Dictionary

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Alert FatigueConceptAlarm Fatigue, Alert Desensitisation

A phenomenon in which providers become desensitised to computerised clinical alerts from excessive frequency, causing them to override even important ones.

All-Cause MortalityTermTotal Mortality, Overall Death Rate

The rate of death from any cause within a defined population, unlike cause-specific mortality, which measures deaths from one particular condition.

All-Inclusive RateTermAll-Inclusive Payment, Global Rate, Comprehensive Episode Rate

A single, comprehensive payment amount covering all services during a defined care episode, such as a per diem hospital rate.

All-Payer SystemTermAll-Payer Rate Setting, Uniform-Rate System

A financing arrangement where all payers, public or private, reimburse providers at the same uniformly set rate for a given service.

Allergy AlertTermAllergy Warning, Drug Allergy Warning

A computerised notification warning a prescriber that a proposed medication conflicts with a patient's documented allergy.

Allergy EconomicsTermEconomics of Allergy, Allergic Disease Economics

The application of health economic evaluation to allergic conditions, covering environmental and food allergies and allergen immunotherapy.

Alliance ModelTermAlliance Contracting, Collaborative Alliance

A health system arrangement where multiple independent organisations formally collaborate while retaining autonomy, coordinating around shared objectives such as purchasing power.

Allocation ConcealmentTermConcealed Allocation, Allocation Masking

A safeguard in randomised trials ensuring the assignment sequence is unknown to those enrolling participants until after enrolment, preventing selection bias.

Allocative DistortionTermAllocative Inefficiency, Resource Misallocation

A departure from the efficient allocation of resources across competing uses, typically caused by market failure, regulation, or mispriced goods.

Allocative EfficiencyConceptAllocative Optimality, Value-Maximising Allocation

Allocative efficiency is the assignment of scarce resources among competing uses so that no feasible reallocation can improve the stated social objective.

Allocative Efficiency MeasureTermAllocative Efficiency Indicator, Value-Allocation Measure

A quantitative indicator assessing whether resources within a health system are directed toward the combination of services producing the greatest total health benefit.

Allowed AmountTermAllowed Charge, Recognised Payment

The maximum an insurer will recognise as payment for a service under its provider contracts, which may be less than the amount billed.

Alma-Ata DeclarationTermDeclaration of Alma-Ata, Alma-Ata 1978

An influential 1978 international declaration formally articulating primary healthcare as the foundation of an effective health system, essential to health for all.

Alpha SpendingConceptError Spending

Alpha spending is a group sequential trial method that spreads the type I error rate (alpha) across interim and final analyses as information accrues.

Alteration of ConsentTermConsent Alteration, Modified Consent

A modification to the standard consent process, such as omitting information, permitted under specific conditions where it would not harm participant welfare.

Alternative HypothesisTermH1, Research Hypothesis

In hypothesis testing, the specific claim tested against the null hypothesis, typically representing a genuine effect the researcher is trying to detect.

Alzheimer DiseaseTermAlzheimer's Disease, Alzheimer Dementia

A progressive neurodegenerative condition and the most common cause of dementia, marked by gradual decline in memory, cognition, and independence.

AMA DischargeTermDischarge Against Medical Advice, Self-Discharge

A hospital discharge occurring against medical advice, where a patient chooses to leave before clinicians recommend, despite informed risk disclosure.

Ambulatory CareTermOutpatient Care, Ambulatory Services

Healthcare services delivered on an outpatient basis without an overnight stay, covering office visits, same-day procedures, and diagnostic testing.

Ambulatory Payment ClassificationTermAPC, Outpatient Payment Grouping

A US Medicare outpatient classification system grouping clinically similar services expected to require similar resource use into a common payment category.

Ambulatory Surgery CentreTermASC, Day-Surgery Unit

A specialist facility providing same-day surgical procedures not requiring overnight stay, typically at lower cost than an equivalent hospital procedure.

AMCP DossierTermAcademy of Managed Care Pharmacy Dossier, AMCP Format Dossier

A standardised submission format from the Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy for presenting evidence to US managed care organisations and PBMs.

AMR Economic BurdenTermResistance Cost Burden

The total economic cost attributable to antimicrobial resistance, covering increased treatment costs, longer hospital stays, and lost productivity from resistant infections.

Anaemia EconomicsTermAnemia Economics, Economics of Anaemia

The application of health economic evaluation to anaemia, comparing treatments from iron supplementation through more advanced therapies for chronic-disease-related cases.

Anaesthesia ConsentTermAnesthesia Consent, Anaesthetic Consent

The specific informed consent process addressing the risks, benefits, and alternatives of the anaesthesia component of a procedure.

Anaesthesiology EconomicsTermAnesthesiology Economics, Economics of Anaesthesia

The application of health economic evaluation to anaesthesiology, covering technique selection, staffing models, and their impact on surgical outcomes and recovery.

