Dictionary

H

Habit FormationConceptHabit Building, Automatic Behaviour Formation

The development of a cue-linked tendency to perform a behaviour more automatically through repetition in a recurring context.

Haematologic ResponseTermHematologic Response, Blood Count Response

A response criterion in blood cancers assessing normalisation of blood cell counts and examination findings, the least sensitive but most readily available level.

Haematology EconomicsTermHematology Economics, Blood Disorder Economics

The application of health economic evaluation to blood-related conditions, covering anaemia, clotting disorders, and haematologic malignancies.

Hale CalculationConceptHALE Computation, Health-Adjusted Life Expectancy Calculation

The process of computing health-adjusted life expectancy, combining mortality data with health state prevalence and severity weights into one summary measure.

Half-Cycle CorrectionConceptHalf-Cycle Adjustment, Mid-Cycle Correction

Half-cycle correction is a within-cycle adjustment in discrete-time state-transition models that approximates time-accruing costs or health effects between recorded state-occupancy endpoints.

Half-LifeConceptElimination Time, Plasma Decay Time

A half-life is the time required for a defined quantity to decline to half its initial value under a specified decay process.

Hand Hygiene EconomicsTermHand Washing Economics, Hand Hygiene Cost-Effectiveness

The application of health economic evaluation to hand hygiene programmes reducing healthcare-associated infection spread, consistently found highly cost-effective.

Hand SearchingTermManual Searching, Hand Search

A literature search technique involving manual review of journals or reference lists to find studies electronic database searches might miss.

HandoffTermHandover, Patient Handover

The transfer of responsibility and information for a patient's care from one provider or team to another, such as at shift change.

Hard Budget ConstraintTermBinding Budget Constraint, Fixed Budget Limit

A binding spending limit an organisation cannot exceed without genuine financial consequences, such as insolvency or service cuts.

Hard EndpointTermObjective Endpoint, Definitive Endpoint

A trial outcome that is objectively defined and not open to interpretation, such as death, unlike a soft endpoint relying on judgement.

Harm RateConceptHarm Frequency, Patient Injury Rate

A harm rate is the frequency of a defined adverse outcome divided by the corresponding person-time at risk or exposure, with its meaning depending on whether first or recurrent events are counted.

Harrell C-IndexConceptHarrell's C, Concordance Index

A survival model discrimination measure generalising the ROC area under curve to time-to-event data, the probability the model ranks patients correctly.

HASTermHaute Autorite de Sante, French National Authority for Health

The French National Authority for Health, conducting assessment including SMR and ASMR ratings that inform pricing and reimbursement decisions.

Hawthorne EffectTermObserver Effect, Observation Reactivity

A phenomenon in which participants alter their behaviour simply because they know they are being observed, independent of any specific intervention.

Hazard RateConceptInstantaneous Risk, Instantaneous Event Rate, Hazard Function

In survival analysis, the instantaneous rate of an event at a given time among people still free of it; a rate, not a probability, so it can exceed 1.

Hazard RatioConceptHR, Relative Hazard

A hazard ratio (HR) is the ratio of the event rates (hazards) in two groups, the usual measure of a treatment effect on survival in trials and HTA models.

Hazard-to-Probability ConversionConceptHazard Transformation, Rate-Probability Transform

The mathematical transformation converting an instantaneous hazard rate into the probability of an event occurring over a specific discrete time interval.

HCAHPSTermHospital CAHPS, Hospital Consumer Assessment

The Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems, a US standardised survey measuring patients' hospital care experience, publicly reported.

HCPCS CodingTermHCPCS, Healthcare Common Procedure Coding

A standardised US coding system used particularly for billing supplies, equipment, and services not covered by standard procedure codes.

Head-to-Head ComparisonTermDirect Comparison, Direct Head-to-Head Trial

A trial directly comparing two or more active treatments against one another within the same study, rather than each against a separate common comparator.

Headroom AnalysisTermHeadroom Method, Value Ceiling Analysis

An early-stage technique estimating the maximum price or cost-effectiveness ceiling a technology under development could command, before detailed clinical evidence exists.

HealthTermState of Wellbeing, Complete Physical-Mental State

A state of complete physical, mental, and social wellbeing, not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.

Health AnalyticsTermHealth Data Analytics, Analytics in Health Systems

In health systems, the use of data analysis methods to turn routine health, cost and outcome data into information that supports clinical, operational and resource-allocation decisions.

