Dictionary

P

Pareto EfficiencyConceptPareto Optimality, Allocative Optimum

Pareto efficiency, or Pareto optimality, is a state where resources such as a health budget cannot be reallocated to help anyone without harming someone.

Pareto FrontierConceptPareto Front, Optimal Trade-Off Curve

The set of feasible options that are not dominated by another option that is at least as good on every specified objective and strictly better on at least one.

Pareto ImprovementConceptPareto-Improving Change, Welfare-Increasing Move

A Pareto improvement is a change, such as a reallocation of a health budget, that makes at least one person better off and nobody worse off.

Parkinson Disease EconomicsTermParkinson's Economics, PD Economics

The application of health economic evaluation to Parkinson's disease, comparing medication therapy and, in advanced cases, surgical interventions such as deep brain stimulation.

Part-Worth UtilityTermAttribute-Level Utility, Conjoint Part-Worth

The contribution of a single attribute level to an individual's overall utility for a good, estimated from a conjoint or choice experiment.

Partial CapitationTermBlended Capitation, Partial Capitated Payment

A capitation arrangement in which a provider assumes financial risk for only a subset of services, such as primary care alone.

Partial CorrelationConceptControlled Correlation, Adjusted Correlation

A measure of the relationship between two variables after statistically controlling for the influence of one or more additional variables.

Partial Economic EvaluationConceptPartial Evaluation, Incomplete Economic Evaluation

A study examining either the costs or the outcomes of an intervention, or both without comparison to an alternative, short of a full economic evaluation.

Partial RemissionTermPR, Partial Response Remission

A cancer treatment outcome with substantial but incomplete reduction in detectable disease following treatment.

Partial ResponseTermPartial Tumour Response, Partial Regression

A standardised tumour response classification indicating a significant, predefined reduction in total target lesion size, without complete disappearance.

Participation RestrictionTermICF Participation, Role Restriction

A problem an individual has engaging in normal life situations, such as employment or social activity, per the WHO functioning and disability framework.

Participatory ResearchTermParticipatory Study, Co-Production Research

A research approach actively engaging the studied population as collaborative partners in defining questions, designing methods, and interpreting findings.

Particle FilterConceptSequential Monte Carlo Filter, Bootstrap Filter

A sequential Monte Carlo algorithm that approximates the evolving probability distribution of a hidden state with weighted simulated particles, updating their weights as observations arrive.

Particle Swarm OptimisationConceptPSO, Swarm Optimisation

A population-based optimisation technique inspired by flocking behaviour, in which candidate solutions adjust position based on their own and the group's best results.

Partitioned Survival ModelConceptArea-Under-Curve Model, PartSA Model

A partitioned survival model is a cancer economic model that uses PFS and OS curves to split a cohort into progression-free, progressed and dead states.

Partnership ModelTermCollaborative Model, Joint-Working Model

A financing or delivery arrangement where multiple stakeholders, such as government and civil society, collaborate to jointly deliver a health programme.

Passive AlertTermNon-Interruptive Alert, Passive CDS Alert

A clinical alert displaying information without requiring an active response before proceeding, unlike an interruptive alert demanding acknowledgment.

Passive PurchasingTermPassive Reimbursement, Budget-Following Purchasing

A financing approach in which a payer simply reimburses whatever services are provided, without negotiating price or monitoring quality.

PatentTermInvention Right, Granted Monopoly Right

A government-granted legal right conferring exclusive control over an invention, such as a new drug compound, for a defined period.

Patent ApplicationTermPatent Filing, Patent Submission

A formal legal request to a national patent office seeking exclusive rights to an invention, such as a new drug compound, for a defined period.

Patent ChallengeTermPatent Litigation, Patent Dispute

A legal action by a generic or biosimilar manufacturer disputing a reference product's patent validity, often a precursor to earlier market entry.

Patent Cliff ManagementTermCliff Mitigation, Loss-of-Exclusivity Planning

A manufacturer's strategic planning to manage expected revenue decline following patent expiry and generic competition for a key product.

Patent ExaminationTermPatent Review, Patent Prosecution

The formal review process by a patent office to determine whether a patent application meets requirements for novelty, non-obviousness, and utility.

Patent ExpiryTermPatent Expiration, Loss of Exclusivity

The date on which a patent's legal protection ends, after which competitors are generally free to market equivalent products without infringement.

Patent ExtensionTermPatent Term Extension, SPC

An additional period of patent protection compensating a manufacturer for time lost during regulatory approval, delaying generic competition and price reductions.

