Glossary of Healthcare Terms

Services provided by a professional other than a physician that are integral and significantly entwined with care provided by the primary physician.

More expensive and formal practices, involving copious amounts of paperwork in exchange for protection from personal liability for the professional misdemeanors of other practitioners in the corporation.

Facilities that are independent both of an attending or consulting physician

Receive samples from a hospital or physician practice for diagnostic or pathologic testing; do not collect specimens from patients directly.

An IPA is an association of independent physicians who maintain their own private practices, but have joined together to enter into an agreement to treat the plan's enrollees.

A practice established by physicians who intend to maintain their independent practices but seek to offer their services to HMOs or other risk-sharing MCOs on a collective basis.

Legal entities of independent physicians that contract with health insurance companies to provide medical services.

An ACA requirement that U.S. citizens and legal residents maintain minimum amounts of health insurance coverage, i.e., "essential coverage."

"The science of keeping people safe at work and in their communities. Industrial hygienists (IHs) are professionals dedicated to the health and well-being of workers. Originally industrial hygienists worked primarily in factories and other industrial settings but as our society has changed, so has the definition of industrial hygiene. Today, IHs can be found in almost every type of work setting. Industrial hygienists also use the term OEHS or occupational and environmental health and safety to refer to the work that they do."

Casualty insurance for laborers that delineated between medical care for work-related injuries and worked-acquired diseases.

A type of external benchmarking process used to compare an organization with its direct competitors and industry noncompetitors.

The first time a business, which was previously a privately held firm, issues publicly traded shares of stock.

Benchmarking metrics used to determine the degree to which a provider adheres to regulatory standards set by accreditation agencies, associations, and other regulatory bodies.

Nonphysical business assets that grant certain rights and privileges, including copyrights, trade names, services marks, brand names, etc.

An organized system of healthcare providers spanning a broad range of health services, optimizing costs and outcomes, and accepting and managing financial arrangements to delivery care to a defined population.