Health AppTermmHealth App, Wellness App

A mobile application designed to support health-related goals, from general wellness tracking to more clinically focused disease management tools.

Health BehaviourTermHealth Behavior, Health-Related Behaviour

An action or pattern of action that affects an individual's health, healthcare use or response to prevention and treatment.

Health CapitalConceptStock of Health, Grossman Health Stock

Health capital is a conceptual stock of health that yields healthy time and changes through deterioration and health-producing investment over a person’s life.

Health Capital FormationTermHealth Infrastructure Investment, System Capital Formation

Investment in a health system's physical and human infrastructure, such as hospital construction or workforce training, distinct from ongoing operational spending.

Health DepreciationTermHealth Stock Decay, Depreciation of Health

The rate at which an individual's stock of health capital declines over time, generally assumed to accelerate with age.

Health DisparityTermHealth Disparities, Between-Group Health Gap

A difference in health outcomes or access between population groups, particularly one closely linked to social or economic disadvantage.

Health Economic ModelConceptHealth Economics Model, Cost-Effectiveness Model

A mathematical representation of the costs and health outcomes of alternative interventions over a defined time horizon, used when single-study data are insufficient.

Health EconomicsConceptEconomics of Health, Health Economic Analysis, Health Care Economics

Health economics studies how scarce resources are best used to provide healthcare and improve health, and how the costs and benefits are shared in society.

Health Economics ExpertTermHealth Economist, HE Specialist

An individual with specialised training in health economic evaluation, contributing technical analysis and review to an assessment process.

Health Economics PlanTermHE Plan, Health Economic Strategy

A manufacturer's strategic document outlining planned economic modelling, real-world evidence studies, and health technology assessment submissions for a new technology.

Health EquityConceptEquity in Health, Fair Health Opportunity

Health equity (equity in health) means everyone has a fair chance to reach their full health potential, free of avoidable and unfair differences in health.

Health Equity MetricTermEquity Metric, Fairness Measure

A quantitative measure assessing fairness in the distribution of health, access, or financing burden, such as the concentration index.

Health ExaminationTermPhysical Examination Survey, Examination Survey

A data collection method involving direct physical examination or clinical testing of survey participants, unlike self-reported health information alone.

Health ExpectancyTermExpected Healthy Years, Healthy-Years Measure

A general term for measures combining mortality and morbidity data to estimate expected years lived in a specified health state, such as disability-free.

Health GovernanceTermHealth Sector Governance, Health Stewardship

The processes and structures through which decisions about health policy, resource allocation, and service delivery are made and held accountable.

Health in All PoliciesTermHiAP, Whole-of-Government Health Approach

A policy approach systematically considering the health implications of decisions across all government sectors, not solely within the health sector itself.

Health IndexTermHealth Status Index, Composite Health Score

A single numerical summary of overall health status, derived by combining scores across multiple health dimensions using a specified scoring algorithm.

Health InequalityConceptHealth Inequalities, Health Status Difference

Health inequality is a measurable difference in health between individuals or groups, described without judging whether the difference is unfair.

Health InequityConceptHealth Inequities, Unfair Health Difference

Health inequity is a difference in health judged avoidable, unfair and unjust, often arising from social or economic disadvantage rather than biology.

Health Information BlockTermInformation Blocking, Data Blocking

A practice by a provider or technology developer unreasonably interfering with the access, exchange, or use of electronic health information.

Health Information ExchangeTermHIE, Health Data Exchange

A system or network enabling electronic sharing of patient health information across different healthcare organisations and information systems.

Health Information SystemTermHIS, Health IT System

The organised collection of components and procedures used to gather, process, store, and communicate health-related information within a health system.

Health InsuranceConceptMedical Insurance, Health Coverage

Health insurance is a financing arrangement that pools prepaid contributions and covers specified healthcare costs when insured members need care, thereby sharing financial risk across the insured population.

Health Insurance MarketTermInsurance Market, Health Coverage Market

The overall system through which insurance products are offered, purchased, and regulated, encompassing the individual, small group, and large group segments.

Health InvestmentTermInvestment in Health, Health-Improving Investment

Resources an individual or system devotes to maintaining or improving health capital, including healthcare use, exercise, and other health-promoting behaviour.

Health LiteracyTermHealth Understanding, Health Information Literacy

The degree to which individuals can obtain, process, and understand basic health information needed to make appropriate health decisions.