Health Terms Glossary

Patient Rights	Patients have rights. Some are guaranteed by federal law, such as your right to get a copy of your medical records. Many states offer additional rights.
Preventive Medicine	We think of medicine as being helpful when we’re sick. But there are many ways that medicine can help us stay well – such as immunizations, tests, and getting the right exercise and nutrition. These simple things often are directly related to positive health habits we can form.
Disease Management	When you have a disease, several health care professionals may be helping you to get well or better “manage” the severity of your illness. These professionals may follow a specific program designed to get you the best care in the most efficient way.
Transparency	Transparency in healthcare means that you are able to see the costs of the care you receive, so you understand what you’re obligated to pay and what others are paying.
Quality Improvement	Quality improvement in healthcare involves ensuring that care is safe, effective, focused on you, timely, efficient and delivered in a fair way to people of all backgrounds.
Conditions of Participation	The government and other regulatory agencies and organizations set minimum health and safety standards that health care providers must meet to serve Americans through the federal Medicare and Medicaid programs.
Community Health Centers	These centers serve those who might have limited access to health care due to low incomes, lack of insurance, barriers such as language or homelessness, or other factors. The quality of care delivered in these centers is required to be as good as, if not better than, the care delivered elsewhere.
Entitlement Programs	These programs guarantee – by federal or state law – that people can access certain government-provided benefits, including the retirement benefits that U.S. workers and employers contribute to through payroll deductions. People are particularly entitled to understand their healthcare options clearly and so they can make informed decisions based on quality and cost.
Commercial Insurance	This insurance, often called private health insurance, pays for many health costs not paid by government insurance programs. Usually the worker and employer jointly pay for this insurance, with the employer paying about 60%. However, in some cases individuals pay 100% of their health insurance premiums.
Patient Satisfaction	The degree to which the individual regards the health care service or product or the manner in which it is delivered by the provider as useful, effective, or beneficial. In healthcare, patients are the customers and the final judges of quality. Patients must be empowered to express their perceptions of the quality of care they receive independently after every visit or encounter. When this happens it balances the self-reporting that many quality programs rely on to make their assessments.
Patient Centric	Care that is truly patient-centered considers patients’ cultural traditions, their personal preferences and values, their family situations, and their lifestyles. In a patient-centric practice of medicine, patients are treated with respect and actively participate in the choices and decisions related to their treatment plan. Patients also are enabled to express themselves without fear or trepidation.
Patient Engagement	The involvement of patients in their own health care, working with their caregivers and taking positive steps to preserve or improve their health. This means patients are actively engaged in both managing their illness or injury and pursuing lifestyles that help to prevent avoidable illnesses and injuries.
JCAHO Accreditation	Joint Commission accredited or certified organizations have demonstrated that they meet the highest standards in their field. These organizations display the JCAHO Gold Seal of Approval™ to symbolize their commitment to providing the highest level of care. JCAHO relies heavily on self-reporting to make its assessments.
CARF Accreditation	When the service or program you choose is CARF-accredited, it means your provider has passed an in-depth review of its rehabilitation services. CARF relies heavily on self-reporting to make its assessments.
URAC Accreditation	URAC's accreditation process reviews applicants' policies and procedures and visits their sites to assure that they are conducting business in a manner consistent with national standards. URAC relies heavily on self-reporting to make its assessments.