Dictionary
The Dictionary provides concise definitions of health economics terms, arranged alphabetically for quick reference. Use it to understand unfamiliar terminology or confirm the meaning of a specific term.
D
- Drug SubstitutionTermMedicine Substitution, Product Interchange
- The replacement of one medicine with another regarded as equivalent, such as a generic or biosimilar for an originator product, commonly to lower cost.
- Drug ToleranceTermPharmacological Tolerance, Acquired Tolerance
- A physiological adaptation in which a patient needs progressively higher doses over time to achieve the effect a lower dose once produced.
- Drug Utilisation ReviewTermDUR, Medication Use Review
- A structured process evaluating prescribing and medication use patterns to identify inappropriate prescribing, interactions, or non-adherence, prospectively or retrospectively.
- Drug-Drug InteractionTermDDI, Medication Interaction
- An alteration in a drug's effect caused by another medication present at the same time, increasing or decreasing effect or adverse risk.
- Dual EligibleTermDual-Eligible Beneficiary, Medicare-Medicaid Enrollee
- An individual qualifying for both Medicare and Medicaid simultaneously in the US, typically both elderly or disabled and low-income.
- Dual TherapyTermTwo-Drug Regimen, Doublet Therapy
- A treatment regimen combining exactly two distinct agents, commonly used when a single agent alone does not achieve adequate disease control.
- Duplicate Order AlertTermDuplicate Therapy Alert, Duplicate Prescription Warning
- A computerised notification warning a prescriber that a proposed order duplicates an existing active order for the same patient.
- Durable Medical EquipmentTermDME, Home Medical Equipment
- Medical equipment intended for repeated use over time, such as wheelchairs or oxygen equipment, prescribed for home use.
- Durable ResponseTermLong-Lasting Response, Prolonged Response, Sustained Response, Maintained Response, Lasting Response
- A treatment response that persists for an extended, clinically meaningful period rather than being followed by rapid relapse or progression.
- Duration CapTermReimbursement Time Limit, Cycle Cap
- A contractual limit on the number of treatment cycles or the total time for which a payer will reimburse a specific treatment.
- Duration of ResponseTermDoR, Response Duration
- The length of time between a patient first achieving a complete or partial response and the subsequent occurrence of disease progression or relapse.
- Dynamic ModelConceptDynamic Simulation Model, Feedback Model
- A model representing how a system's variables change over time in response to feedback and interaction among components, unlike a static model.
- Dynamic Programming HealthConceptDP in Health, Sequential Decision Optimisation
- An optimisation technique solving complex sequential decision problems by breaking them into smaller, nested subproblems solved in relation to one another.
- Dynamic Transmission ModelConceptDTM, Dynamic Infection Model
- A dynamic transmission model represents how an infectious disease spreads through a population while the risk of infection changes with the number and characteristics of infectious people.