Artificial Intelligence in Allied Health Practice: Current Evidence, Emerging Applications, And Implications for Patient Safety

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Artificial intelligence (AI) is moving from experimental research into routine healthcare workflows, including diagnostic support, clinical documentation, rehabilitation, laboratory medicine, medical imaging, patient education, and service management. Allied health professionals are increasingly involved in these AI-enabled pathways, yet evidence and implementation guidance are often concentrated in physician-led specialties. This narrative review synthesises current evidence on the use of AI across allied health practice and examines implications for patient safety, professional accountability, education, and health equity. Literature from peer-reviewed journals and authoritative guidance was considered, with emphasis on clinical applications, implementation barriers, bias, explainability, human-AI interaction, and generative AI. Current evidence supports potential benefits such as workflow support, image interpretation, pattern recognition, personalised rehabilitation, laboratory decision support, documentation assistance, and improved access to health information. However, technical performance alone does not establish clinical effectiveness or safety. Dataset shift, hidden bias, automation bias, inaccurate generated content, privacy risks, poor interoperability, insufficient local validation, and unclear responsibility can introduce new failure modes. Safe adoption should include a defined intended use, representative validation, transparent performance monitoring, user training, incident reporting, privacy safeguards, human oversight, and periodic re-evaluation after deployment. The review concludes that AI has meaningful potential across allied health practice, but sustainable adoption depends on evidence-based governance and continuous patient-safety monitoring rather than technology adoption alone.

Effect of Joint Mobilization Versus Soft Tissue Mobilization Along with Conventional Exercise on Pain, Quality of Life and Hip Range of Motion in Patients with Femoroacetabular Impingement Syndrome

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Background: Femoroacetabular impingement syndrome (FAIS) is a clinically important hip disorder that may contribute to the development of early hip osteoarthritis. It is frequently identified in physically active young and middle-aged adults, with symptomatic presentations commonly occurring in individuals between 20 and 40 years of age.

Methods: Twenty individuals diagnosed with femoroacetabular impingement syndrome who fulfilled the predetermined selection criteria were recruited for the study. The participants were randomly allocated into two equal groups. Group A received joint mobilization combined with conventional exercise, whereas Group B received soft tissue mobilization combined with conventional exercise. Pain intensity was assessed using the Numeric Pain Rating Scale (NPRS), hip-related functional status was evaluated using the Hip Outcome Score (HOS), and hip internal rotation range of motion was measured using a goniometer.

Result: Statistically significant improvements were observed in both groups for pain intensity, Hip Outcome Score, and hip internal rotation range of motion following the intervention. Between-group analysis also demonstrated a statistically significant difference in the post-intervention outcomes, with Group A showing greater improvement compared with Group B.

Conclusion: Both treatment approaches were associated with improvements in pain, hip-related functional outcomes, and hip internal rotation range of motion in individuals with FAIS. However, joint mobilization combined with conventional exercise demonstrated greater improvements compared with soft tissue mobilization combined with conventional exercise in the present study. These findings suggest that joint mobilization combined with conventional exercise may be a beneficial conservative physiotherapy approach for individuals with FAIS.

Spatial Distribution of Insects Associated with Stored Maize and Assessment of Damage in Odienné Department (North-East Côte d’Ivoire)

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In Côte d’Ivoire, maize (Zea mays L.) is the second most widely grown and consumed cereal after rice. However, this crop suffers significant post-harvest losses due to pests. This study aimed to map the spatial distribution of the main pests and to assess the damage caused to maize stocks. A sample of 189 kg of maize grains was collected from 21 storage structures across seven localities. The insects collected after sifting the grains were identified under a binocular magnifying glass using identification keys. This study identified 10 species belonging to 9 families and 10 genera. The most dominant and omnipresent species across all the surveyed sites were Sitophilus zeamais and Tribolium castaneum. The highest mean infestation rate was 94.0 ± 0.48%, followed by a mean weight loss of 71.1 ± 1.85%. The findings highlight the importance of implementing monitoring strategies to develop effective methods for managing stock pests, given the high levels of infestation.

Beliefs About Protection Against Sexually Transmitted Infections Attributed to Emergency Contraception Among University Students

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Objective: To describe beliefs about protection against sexually transmitted infections (STIs) attributed to oral emergency contraception among university students.

Methods: An observational, cross-sectional, descriptive study included 377 records from a survey conducted in 2025. Responses to a question about protection against STIs, sources of information on contraceptive methods, and demographic characteristics were analyzed. Absolute frequencies and percentages were calculated without hypothesis testing.

Results: Participants included 254 women (67.4%) and 123 men (32.6%). A total of 264 students (70.0%) selected the response indicating no protection against STIs; 113 (30.0%) attributed some protection to the medication. The most frequent misconception was that it protects against vaginal infections (70; 18.6%). The internet was the most frequently reported information source (233; 61.8%), followed by school (92; 24.4%). Among those reporting the internet, 76 (32.6%) selected a response attributing protection against infections.

Conclusions: Three in ten participants attributed protection against infections to emergency contraception. The findings support proposing educational content that distinguishes pregnancy prevention from STI prevention. They do not establish sexual behaviors or causal effects of information sources.