Allied health professionals: A promising ally in the work against health inequalities- A rapid review.

Objectives: Allied Health Professionals (AHPs) have a crucial role in reducing health inequalities. However, there is a lack of evidence regarding the ways they can fulfil this role. This rapid review explores the ways in which AHPs can decrease health care or health outcome inequalities; address inequalities in the social determinants of health; and support disadvantaged groups at an individual, organisational and system level. Study design: Rapid review following Cochrane criteria and narrative synthesis. Methods: MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, Web of Science and AMED were searched combined with grey literature, to identify quantitative or qualitative review articles published between January 2010 and February 2021. Results: From 8727 references, 36 met the inclusion criteria. The methodological quality of the studies was assessed with the AMSTAR tool and was generally low. Meta-analysis was not possible due to the heterogeneity of the studies, and a narrative synthesis was produced. Three themes emerged at patient and organisational level: 1) access to AHP services; 2) quality of care; and 3) social determinants of health. Two themes emerged at system level: 1) unequal workforce distribution and 2) lack of inclusive clinical guidelines. Conclusions: This rapid review offers a broad range of evidence on the ways AHPs can contribute to the reduction of inequalities in health care, both in terms of access and quality of care and in health outcomes. More research is needed to further understand the impact of AHPs on inequalities affecting specific groups and their contribution to equitable distribution of social determinants of health.

The European Union, economies and public health: not one without the other.

OBJECTIVES: In this article, we aim to discuss the historical and current challenges facing public health in the European Union (EU) and present opportunities for the EU and Member States to maintain national public health ownership, supported by more substantial EU-level approaches building on existing legislation and practice. STUDY DESIGN: This is a descriptive study design. METHODS: A narrative review of the literature was performed and described. RESULTS: Historically, the EU has played only a small role in Member States' public health systems and delivery. The EU's policies primarily affect trade and overall economic decisions pertaining to Member States, with limited emphasis on the complex but essential interplay between economies and public health. In recent years, the public health challenges facing the EU, such as climate change, antimicrobial resistance, migrant health and now COVID-19, have become increasingly apparent. CONCLUSIONS: To establish a healthier EU, the development of a European Health Union and the Health in All Policies approach of the EU and the World Health Organization must explicitly manifest itself in policies and actions.