| AIC | Akaike's information criterion [a goodness-of-fit measure]; aminoimidazole carboxamide; Association ... |
|---|---|
| APIM | Association Professionnelle Internationale des Medecins |
| BIPM | International Bureau of Weights and Measures [Fr. Bureau International des Poids et Mesures] |
| DES | dementia rating scale; dermal-epidermal separation; dialysis encephalopathy syndrome; diethylstilbes... |
| AHCA | Agency for Health Care Administration; American Health Care Association |
| 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) |
| health care reform | Innovation and improvement of the health care system by reappraisal, amendment of services, and removal of faults and abuses in providing and distributing health services to patients. It includes a re-alignment of health services and health insurance to maximum demographic elements (the unemployed, indigent, uninsured, elderly, inner cities, rural areas) with reference to coverage, hospitalization, pricing and cost containment, insurers' and employers' costs, pre-existing medical conditions, prescribed drugs, equipment, and services. (12 Dec 1998) |
| health care sector | Economic sector concerned with the provision, distribution, and consumption of health care services and related products. (12 Dec 1998) |
| health care surveys | Statistical measures of utilization and other aspects of the provision of health care services including hospitalization and ambulatory care. (12 Dec 1998) |
| primary health care | Care which provides integrated, accessible health care services by clinicians who are accountable for addressing a large majority of personal health care needs, developing a sustained partnership with patients, and practicing in the context of family and community. (jama 1995;273(3):192) (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) |
| 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) |