| AHCA | Agency for Health Care Administration; American Health Care Association |
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| AHF | acute heart failure; American Health Foundation; American Hepatic Foundation; American Hospital Form... |
| AHP | accountable health plan or partnership; acute hemorrhagic pancreatitis; after hyperpolarization; air... |
| AHS | Academy of Health Sciences; African horse sickness; alveolar hypoventilation syndrome; American Hear... |
| ASHA | American School Health Association; American Social Health Association; American Speech and Hearing ... |
| health transition | Demographic and epidemiologic changes that have occurred in the last five decades in many developing countries and that are characterised by major growth in the number and proportion of middle-aged and elderly persons and in the frequency of the diseases that occur in these age groups. The health transition is the result of efforts to improve maternal and child health via primary care and outreach services and such efforts have been responsible for a decrease in the birth rate; reduced maternal mortality; improved preventive services; reduced infant mortality, and the increased life expectancy that defines the transition. (12 Dec 1998) |
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| school health services | Preventive health services provided for students. It excludes college or university students. (12 Dec 1998) |
| schools, health occupations | Schools which offer training in the area of health. (12 Dec 1998) |
| schools, public health | Educational institutions for individuals specializing in the field of public health. (12 Dec 1998) |
| proxy, health care | 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) |
| holistic health | Health as viewed from the perspective that man and other organisms function as complete, integrated units rather than as aggregates of separate parts. (12 Dec 1998) |
| public health | The health of the human population as a whole. (09 Oct 1997) |
| public health administration | Management of public health organizations or agencies. (12 Dec 1998) |
| public health dentistry | A dental specialty concerned with the prevention of disease and the maintenance of oral health through promoting organised dental health programs at a community, state, or federal level. (12 Dec 1998) |
| public health nurse | A nurse who provides care to individuals or groups in a community outside of institutions. Usually works through the auspices of a state or city health department. Synonym: community health nurse, community nurse. (05 Mar 2000) |
| public health nursing | The field of nursing focusing on the health of the community through educational and preventive programs, as well as providing treatment and diagnostic services. (12 Dec 1998) |
| public health practice | The activities and endeavors of the public health services in a community on any level. (12 Dec 1998) |
| home health aides | Persons who assist ill, elderly, or disabled persons in the home, carrying out personal care and housekeeping tasks. (12 Dec 1998) |
| home health nurse | A nurse who is responsible for a group of clients in the home setting. Visits clients on a routine basis to assist client and family with care as needed and to teach family the care needed so that the client may remain in his/her home. Synonym: visiting nurse. (05 Mar 2000) |
| national centre for health care technology | A centre in the public health service which coordinates and administers a program of research, demonstrations, and evaluations of medical technologies and assessments of health care technology. (12 Dec 1998) |