulation issues dermal clinicians in Australia experience as an emerging allied health profession—and the processes for effective regulation. The purpose was to establish relevant regulations that emerging allied health professionals, such as dermal clinicians, might consider in Australia. Dermal clinicians are not recognised, regulated, or registered with the Australian Health Practitioners Regulation Agency as an allied health profession. This study examined whether dermal clinicians want to establish registration and regulation standards for their profession. Current research does not address standards or regulations for dermal clinicians or the level of education required to be considered an emerging allied health profession. This study used ground constructivist theory to determine the perspectives of industry professionals regarding the need to regulate; it also aimed to provide a framework that other emerging but unregulated allied health professions could adopt. The study’s methods included reviewing existing literature and researching Australia’s current regulations and relative legal theory. The study’s focus group included graduate dermal clinicians who graduated from Victoria University with a Bachelor of Dermal Science. Because they are not regulated, current standards were examined to determine appropriate regulatory requirements. The focus group’s discussions were used to measure the participants’ understanding of current regulatory processes; it also helped assess previous regulations that applied to non-medical allied health professionals to determine the appropriate regulatory processes that could be accepted. An evaluation using criteria drawn from previous research of national regulatory bodies and state regulations on allied health professions supports the study’s recommendations to bridge the allied health regulation gap.

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