| health | 1. The state of being hale, sound, or whole, in body, mind, or soul; especially, the state of being free from physical disease or pain. "There is no health in us." (Book of Common Prayer) "Though health may be enjoyed without gratitude, it can not be sported with without loss, or regained by courage." (Buckminster) 2. A wish of health and happiness, as in pledging a person in a toast. "Come, love and health to all." Bill of health. See Bill. Health lift, a machine for exercise, so arranged that a person lifts an increasing weight, or moves a spring of increasing tension, in such a manner that most of the muscles of the body are brought into gradual action; also called lifting machine. Health officer, one charged with the enforcement of the sanitary laws of a port or other place. To drink a health. See Drink. Origin: OE. Helthe, AS. Hlp, fr. Hal hale, sound, whole. See Whole. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
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| health and human services | See HHS. (12 Dec 1998) |
| health behaviour | Behaviours expressed by individuals to protect, maintain or promote their health status. For example, proper diet, and appropriate exercise are activities perceived to influence health status. Lifestyle is closely associated with health behaviour and factors influencing life style are socioeconomic, educational, and cultural. (12 Dec 1998) |
| health benefit plans, employee | Health insurance plans for employees, and generally including their dependents, usually on a cost-sharing basis with the employer paying a percentage of the premium. (12 Dec 1998) |
| health care | Services provided to individuals or communities by agents of the health services or professions for the purpose of promoting, maintaining, monitoring, or restoring health. (05 Mar 2000) |
| health care coalitions | Voluntary groups of people representing diverse interests in the community such as hospitals, businesses, physicians, and insurers, with the principal objective to improve health care cost effectiveness. (12 Dec 1998) |
| health care costs | The actual costs of providing services related to the delivery of health care, including the costs of procedures, therapies, and medications. It is differentiated from health expenditures, which refers to the amount of money paid for the services, and from fees, which refers to the amount charged, regardless of cost. (12 Dec 1998) |
| health care economics and organizations | The economic aspects of health care, its planning, and delivery. It includes government agencies and organizations in the private sector. (12 Dec 1998) |
| health care evaluation mechanisms | Methods and techniques used in evaluating the quality of health care, its planning, and delivery. (12 Dec 1998) |
| health care facilities, manpower, and services | The services provided in the delivery of health care, associated facilities in health care, and attendant manpower required or available. (12 Dec 1998) |
| health care finance administration | See: HCFA. (12 Dec 1998) |
| Health Care Financing Administration | The federal agency that determines reimbursement for federal programs. (05 Mar 2000) |
| health care proxy | A health care proxy is one form of advance medical directive. Advance medical directives preserve the person's right to accept or reject a course of medical treatment even after that person becomes mentally or physically incapacitated to the point of being unable to communicate those wishes. There are two basic forms of advance directives: (1) a living will, in which the person outlines specific treatment guidelines that are to be followed by health care providers; (2) a health care proxy (also called a power of attorney for healthcare decision-making) in which the person designates a trusted individual to make medical decisions in the event that he or she becomes too incapacitated to make such decisions. Advance directive requirements vary greatly from one jurisdiction to another and should therefore be drawn up in consultation with an attorney who is familiar with the laws of the particular jurisdiction. (this entry is based upon material from the national ms society). (12 Dec 1998) |
| health care quality, access, and evaluation | The concept concerned with all aspects of the quality, accessibility, and appraisal of health care and health care delivery. (12 Dec 1998) |
| health care rationing | Planning for the equitable allocation, apportionment, or distribution of available health resources. (12 Dec 1998) |
| adolescent health services | Organised services to provide health care to adolescents, ages ranging from 13 through 18 years. (12 Dec 1998) |
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| allied health occupations | Occupations of medical personnel who are not physicians, and are qualified by special training and, frequently, by licensure to work in supporting roles in the health care field. These occupations include, but are not limited to, medical technology, physical therapy, physician assistant, etc. (12 Dec 1998) |
| allied health personnel | Health care workers specially trained and licensed to assist and support the work of health professionals. Often used synonymously with paramedical personnel, the term generally refers to all health care workers who perform tasks which must otherwise be performed by a physician or other health professional. (12 Dec 1998) |
| allied health professional | An individual trained to perform services in the care of patients other than a physician or registered nurse; includes a variety of therapy technicians (e.g., pulmonary), radiology technicians, physical therapists, etc. (05 Mar 2000) |
| area health education centres | Education centres authorised by the comprehensive health manpower training act, 1971, for the training of health personnel in areas where health needs are the greatest. May be used for centres other than those established by the united states act. (12 Dec 1998) |
| attitude of health personnel | Attitudes of personnel toward their patients, other professionals, toward the medical care system, etc. (12 Dec 1998) |
| attitude to health | Public attitudes toward health, disease, and the medical care system. (12 Dec 1998) |
| behavioural health | An interdisciplinary field dedicated to promoting a philosophy of health that stresses individual responsibility in the application of behavioural and biomedical science knowledge and techniques to the maintenance of health and prevention of illness and dysfunction by a variety of self-initiated individual and shared activities. (05 Mar 2000) |
| care proxy, health | A health care proxy is one form of advance medical directive. Advance medical directives preserve the person's right to accept or reject a course of medical treatment even after that person becomes mentally or physically incapacitated to the point of being unable to communicate those wishes. There are two basic forms of advance directives: 1. A living will, in which the person outlines specific treatment guidelines that are to be followed by health care providers. 2. A health care proxy (also called a power of attorney for health-care decision-making) in which the person designates a trusted individual to make medical decisions in the event that he or she becomes too incapacitated to make such decisions. Advance directive requirements vary greatly from one jurisdiction to another and should therefore be drawn up in consultation with an attorney who is familiar with the laws of the particular jurisdiction. (This entry is based upon material from the National MS Society). (12 Dec 1998) |
| radiologic health | Health concerns associated with the effects of radiation on the environment and on public and personal health. (12 Dec 1998) |
| pan american health organization | <organisation> WHO regional office for the americas acting as a coordinating agency for the improvement of health conditions in the hemisphere. The four main functions are: control or eradication of communicable diseases, strengthening of national and local health services, education and training, and research. (21 Jun 2000) |
| marketing of health services | Application of marketing principles and techniques to maximise the use of health care resources. (12 Dec 1998) |
| maternal-child health centres | Facilities which administer the delivery of health care services to mothers and children. (12 Dec 1998) |
| maternal health services | Organised services to provide health care to expectant and nursing mothers. (12 Dec 1998) |
| regional health planning | Planning for health resources at a community or regional level. (12 Dec 1998) |