Abstract
The purpose of this study was to achieve two objectives. First, to identify the priorities considered essential for the Texas Society of Allied Health Professions and other state components of the American Society of Allied Health Professions (ASAHP). Second, to determine if differences existed among state components of ASAHP, regarding what the members of each perceived the priorities for state organizations should be. Initially, a survey instrument was developed through a Delphi exercise which involved 21 allied health professionals from the Texas Society of Allied Health Professions (TSAHP). The 56-item instrument with a dimensional ranking scale was labeled the TSAHP Priority Rating Scale (TPRS). Participants in this study were the members of the five functioning state components to ASAHP in the United States. The total membership of the combined components was 477, of which 316 (66%) responded to the instrument. A modified double-sampling procedure was accomplished to determine if the remaining nonrespondents within each state component differed from those who had originally responded. This exercise did not provide sufficient evidence to conclude that the original responses were not representative of the total membership from each organization. Analysis of the data revealed that the responding state components were in agreement that certain priorities were important for their organizations to work toward. The data also indicated that there were certain priorities that were unimportant for a state component. Those priorities which were identified as important suggested that the state components should work toward becoming the recognized base of solidarity for a diverse group of allied health professions as well as provide a variety of services to them. Those priorities which were identified as unimportant were statements which dealt with individuality, educational concerns and the involvement in complex health issues. Additionally, data indicated that the responding state components did not statistically differ on 44 of the 56 TPRS items, or 79 percent of the total measure...
Thomson, William Allan (1979). Perceived priorities of state components of a national health association. Texas A&M University. Texas A&M University. Libraries. Available electronically from
https : / /hdl .handle .net /1969 .1 /DISSERTATIONS -718733.