| care | In medicine and public health, a general term for the application of knowledge to the benefit of a community or individual. (05 Mar 2000) |
|---|---|
| care, ambulatory | Medical care (including diagnosis, observation, treatment and rehabilitation) provided on an outpatient basis. Ambulatory care is given to persons who are not confined to a hospital but who are ambulatory and literally able to ambulate, to walk about. (A well-baby visit is considered ambulatory care even though the baby is not walking). (12 Dec 1998) |
| care, managed | Any system that manages healthcare delivery in order to control costs. (12 Dec 1998) |
| care proxy, health | 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) |
| palliative care | Treatment aimed at relieving symptoms and pain rather than effecting a cure. (13 Nov 1997) |
| palliative care physician | <specialist> A medically qualified specialist in the care of people with incurable disease where the focus is on symptom control and the enhancement of quality of life. (13 Nov 1997) |
| managed care | Any system that manages healthcare delivery to control costs. (12 Dec 1998) |
| managed care programs | Health insurance plans intended to reduce unnecessary health care costs through a variety of mechanisms, including: economic incentives for physicians and patients to select less costly forms of care; programs for reviewing the medical necessity of specific services; increased beneficiary cost sharing; controls on inpatient admissions and lengths of stay; the establishment of cost-sharing incentives for outpatient surgery; selective contracting with health care providers; and the intensive management of high-cost health care cases. The programs may be provided in a variety of settings, such as health maintenance organizations and preferred provider organizations. (12 Dec 1998) |
| pastoral care | Counseling or comfort given by ministers, priests, rabbis, etc., to those in need of help with emotional problems or stressful situations. (12 Dec 1998) |
| medical care | The portion of care under a physician's direction. (05 Mar 2000) |
| peer review, health care | The concurrent or retrospective review by practicing physicians or other health professionals of the quality and efficiency of patient care practices or services ordered or performed by other physicians or other health professionals . (12 Dec 1998) |
| respiratory care unit | The hospital unit in which patients with respiratory conditions requiring special attention receive intensive medical care and surveillance. (12 Dec 1998) |
| respite care | Patient care provided in the home or institution intermittently in order to provide temporary relief to the family home care giver. (12 Dec 1998) |
| perinatal care | The care and management of the foetus and newborn infant in the perinatal period before, during, and after delivery. (12 Dec 1998) |
| perioperative care | Interventions to provide care prior to, during, and immediately after surgery. (12 Dec 1998) |