| ICU | infant care unit; immunologic contact urticaria; intensive care unit; intermediate care unit |
|---|---|
| NICU | neonatal intensive care unit; neurological intensive care unit; neurosurgical intensive care unit; n... |
| RC | an electronic circuit containing a resistor and capacitor in series; radiocarpal; reaction center; r... |
| SC | conditioned stimulus; sacrococcygeal; Sanitary Corps; scalenus [muscle]; scapula; Schwann cell; scia... |
| PH | parathyroid hormone; partial hepatectomy; partial hysterectomy; passive hemagglutination; past histo... |
| custodial care | Board, room, and other personal assistance services generally provided on a long term basis. It excludes regular medical care. (12 Dec 1998) |
|---|---|
| preconception care | An organised and comprehensive program of health care that identifies and reduces a woman's reproductive risks before conception through risk assessment, health promotion, and interventions. Preconception care programs may be designed to include the male partner in providing counseling and educational information in preparation for fatherhood, such as genetic counseling and testing, financial and family planning, etc. This concept is different from prenatal care, which occurs during pregnancy. (12 Dec 1998) |
| prenatal care | Care provided the pregnant woman in order to prevent complications, and decrease the incidence of maternal and prenatal mortality. (12 Dec 1998) |
| preoperative care | Care given during the period prior to undergoing surgery when psychological and physical preparations are made according to the special needs of the individual patient. This period spans the time between admission to the hospital to the time the surgery begins. (12 Dec 1998) |
| health care | Services provided to individuals or communities by agents of the health services or professions for the purpose of promoting, maintaining, monitoring, or restoring health. (05 Mar 2000) |
| health care coalitions | Voluntary groups of people representing diverse interests in the community such as hospitals, businesses, physicians, and insurers, with the principal objective to improve health care cost effectiveness. (12 Dec 1998) |
| 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) |