| impairment | A physical or mental defect at the level of a body system or organ. The official WHO definition is: any loss or abnormality of psychological, physiological or anatomical structure or function. (05 Mar 2000) |
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| mental impairment | A disorder characterised by the display of an intellectual defect, as manifested by diminished cognitive, interpersonal, social, and vocational effectiveness and quantitatively evaluated by psychological examination and assessment. (05 Mar 2000) |
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| physician impairment | The physician's inability to practice medicine with reasonable skill and safety to the patient due to the physician's disability. Common causes include alcohol and drug abuse, mental illness, physical disability, and senility. (12 Dec 1998) |
| hearing impairment | Hearing loss A reduction in the ability to perceive sound; may range from slight to complete deafness. See: deafness, threshold shift. (05 Mar 2000) |
| professional impairment | The inability of a health professional to provide proper professional care of patients due to his or her physical and/or mental disability. (12 Dec 1998) |
| hepatic function impairment | The impaired ability of the liver to fulfill its role in metabolism. (27 Sep 1997) |