Patent GrantTermPatent Issuance, Granted Patent

The formal act by which a patent office confers exclusive rights to an inventor for a defined period, following successful examination.

Patent LifeTermEffective Patent Duration, Remaining Patent Time

The total length of time a patent remains in force from filing to expiry, typically twenty years, though effective exclusivity is usually shorter.

Patent SettlementTermPay-for-Delay Settlement, Reverse Payment Settlement

An agreement between a brand manufacturer and a generic competitor resolving patent litigation, sometimes setting a negotiated generic entry date.

Patent TermTermPatent Duration, Twenty-Year Term

The total duration a granted patent provides exclusive rights, typically twenty years from filing, subject to extensions for regulatory review time.

Pathological ResponseTermPathologic Response, Path Response

A treatment response measure based on direct tissue examination, such as tumour regression seen in a surgical specimen after pre-surgical treatment.

PathwayTermCare Route, Clinical Route

The sequence of health states or clinical events a hypothetical patient may follow through a decision-analytic model, from entry to final outcome.

Pathway DevelopmentTermPathway Design, Care Route Development

The process of designing a structured clinical care pathway outlining the anticipated sequence of steps for a specific condition.

Patient AccessTermAccess for Patients, Patient Care Access

A general term for patients' ability to obtain needed healthcare services, treatments, or medications, covering the full classical access framework.

Patient Access ProgrammeTermPAP, Access Programme

A scheme helping eligible patients afford or obtain a treatment, sometimes involving direct financial assistance, discounted pricing, or expedited coverage.

Patient Access SchemeTermPAS, Confidential Access Scheme

A managed entry agreement, most associated with the UK, offering a discount to improve a treatment's cost-effectiveness enough to secure reimbursement.

Patient ActivationTermActivation Level, Patient Empowerment

A measure of a patient's knowledge, skill, and confidence in managing their own health and healthcare, captured using a standardised questionnaire.

Patient AcuityTermCare Intensity Level, Patient Severity Level

A measure of the severity or intensity of a patient's condition, used to determine the level of care and resources required.

Patient Assistance ProgrammeTermManufacturer Assistance Programme, Copay Assistance Programme

A manufacturer-sponsored programme providing free or discounted medication to eligible patients who cannot otherwise afford treatment, based on income or insurance status.

Patient CapTermCost Cap, Patient Cost Ceiling

A limit on the number of patients for whom a payer will reimburse a specific treatment within a defined period.

Patient Care EvolutionTermCare Model Evolution, Evolving Care Delivery

The historical shift in a profession's scope toward direct responsibility for patient outcomes, rather than a narrower focus on product preparation alone.

Patient DaysTermBed Days, Inpatient Days

A hospital utilisation measure calculated as the total days all patients spent hospitalised within a facility over a defined period.

Patient EvidenceTermPatient Testimony, Lived-Experience Evidence

Information provided by patients or patient organisations on lived experience of a condition and treatment, complementing standard clinical evidence.

Patient ExperienceTermCare Experience, Experience of Care

A patient's direct observations of specific care aspects, such as communication and timeliness, distinct from an overall satisfaction rating.

Patient Experience OutcomeTermExperience Outcome, PREM Outcome

A measure of a patient's subjective care experience, covering provider communication and care coordination, distinct from an overall satisfaction rating.

Patient ExpertTermExpert Patient, Patient Advocate

An individual with personal or caregiver experience of a health condition, invited to contribute their perspective to an assessment process.

Patient Family PerspectiveTermPatient-and-Family Perspective, Carer Perspective

An analytic viewpoint including costs and outcomes experienced by a patient's family, such as informal caregiving time and lost income, alongside the patient's own.

Patient FlowTermPatient Throughput, Flow of Patients

The movement of patients through a healthcare facility from arrival through treatment to discharge, encompassing the transitions along the way.

Patient Flow ModelTermFlow Simulation Model, DES Patient-Flow Model

A discrete event simulation or related model representing how patients move through a healthcare facility, capturing waiting times and resource bottlenecks.

Patient HeterogeneityTermPatient Variation, Population Heterogeneity

Variation among individual patients in characteristics such as age or disease severity that leads to different treatment responses or underlying risk.

Patient HTA GroupTermPatient Organisation in HTA, Patient Group HTA

A function within an assessment organisation dedicated to facilitating patient and public involvement, coordinating expert testimony and written submissions.