Registers of Allied Health Professionals

The description of Diagnostic Radiography as prescribed in the Second Schedule of the Allied Health Professions Act 2011 is provided in the following sections.

Radiography involves the controlled use of ionising radiation, radioactive substances and non-ionising radiation to produce diagnostic quality images of the human body, facilitating the diagnosis and treatment of patients.

The acts or activities constituting radiography include, but are not limited to, the following:

1. reviewing clinical requests;

2. planning diagnostic imaging procedures;

3. conducting the appropriate diagnostic imaging procedures, or assisting in treatment procedures or other actions as part of a care team, which include, but are not limited to, the following:

   • performing the full range of diagnostic imaging techniques and contrast agent examinations;

   • prescribing, dispensing or administering the appropriate radiation dose by applying principles of radiation safety and protection. 

The description of Occupational Therapy as prescribed in the Second Schedule of the Allied Health Professions Act 2011 is provided in the following sections.

Occupational Therapy involves assessment and interventions to work or school, self-care, leisure or play, physical environments as well as cognitive, mental and physical components of function to enable individuals affected by physical injury or illness, developmental or learning disabilities, psychosocial dysfunctions or the aging process, to engage in everyday life occupations in order to maximise independent performance of life roles, prevent disability and maintain health.

The acts or activities constituting Occupational Therapy (or Ergomedicine or Ergotherapy) include, but are not limited to the following:

1. assess and identify problems in everyday life occupations, which impede the safe and effective performance of everyday activities; “everyday activities” being defined as activities necessary for self-care, being productive in work, school, homemaking or volunteering activities, play and leisure;

2. prescribe and carry out interventions to prevent, remedy or adapt to problems in performing everyday life occupations;

3. apply universal design principles to adapt physical environment and tools to enable everyday life occupations;

4. remediate or restore musculo-skeletal, neurological, cognitive, perceptual, behavioural and psychosocial deficits limiting everyday life occupations;

5. conduct of sensorimotor and neurobehavioural performance tests to screen infants and children for potential developmental delay;

6. assessment and remediation of activities of daily living, including management of toileting and personal hygiene, driver assessment and rehabilitation, and sexual rehabilitation following disabilities;

7. assessment and intervention for safe and independent community living;

8. fabrication of orthotic devices to protect or stretch tissues;

9. measurement and prescription of pressure garments to manage edema and scarring;

10. prescription and training in assistive technologies;

11. pre-vocational and vocational assessment and training

The description of Physiotherapy as prescribed in the Second Schedule of the Allied Health Professions Act 2011 is provided in the following sections.

Physiotherapy involves the assessment, treatment, rehabilitation and prevention of pain, injury, or any other physical dysfunction, through the use of education, exercise, manual therapy, electro-physical agents, technology or any other treatment for those purposes.

The acts or activities constituting Physiotherapy include, but are not limited to the following:

1. physical rehabilitation;

2. prescribing of therapeutic exercises, manual techniques, electro-physical agents, technology, aids and appliances;

3. detecting abnormalities of human movements and functions, from newborn to older persons, using the following methods:

   1. clinical examinations and tests;

   2. goniometry, dynamometry and posturography;

   3. all forms of human motion analysis;

   4. exercise tests;

   5. use of bioimpedance technology and perometry; and

   6. instruments to assess mobility, physical functions and quality of life.

4. any other type of practice of restoration of normal human movements that forms part of the practice of physiotherapy;

5. health promotion, illness and disease prevention.

The description of Radiation Therapy as prescribed in the Second Schedule of the Allied Health Professions Act 2011 is provided in the following sections.

1. Radiation therapy involves:

   • the controlled use of ionising radiation, radioactive substances and non-ionising radiation to facilitate the localisation, management and treatment of cancerous and non‑cancerous lesions;

   • the development of an optimal radiation treatment plan; and

   • the safe administration of radiation treatment.

2. The acts or activities constituting radiation therapy include, but are not limited to the following:

   • reviewing clinical requests;

   • fabricating appropriate immobilisation devices;

   • conducting pre-treatment simulation and treatment planning to facilitate radiation treatment;

   • administering radiation treatment or other actions as part of a care team, which include, but are not limited to, the following:

     • carrying out the appropriate image verification before delivery of treatment;

     • dispensing and administering the appropriate radiation dose in accordance with the medical treatment plan prescribed by medical practitioners and principles of radiation safety and protection.

The description of Speech-and-Language Therapy as prescribed in the Second Schedule of the Allied Health Professions Act 2011 is provided in the following sections.

Speech-and-Language Therapy involves the assessment, diagnosis, treatment and management of communication and swallowing disorders.

Communication encompasses spoken and symbolic representations of language (i.e. written, pictorial, signed), and takes into consideration hearing, auditory processing, understanding, expressive language, articulation, fluency, resonance, voice, prosody, non-verbal and social skills.

Swallowing disorders encompass disorders in the oral, pharyngeal and oesophageal phases of swallowing.

The acts or activities constituting the practice of Speech-and-Language Therapy include, but are not limited to the following:

1. assessment, diagnosis, and management of hearing, auditory processing, spoken, written and symbolic language (receptive and expressive), articulation, fluency, resonance, voice, prosody, non-verbal and social skills (subsequently referred to as “communication disorders”);

2. assessment, diagnosis, and management of feeding, oral, pharyngeal and oesophageal swallowing disorders (subsequently referred to as “swallowing disorders”);

3. administration and interpretation of standardised and informal assessments and/or objective assessments (e.g. stroboscopy, endoscopy videofluoroscopy, electromyography, manometry and communication technology) to aid in the diagnosis and management of communication and swallowing disorders;

4. modification or enhancement of communicative performance, or remediation of communication and swallowing disorders through client and caregiver education, counselling and using a variety and combination of treatment approaches such as (but not limited to):

   1. cognitive rehabilitation;

   2. behavioural modification;

   3. oromotor (and oral-placement) therapy;

5. provision of expert opinion, selection of, and training in augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) systems and prostheses for communication and swallowing (e.g. for clients with tracheostomies or laryngectomies);

6. advising on and addressing the implications of communication and swallowing problems on an individual’s quality of life and participation in society.