Analysis ErrorConceptAnalytic Error, Analysis Mistake

A mistake introduced during statistical or economic analysis, such as incorrect model specification, leading to inaccurate conclusions despite correct underlying data.

Analytic EpidemiologyTermAnalytical Epidemiology, Hypothesis-Testing Epidemiology

A branch of epidemiology testing specific hypotheses about disease causes by comparing exposed and unexposed groups to estimate measures of association.

Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical (ATC) ClassificationTermATC, ATC Classification, ATC Code

A drug classification system organising medications by the organ system they act on, therapeutic intent, and chemical characteristics, used internationally.

Anchor-Based MIDTermAnchor-Based Minimal Important Difference, Anchor-Based Threshold

An approach to estimating the minimal important difference by comparing changes in an outcome measure against an external anchor, such as a patient's global rating.

Anchoring BiasTermStarting Point Bias, Initial Value Effect

In stated preference research, the tendency for a respondent's stated willingness to pay to be influenced by an initial value shown during elicitation.

Anchoring Bias in ElicitationTermElicitation Anchoring, Expert Anchoring Bias

The tendency for an expert's numerical judgement in a structured elicitation to be disproportionately swayed by an initial reference value shown to them.

Anchoring ConceptTermAnchoring Heuristic, Anchor Bias Effect

A cognitive bias in which an initial piece of information disproportionately influences subsequent judgements, even when arbitrary.

Annual CostTermYearly Cost, Annual Treatment Cost

The total expense of a treatment or condition over a one-year period, a standardised basis for comparing chronic treatment costs.

Annual LimitTermYearly Benefit Cap, Annual Benefit Limit

A cap on the total amount an insurance plan will pay for covered services within a year, beyond which the enrollee pays.

Annual MaximumTermYearly Maximum Benefit, Maximum Annual Payout

The highest total amount an insurance plan will pay toward an enrollee's covered costs within a year, beyond which costs fall to them.

Annuity PaymentConceptInstalment Payment, Installment Payment, Amortised Payment

Annuity payment is an agreement to pay for a one-off therapy in yearly instalments, not upfront, with later ones sometimes stopping if the therapy fails.

AnonymizationTermAnonymisation, Irreversible De-Identification

The process of removing identifying information from a dataset so individuals can no longer be identified, even indirectly, unlike reversible de-identification.

Anonymous ReportingTermConfidential Reporting, Whistleblower Reporting

A mechanism allowing individuals to report suspected compliance violations without revealing their identity, encouraging reporting by reducing fear of retaliation.

Antenatal Care CoverageTermANC Coverage, Prenatal Care Coverage

A measure of the proportion of pregnant women receiving recommended prenatal visits, a tracer indicator for universal health coverage.

Anti-Kickback StatuteTermAKS, Federal Anti-Kickback Law

A US federal law prohibiting exchanges of value for patient referrals reimbursable under federal healthcare programmes.

Antibiotic StewardshipTermPrudent Prescribing, Stewardship Programme

A coordinated set of strategies optimising antibiotic prescribing to improve outcomes, reduce resistance, and cut unnecessary healthcare costs.

Anticoagulation EconomicsTermAnticoagulant Economics, DOAC Economics

The application of health economic evaluation to anticoagulation care as a whole, including medication choice alongside monitoring services and dose management.

Antifungal EconomicsTermAntifungal Drug Economics, Economics of Antifungals

The application of health economic evaluation to fungal infection medications, comparing older, cheaper agents against newer, often costlier antifungal treatments.

Antihypertensive EconomicsTermAntihypertensive Drug Economics, Blood-Pressure Medication Economics

The application of health economic evaluation to blood pressure medications, comparing drug classes and combinations on cost and long-term cardiovascular risk reduction.

Antimicrobial EconomicsTermAnti-Infective Economics, Economics of Antimicrobials

The broad application of health economic evaluation to medications treating bacterial, viral, fungal, and parasitic infections.

Antimicrobial ResistanceConceptAMR, Antibiotic Resistance

The reduced susceptibility of a microorganism to an antimicrobial medicine that would otherwise inhibit or kill it, potentially making an infection harder to treat.

Antiparasitic EconomicsTermAntiparasitic Drug Economics, Economics of Antiparasitics

The application of health economic evaluation to parasitic infection medications, from common intestinal parasites to more severe diseases such as malaria.

Antiplatelet EconomicsTermAntiplatelet Drug Economics, Economics of Antiplatelets

The application of health economic evaluation to antiplatelet medications preventing clot formation, weighing cost and bleeding risk against reduced cardiovascular events.

Antithetic VariatesConceptAntithetic Sampling, Antithetic Variables

Antithetic variates are a variance reduction method that pairs each random draw with its mirror image so errors tend to cancel in Monte Carlo simulation.