Providing evidence of good allied health care for the veteran population: development of a unique management system.

A unique management system was developed to enhance the quality of allied health care for the elderly. The management system is a multipronged framework of processes and outcomes, which address key stakeholder needs, and is based on best scientific evidence. Use of the management system provides efficiencies for funding bodies in data collection and monitoring service quality. It also confirms the professional integrity of the allied health service provider and underscores the importance of client-therapist partnership in determining appropriate health outcomes. Further testing is required to assess the relationship between use of the allied health management system and better quality service provision, cost containment, and consistently good client health outcomes.