Category: R

Group of three defined mixtures of Salmonella ‘H’ antisera for the identification of most of the commoner species, obviating the need for the smaller laboratory to hold many individual ‘H’ antisera.  

Diphtheria antitoxin assay by flocculation. The antitoxin under test is serially diluted and mixed in tubes each containing ‘1 Lf’ of toxin, the dilution which first flocculates contains 1 Unit of antitoxin. (The 1 Lf of toxin is first determined by a reversal of the process testing with standard antitoxin of 1 Unit strength.)  

Official statements (statements authorized or commissioned by the governing body) as to the conduct of the organization’s affairs in specific areas. In hospitals, the term often applies to statements which supplement the medical staff bylaws. Such rules and regulations have the force of the bylaws themselves, but contain more detail than would be appropriate in…

The principle that saving a patient from imminent death has priority over any other medical duty. This “rule” is stated by some as a fact of the human psyche in connection with discussions of the rationing of health care.  

A doctrine in antitrust law which states that only unreasonable restraints of trade are prohibited. Thus, in most cases of alleged anticompetitive behavior, the specific facts must be examined to decide whether an antitrust violation has occurred. For example, an exclusive contract between a hospital and a group of radiologists is anticompetitive on its face;…

A federal antitrust law which prohibits price discrimination. A seller cannot charge a buyer a discriminatory price and a buyer cannot knowingly benefit from such a price. The prohibition applies only to sales of goods. Discrimination may be justified in some cases if the seller can show a relationship between the discount and the cost…

The division of financial risk among those furnishing the service. For example, if a hospital and group of physicians form a corporation to provide health care at a fixed price, they will ordinarily do it under an arrangement in which the hospital and physicians are both liable if the expenses exceed the revenue; that is,…

Action by a health care plan or insurer which seeks to enroll only healthy persons (low risk), thus reducing the risk to the plan. Of course, adverse selection results in enrollment of a group of persons who are below the norm in health, and thus likely to be more costly for the plan. Health care…

A fund set up as a reserve for unexpected expenses in a prepaid health plan. Organizations which provide prepaid health care for a fixed fee typically set up such pools to cover, for example, unusually large demands for hospital care or specialist services.  

In connection with computer software, answering three questions: (1) what can go wrong; (2) how likely is it, and (3) what are the consequences of failure There is a distinction between (1) a hazard, (2) a failure, (3) a risk, and (4) an accident.