Dictionary

P

Participatory ResearchTermParticipatory Study, Co-Production Research, Participatory Action 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 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, Patent Life, Effective Patent Duration

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 CapTermPatient Cost Ceiling

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

Patient DaysTermBed 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 Information LeafletConceptPackage Leaflet, Patient Leaflet, PIL

A patient information leaflet (PIL) is the approved leaflet in a medicine's pack telling users how to use it safely, based on the official product summary.

Patient InputTermPatient Perspective Input, Patient Testimony HTA

Information, perspectives, or preferences provided by patients or their representatives during an assessment process, formally or through consultation.

Patient InvolvementTermPatient Participation, Public Involvement in Health, Consumer Participation, Patient and Public Involvement, Consumer Involvement

The broader practice of engaging patients throughout the assessment process, from initial scoping through final decision-making.

Patient Involvement HTATermPatient Involvement in HTA, HTA Patient Engagement

The specific mechanisms through which patient perspectives are formally incorporated into an assessment, including expert testimony and committee representation.

Patient OutcomeTermPatient Result, Treatment Result

A measurable change in health, function, symptoms, quality of life or survival experienced by a patient.

Patient PerspectiveTermPatient Viewpoint, Patient-Level Perspective

An analytic viewpoint including only costs and outcomes directly experienced by the patient, such as out-of-pocket expenses and personal time costs.

Patient PortalTermPatient Web Portal, Online Patient Access

A secure online platform letting patients access their own health information, communicate with providers, and manage aspects of their care.

Patient PreferenceTermPatient Values, Stated Treatment Preference

An individual patient's relative valuation of different treatment attributes or health outcomes, often elicited through methods such as a discrete choice experiment.

Patient ResponsibilityTermPatient Financial Responsibility, Patient Liability

The total amount a patient owes for services after insurance has been applied, covering any deductible, copayment, coinsurance, or non-covered amounts.

Patient SafetyTermSafety of Care, Harm Prevention

The absence of preventable harm to a patient during healthcare, and reduction of unnecessary harm risk to an acceptable minimum.

Patient Safety IndicatorTermPSI, Safety Indicator

A standardised measure identifying potentially preventable complications during hospital care, using administrative claims data to flag cases for review.

Patient SatisfactionTermCare Satisfaction, Satisfaction with Care

A patient's overall subjective evaluation of their care experience, covering communication, perceived competence, and overall contentment with treatment received.

Patient Satisfaction ManagementTermSatisfaction Management, Experience Management

The processes an organisation uses to measure, monitor, and improve patients' subjective evaluation of their overall care experience.

Patient Satisfaction OutcomeTermSatisfaction Outcome, Measured Patient Satisfaction

A measure of a patient's overall subjective evaluation of care received, covering contentment with communication, wait times, and perceived quality.