| AFS | acquired or adult Fanconi syndrome; alternative financing system; American Fertility Society; antifi... |
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| EPF | early pregnancy factor; endocarditis parietalis fibroplastica; endothelial proliferating factor; est... |
| PHC | personal health costs; posthospital care; premolar hypodontia, hyperhidrosis, [premature] canities [... |
| HRA | health record analyst; health risk appraisal; heart rate audiometry; hereditary renal adysplasia; hi... |
| HSA | Hazardous Substances Act; Health Services Administration; health systems agency; hereditary siderobl... |
| 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) |
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| 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) |
| delivery of health care | The concept concerned with all aspects of providing and distributing health services to a patient population. (12 Dec 1998) |
| delivery of health care, integrated | A health care system which combines physicians, hospitals, and other medical services with a health plan to provide the complete spectrum of medical care for its customers. In a fully integrated system, the three key elements - physicians, hospital, and health plan membership - are in balance in terms of matching medical resources with the needs of purchasers and patients. (coddington et al., integrated health care: reorganizing the physician, hospital and health plan relationship, 1994, p7) (12 Dec 1998) |
| quality assurance, health care | Activities and programs intended to assure or improve the quality of care in either a defined medical setting or a program. The concept includes the assessment or evaluation of the quality of care; identification of problems or shortcomings in the delivery of care; designing activities to overcome these deficiencies; and follow-up monitoring to ensure effectiveness of corrective steps. (12 Dec 1998) |
| quality indicators, health care | Norms, criteria, standards, and other direct qualitative and quantitative measures used in determinng the quality of health care. (12 Dec 1998) |
| quality of health care | The levels of excellence which characterise the health service or health care provided based on accepted standards of quality. (12 Dec 1998) |
| International Classification of Health Problems in Primary Care | A classification of diseases, conditions and problems arranged for use in primary care where diagnostic precision is seldom possible. (05 Mar 2000) |
| united states agency for health care policy and research | An agency of the public health service established in 1990 to "provide indexing, abstracting, translating, publishing, and other services leading to a more effective and timely dissemination of information on research, demonstration projects, and evaluations with respect to health care to public and private entities and individuals engaged in the improvement of health care delivery.." it supersedes the national centre for health services research. (12 Dec 1998) |
| administration | 1. The act of administering; government of public affairs; the service rendered, or duties assumed, in conducting affairs; the conducting of any office or employment; direction; management. "His financial administration was of a piece with his military administration." (Macaulay) 2. The executive part of government; the persons collectively who are intrusted with the execution of laws and the superintendence of public affairs; the chief magistrate and his cabinet or council; or the council, or ministry, alone, as in Great Britain. "A mild and popular administration." (Macaulay) "The administration has been opposed in parliament." (Johnson) 3. The act of administering, or tendering something to another; dispensation; as, the administration of a medicine, of an oath, of justice, or of the sacrament. 4. The management and disposal, under legal authority, of the estate of an intestate, or of a testator having no competent executor. The management of an estate of a deceased person by an executor, the strictly corresponding term execution not being in use. Administration with the will annexed, administration granted where the testator has appointed no executor, or where his appointment of an executor for any cause has failed, as by death, incompetency, refusal to act, etc. Synonym: Conduct, management, direction, regulation, execution, dispensation, distribution. Origin: OE. Administracioun, L. Administratio: cf. F. Administration. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| administration, buccal | Administration of a soluble dosage form between the cheek and gingiva. It may involve direct application of a drug onto the buccal mucosa, as by painting or spraying. (12 Dec 1998) |
| administration, cutaneous | The application of suitable drug dosage forms to the skin for either local or systemic effects. (12 Dec 1998) |
| administration, inhalation | The administration of drugs by the respiratory route. It includes insufflation into the respiratory tract. (12 Dec 1998) |
| administration, intravaginal | The insertion of drugs into the vagina to treat local infections, neoplasms, or to induce labour. The dosage forms may include medicated pessaries, irrigation fluids, and suppositories. (12 Dec 1998) |
| administration, intravesical | The instillation or other administration of drugs into the bladder, usually to treat local disease, including neoplasms. (12 Dec 1998) |