Glossary of Healthcare Terms

Organizations that unite a hospital, or group of hospitals, and a physician organization through a contractual relationship for the purpose of contracting with managed care organizations.

Expensive medical devices, such as orthopedic implants, heart valves, bone products, balloons, and wires.

Healthcare entities in which their practicing physicians also have ownership investment in the facility, supplementing professional income with revenue from facility services. Many physician-owned facilities include limited-service facilities, such as surgical and specialty hospitals.

A term used to describe various kinds of medical therapy, including hydrotherapy, massage, mechanotherapy, electrotherapy, and heat therapy.

Used to connect digital x-rays and other imaging modalities. Has become a must for efficient imaging services, as it provides improved access to images with reduced delays.

The piezoelectric sensor "collects data in response to applied mechanical stress, registers information faster than the body can react to the pressure, thus giving an accurate measurement of the position of the vertebra in the spine."

Podiatric assistants aide Doctors of Podiatric Medicine by recording medical histories, taking vital signs, explaining procedures, and assisting during examinations. Additional jobs may include developing x-rays and helping prepare patients for procedures.

Podiatrists are the only medical professionals trained exclusively to provide total care of the foot. Podiatric treatment can include a multitude of invasive and non-invasive therapies. Treatments can include the prescription of medication and/or orthotics, surgical procedures, the establishment of the therapeutic programs for patients, and the application of appliances to feet or footwear.

A health profession concerned with medical and surgical treatment of disorders of the foot, ankle, and related structures of the leg.

Combines aspects of both an HMO and a PPO. It allows prepaid enrollees to receive services from providers outside of their network.

New Technologies that help to manage patient treatment plans.

POS plans combine many of the elements of HMOs and PPOs. POS plans are usually an addition to an HMO product that allows members the benefit of seeking care from non-participating providers. As with an HMO, when members seek care from in-network providers they typically pay no deductible or coinsurance. However, similar to a PPO, members are free to seek services outside the network subject to higher cost sharing in the form of deductibles and coinsurance.

"An amendment that modifies the policy

Consulting that involves a breakdown of the day-to-day management of the healthcare professional practice and analysis of the processes in place in order to identify areas of improvement.

Reporting of raw, unbiased practice data to practitioners.