| CPGs | clinical practice guidelines |
|---|---|
| CPX | cleft palate, X-linked; clinical practice examination; complete physical examination |
| CQI/TQM | continuous quality improvement/total quality management |
| QA | quality assessment; quality assurance |
| QC | quality characteristics; quality control; quinine colchicine |
| quality of life | Refers to the level of comfort, enjoyment, ability to pursue daily activities. Often used in discussions of treatment options. (16 Dec 1997) |
|---|---|
| total quality management | The application of industrial management practice to systematically maintain and improve organization-wide performance. Effectiveness and success are determined and assessed by quantitative quality measures. (12 Dec 1998) |
| environmental quality objective | This is a regulatory value defining the quality to be aimed for in a particular aspect of the environment. Unlike an environmental quality standard, an EQO is not usually expressed in quantitative terms and cannot be enforced legally. (09 Oct 1997) |
| environmental quality standard | This regulatory value defines the maximum concentration of a potentially toxic substance which can be allowed in an environmental compartment, usually air (air quality standard - AQS) or water, over a defined period. (09 Oct 1997) |
| general practice | A term for physicians who care for all types of medical problems, including internal medical, paediatric, obstetrical, and surgical diseases. Post-graduate training for general practitioners was limited and there was no specialty certification; the field has been replaced by more extensively trained family practitioners. (05 Mar 2000) |
| general practice, dental | Nonspecialised dental practice which is concerned with providing primary and continuing dental care. (12 Dec 1998) |
| partnership practice | A voluntary contract between two or more doctors who may or may not share responsibility for the care of patients, with proportional sharing of profits and losses. (12 Dec 1998) |
| partnership practice, dental | A voluntary contract between two or more dentists who may or may not share responsibility for the care of patients, with proportional sharing of profits and losses. (12 Dec 1998) |
| group practice | Any group of three or more full-time physicians organised in a legally recognised entity for the provision of health care services, sharing space, equipment, personnel and records for both patient care and business management, and who have a predetermined arrangement for the distribution of income. (12 Dec 1998) |
| group practice, dental | Any group of three or more full-time dentists, organised in a legally recognised entity for the provision of dental care, sharing space, equipment, personnel and records for both patient care and business management, and who have a predetermined arrangement for the distribution of income. (12 Dec 1998) |
| group practice, prepaid | An organised group of three or more full-time physicians rendering services for a fixed prepayment. (12 Dec 1998) |
| physician's practice patterns | Patterns of practice related to diagnosis and treatment as especially influenced by cost of the service requested and provided. (12 Dec 1998) |
| mortuary practice | Activities associated with the physical burial of the dead. It excludes cultural practices such as funeral rites. (12 Dec 1998) |
| practice | 1. Frequently repeated or customary action; habitual performance; a succession of acts of a similar kind; usage; habit; custom; as, the practice of rising early; the practice of making regular entries of accounts; the practice of daily exercise. 2. Customary or constant use; state of being used. "Obsolete words may be revived when they are more sounding or more significant than those in practice." (Dryden) 3. Systematic exercise for instruction or discipline; as, the troops are called out for practice; she neglected practice in music. 4. Application of science to the wants of men; the exercise of any profession; professional business; as, the practice of medicine or law; a large or lucrative practice. "Practice is exercise of an art, or the application of a science in life, which application is itself an art." (Sir W. Hamilton) 5. To do or perform frequently, customarily, or habitually; to make a practice of; as, to practice gaming. "Incline not my heart . . . Practice wicked works." 6. To exercise, or follow, as a profession, trade, art, etc, as, to practice law or medicine. 7. To perform certain acts frequently or customarily, either for instruction, profit, or amusement; as, to practice with the broadsword or with the rifle; to practice on the piano. Performance of an act one or more times, with a view to its fixation or improvement; any performance of an act or behaviour that leads to learning. 8. To learn by practice; to form a habit. "They shall practice how to live secure." (Milton) "Practice first over yourself to reign." (Waller) 9. To apply theoretical science or knowledge, especially. By way of experiment; to exercise or pursue an employment or profession, esp. That of medicine or of law. "[I am] little inclined to practice on others, and as little that others should practice on me." (Sir W. Temple) Origin: OE. Praktike, practique, F. Pratique, formerly also, practique, LL. Practica, fr. Gr, fr. Practical. See Practical, and cf. Pratique, Pretty. Source: Websters Dictionary (04 Jul 1999) |
| practice guideline | A set of directions or principles to assist the health care practitioner with patient care decisions about appropriate diagnostic, therapeutic, or other clinical procedures for specific clinical circumstances. Practice guidelines may be developed by government agencies at any level, institutions, organizations such as professional societies or governing boards, or by the convening of expert panels. They can provide a foundation for assessing and evaluating the quality and effectiveness of health care in terms of measuring improved health, reduction of variation in services or procedures performed, and reduction of variation in outcomes of health care delivered. (12 Dec 1998) |