Healthcare and hospital glossary

ABDM

Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission: India's national programme to connect patients, health facilities and professionals digitally, with records shared by consent.

ABHA

Ayushman Bharat Health Account: a free 14-digit health ID that lets a person link and share their health records across ABDM-connected providers with consent.

ALOS (average length of stay)

Total inpatient days in a period divided by the number of discharges in that period.

Bed occupancy rate

Inpatient days divided by available bed-days in a period, as a percentage; many hospitals aim for 75% to 85%.

CGHS

Central Government Health Scheme: health cover for central government employees, pensioners and their dependants, used at empanelled hospitals.

DICOM

Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine: the standard format for medical images such as X-ray, CT and MRI, and for exchanging them.

Discharge summary

A document given when a patient leaves hospital: diagnosis, treatment given, medicines and follow-up instructions.

Early warning score (NEWS2)

A score from vital signs (breathing rate, oxygen, blood pressure, pulse, consciousness, temperature) that flags patients who are getting worse.

EHR (electronic health record)

A patient's record designed to be shared across providers.

EMR (electronic medical record)

The clinical record kept by one provider.

e-Prescription

A prescription created digitally, which can be checked for allergies and duplicates and printed or shared.

HbA1c

A blood test showing average blood sugar over about three months; 6.5% or more is in the diabetes range.

HFR (Health Facility Registry)

ABDM's registry of verified health facilities in India; a registered facility has a facility ID.

HMS / HIS

Hospital management system or hospital information system: software that runs a hospital's operations and records.

HPR (Healthcare Professionals Registry)

ABDM's registry of verified doctors, nurses and other health professionals.

IPD (in-patient department)

Care for patients admitted to a hospital bed.

LIS

Laboratory information system: software that manages lab orders, samples and results.

Medication adherence

Taking medicines as prescribed: the right dose, at the right time, for the right duration.

MRN / UHID

Medical record number or unique health ID: the number a hospital uses to identify one patient's record.

NABH

National Accreditation Board for Hospitals & Healthcare Providers, part of the Quality Council of India, which accredits hospitals against quality standards.

OPD (out-patient department)

Care for patients who visit and leave the same day, without admission.

PACS

Picture archiving and communication system: stores and shows medical images.

PHR (personal health record)

A health record kept and controlled by the patient.

PM-JAY

Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana: government health cover of up to ₹5 lakh per family per year for hospital care at empanelled hospitals.

Pre-authorisation

Approval from an insurer, TPA or scheme before a planned treatment, so the hospital is paid.

QTc

The QT interval of an ECG corrected for heart rate; prolongation raises the risk of dangerous arrhythmias.

RIS

Radiology information system: manages radiology orders, scheduling and reports.

TPA (third-party administrator)

A company that processes health insurance claims and cashless approvals for insurers.

Triage

Sorting patients by how urgently they need care, usually in five levels in emergency departments.

WHO surgical safety checklist

A checklist used before anaesthesia, before incision and before the patient leaves theatre, shown to reduce surgical complications.

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