Dictionary

P

Phase I DesignTermPhase 1 Design, First-in-Human Trial Design

The methodological structure of an early-phase trial, typically small and focused on safety, tolerability, and pharmacokinetics rather than efficacy.

Phase I TrialTermPhase 1 Trial, First-in-Human Trial

The first stage of human clinical testing for a new treatment, typically small and assessing safety, tolerability, and pharmacokinetics rather than efficacy.

Phase II DesignTermPhase 2 Design, Proof-of-Concept Trial Design

The methodological structure of a mid-stage trial, typically moderate in size, providing preliminary efficacy evidence alongside continued safety assessment.

Phase II TrialTermPhase 2 Trial, Proof-of-Concept Trial

A trial after phase I, typically enrolling a moderate number of participants to gather preliminary efficacy evidence while continuing safety monitoring.

Phase III DesignTermPhase 3 Design, Confirmatory Trial Blueprint

The methodological structure of a large-scale, definitive trial confirming efficacy and further characterising safety in a broader population, typically supporting approval.

Phase III TrialTermPhase 3 Trial, Confirmatory Efficacy Trial

A large-scale trial confirming a treatment's efficacy and further characterising its safety in a broad population, typically the primary basis for approval.

Phase IV TrialTermPhase 4 Trial, Post-Approval Study

A trial conducted after a treatment has already reached the market, gathering further safety data or fulfilling a post-marketing regulatory commitment.

Physical Activity EconomicsTermExercise Economics, PA Economics

The application of health economic evaluation to interventions promoting physical activity, from individual counselling to community and environmental design policy.

Physical Activity PolicyTermExercise Policy, PA Policy

Government or organisational policy aimed at increasing population physical activity, covering community design, school physical education, and workplace incentives.

Physical FunctionTermPhysical Capability, Bodily Function, Physical Functioning

A dimension of health-related quality of life capturing an individual's ability to perform physical activities, such as walking or climbing stairs.

Physical Inactivity RateTermInactivity Prevalence, Sedentary Rate

A measure of the proportion of a population not meeting recommended physical activity guidelines, a modifiable chronic disease risk factor.

Physical TherapyTermPhysiotherapy, PT

A healthcare discipline restoring and promoting physical function and mobility through targeted exercise, manual therapy, and patient education.

Physical Therapy EconomicsTermPhysiotherapy Economics, PT Economics

The application of health economic evaluation to physical therapy, which helps patients restore movement and function after injury, surgery, or chronic disease.

Physician CompareTermDoctor Ratings, Clinician Compare

A publicly available US government website providing individual physician quality performance information for consumer comparison.

Physician Hospital OrganizationTermPHO, Joint Provider Venture

An arrangement joining physicians and a hospital to jointly contract with payers, while participating physicians remain in independent practice.

Physician QueryTermCoding Query, Documentation Clarification

A formal request from a documentation specialist to a treating physician seeking clarification on a diagnosis documented in a patient's record.

Physician ReferralTermDoctor Referral, Provider Referral

The process by which a physician directs a patient to another provider, typically a specialist, based on clinical need.

PICO FrameworkTermPICO, Population-Intervention-Comparator-Outcome

A structured framework specifying the Population, Intervention, Comparator, and Outcome, used to formulate a well-defined clinical or research question.

Picture Archiving SystemTermPACS, Image Storage System

A specialist medical imaging technology enabling electronic storage, retrieval, and distribution of images, replacing traditional physical film archives.

Piecewise ModelConceptPiecewise Exponential Model, Segmented Hazard Model

A survival model dividing follow-up into distinct segments, each modelled with a separate, often simpler function, letting the hazard shape vary in steps.

Piggyback EvaluationTermAlongside-Trial Evaluation, Trial-Piggybacked CEA

An economic evaluation conducted by collecting cost and outcome data alongside an existing clinical trial designed primarily for another purpose.

Pigouvian SubsidyConceptCorrective Subsidy, Externality Subsidy

A Pigouvian subsidy is a payment for an activity that benefits others, set equal to its marginal external benefit at the socially efficient level.

Pigouvian TaxConceptCorrective Tax, Externality Tax

A Pigouvian tax is a tax on an activity that harms others, set equal to its marginal external cost at the efficient level of that activity.

Pipeline TechnologyTermPipeline Product, Developmental Technology

A technology currently under development or in clinical testing, not yet available for routine use, tracked through horizon scanning.

Pivotal TrialTermRegistration-Enabling Trial, Licensing Trial

A trial, typically phase III, whose results form the primary basis for a regulatory approval decision, showing significant and meaningful efficacy.

