Category: H

Generally, health care worker includes physicians, residents, interns, supervising nurses, nurses, and nursing assistants. It also can include emergency medical technicians (EMTs) and others who directly treat patients. Sometimes, health care workers are distinguished in reference to health care professionals (doctors). The area where the term comes up the most is in regards to HIV/AIDS.…

Afederal act of 1986 which (1) gives certain protection from lawsuits to physicians and hospitals for peer review activities and (2) sets up a national clearinghouse of information on disciplinary and malpractice actions against physicians.  

A prepaid plan serving Medicare beneficiaries based on reimbursement, not risk. The Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA) will provide reimbursement for services actually provided. Distinguished from HMOs and similar plans in that HCPPs do not need to provide all Medicare covered services, do not have to offer open enrollment, and can avoid member appeal rights.…

An organizational form for health care delivery in which the financial risk (health care) is assumed by the organization, rather than by individuals.  

A new accreditation program of the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Health Care Organizations (JCAHO) for health care networks. The survey includes administrative functions, network components, and practitioners’ offices.  

A program of the Hospital Council of Western Pennsylvania. Provides reports comparing the Council’s hospitals with groups of hospitals and with individual hospitals in Pennsylvania. The data source is the data set which the state requires each hospital to report on every hospital discharge.  

A federal coding system used to identify medical services and supplies provided to Medicare patients. Pronounced “hick-picks”, this coding system includes the Physicians Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) codes copyrighted by the American Medical Association, as well as additional codes to include services and supplies not covered by the CPT codes. While all CPT codes are…

A term that refers to the development of alternative delivery systems and alternative financing systems. One must seek the context of this term to understand just what is meant.  

A term used in health care facilities usually to mean an area with a fire hazard greater than usual. Specific definition in this usage can be found in the Life Safety Code.  

A nonprofit organization dedicated to public service and education in the field of biomedical ethics. Its staff conducts research in the field, provides assistance to educators, students, ethics committee members, physicians, attorneys, researchers, and journalists. It publishes, bimonthly, the Hastings Center Report and IRB: A Review of Human Subjects Research. Topics on which it has…