Placebo ComparatorTermPlacebo Control, Inactive Comparator

A comparator representing no active treatment, used when no established active treatment exists or the question concerns treatment versus no intervention.

Placebo EffectTermPlacebo Response, Expectation Effect

An improvement in a patient's condition resulting from belief in receiving an effective treatment, occurring independently of any direct pharmacological action.

Plan DesignTermCoverage Design, Benefit Structure Design

The overall set of decisions determining a plan's covered benefits, cost-sharing structure, provider network, and utilisation management features.

Plan-Do-Study-ActTermPDSA Cycle, Deming Cycle

A structured, iterative four-stage cycle involving planning a change, implementing it small-scale, studying results, and acting on what was learned.

Plastic Surgery EconomicsTermCosmetic Surgery Economics, Aesthetic Surgery Economics

The application of health economic evaluation to reconstructive and, in some contexts, cosmetic surgery, focused on restoring function after trauma or cancer.

Platform TrialTermMulti-Arm Multi-Stage Trial, Standing-Platform Study

A trial design using one continuously operating master protocol to evaluate multiple treatments over time, letting treatments enter or leave by predefined rules.

Platform Trial DesignTermPlatform Study Design, Perpetual-Trial Design

The structural and statistical framework underlying a platform trial, including shared infrastructure, a common control arm, and rules for adding or dropping treatments.

Platinum PlanTermPlatinum Tier, Platinum Metal Level

A US Affordable Care Act marketplace plan category with the highest standard actuarial value, around ninety percent, giving the highest premiums but lowest cost-sharing.

Plausibility AssessmentTermPlausibility Check, Sense-Check

An evaluation of whether a model's assumptions, structure, or results are reasonable given existing clinical and scientific knowledge, even without formal statistical testing.

Pneumonia EconomicsTermPneumonia Cost of Illness, Lower Respiratory Infection Economics

The application of health economic evaluation to pneumonia, comparing outpatient antibiotic management against hospitalisation for more severe cases.

Point Allocation MethodConceptPoint Allocation, Constant Sum Method

The point allocation method asks respondents to divide a fixed total of points, often 100, among health outcomes or criteria to show their relative value.

Point EstimateConceptSingle-Value Estimate, Best-Guess Estimate

A point estimate is a single numerical value calculated from observed data or a fitted model to represent a specified unknown quantity on a stated scale.

Point of Service PlanTermPOS Plan, Point-of-Service Insurance

A managed care plan combining HMO and PPO features, requiring a primary care provider while still allowing costlier out-of-network care.

Point PrevalenceConceptSnapshot Prevalence, Prevalence at a Single Time

The proportion of a population found to have a particular condition at a single specific point in time, unlike period prevalence or incidence.

Point-of-Care TrialTermPOC Trial, Bedside Randomised Trial

A trial embedded directly within routine clinical care, using existing workflows and electronic records to randomise patients and collect outcome data.

Poisson DistributionConceptPoisson Model, Count Distribution

A discrete probability distribution describing the number of times an event occurs within a fixed interval, assuming independence and a constant average rate.

Poisson RegressionConceptCount Regression, Log-Linear Count Model

A modelling technique analysing count outcome data, such as clinical events per patient, based on the assumption that outcomes follow a Poisson distribution.

Policy EvaluationTermPolicy Appraisal, Policy Assessment

A structured assessment of whether an implemented policy achieved its intended objectives, comparing observed outcomes against what would otherwise have occurred.

Policy HTA UnitTermGovernment HTA Unit, Ministry-Level HTA Unit

A function translating individual technology assessment findings into broader health policy, such as national treatment guidelines or resource allocation frameworks.

Policy ImplementationTermPolicy Rollout, Policy Delivery

The process of putting an adopted policy into actual practice, encompassing the administrative, regulatory, and operational steps required.

Policy Option AssessmentTermOption Appraisal, Policy Alternatives Assessment

The systematic evaluation of alternative approaches to a health policy problem, comparing options across criteria such as cost and equity.

Policy Option IdentificationTermOption Generation, Policy Alternatives Identification

The process of generating a comprehensive set of potential approaches to a policy problem before proceeding to detailed comparative evaluation.

Policy PerspectiveTermPolicymaker Viewpoint, Decision-Maker Standpoint

An analytic viewpoint defined by the interests of a policy-making body responsible for a broad set of programmes, rather than a single payer.

Policy Problem DefinitionTermProblem Framing, Policy Problem Framing

The process of clearly articulating the specific issue a policy is intended to address, including its scope, causes, and affected population.

Policy RecommendationTermPolicy Advice, Recommended Option

A formal proposal advocating a specific course of action to address a defined policy problem, following systematic analysis of alternatives.