Dictionary

P

Period EffectTermCalendar-Time Effect, Period Influence

In a crossover trial, a systematic difference in outcomes attributable to the specific time period a treatment was given rather than the treatment itself.

Period PrevalenceConceptInterval Prevalence, Duration Prevalence

The proportion of a population with a particular condition at any point during a specified period, combining existing and newly developed cases.

Peripheral Artery DiseaseTermPAD, Peripheral Vascular Disease

A condition in which narrowed arteries reduce blood flow to the limbs, usually the legs, risking pain and complications such as amputation.

Permutation TestConceptRandomisation Test, Resampling Test

A non-parametric hypothesis test determining significance by repeatedly rearranging observed data labels to build an empirical distribution under the null hypothesis.

Persistence OutcomeTermTreatment Persistence, Persistence Endpoint

A measure of how long a patient continues taking a prescribed medication before stopping, distinct from adherence to the regimen while still taking it.

Person Trade-OffConceptPTO

Person trade-off (PTO) is a valuation method asking how many people helped one way equal a set number helped another, giving social values for health care.

Personal Health RecordTermPHR, Patient Health Record

A digital health record controlled and maintained by the patient themselves, unlike an electronic medical record controlled by a healthcare organisation.

Personalised TherapyTermPersonalized Therapy, Individualised Therapy

A treatment tailored to an individual patient's specific clinical, genetic, or biomarker characteristics, rather than a uniform strategy for all patients.

PerspectiveConceptAnalytic Viewpoint, Costing Standpoint

Perspective in health economic evaluation is the viewpoint, such as the health system, payer or society, that decides which costs and outcomes are counted.

Peto TestConceptPeto Log-Rank Test

The Peto test is a weighted log-rank test comparing survival between groups, weighting each event time by pooled survival so earlier events count more.

Pharmaceutical Benefits SchemeTermPBS

The Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) is Australia's public subsidy scheme for medicines; the PBAC recommends which medicines it subsidises.

Pharmaceutical EconomicsTermPharma Economics, Medicines Economics

The broad application of economic analysis to the pharmaceutical industry, covering drug development costs, pricing strategy, market competition, and individual drug evaluation.

Pharmaceutical IndustryTermPharma Sector, Drug Industry

The commercial sector engaged in the discovery, development, manufacturing, and marketing of pharmaceutical products, from large manufacturers to biotechnology firms.

Pharmaceutical PolicyTermDrug Policy, Medicines Policy

Government or organisational policy governing pharmaceutical development, approval, pricing, and use, covering regulatory standards and reimbursement criteria.

PharmacodynamicsTermPD, Drug Action Study

The study of a drug's biochemical and physiological effects on the body, including mechanism of action and dose-response relationship.

Pharmacoeconomic ModelTermPE Model, Pharmacoeconomic Evaluation Model

A decision-analytic model built specifically to evaluate the cost and outcomes of pharmaceutical treatments, typically supporting pricing and reimbursement decisions.

PharmacoepidemiologyTermDrug Epidemiology, Post-Marketing Epidemiology

A field combining pharmacology and epidemiology to study medication use, effectiveness, and safety within large populations, often using real-world observational data.

PharmacogenomicsTermPharmacogenetics, Drug-Gene Interaction Study

The study of how an individual's genetic makeup affects their response to specific drugs, covering both effectiveness and adverse reaction risk.

PharmacokineticsConceptPK, Drug Disposition Study

Pharmacokinetics is the quantitative study of how a drug enters, distributes within, is transformed by, and is eliminated from the body over time.

Pharmacology StudiesTermPharmacology Research, Nonclinical Pharmacology, Pharmacology Testing, Pharmacology Screening, Drug Effect Assay

Research investigating how a drug interacts with biological systems, covering both its therapeutic mechanism and potential for adverse effects.

PharmacovigilanceTermDrug Safety Monitoring, Safety Surveillance

The science and activities relating to detecting, assessing, understanding, and preventing adverse effects of a medicine throughout its entire lifecycle.

Pharmacovigilance PlanTermPV Plan, Safety Surveillance Plan

A structured strategy, often required by regulators, outlining how a manufacturer will monitor and manage a drug's safety once on the market.

Pharmacy Benefit ManagerTermPBM, Drug Benefit Administrator

A company administering prescription drug benefits for health plans and employers, negotiating rebates, managing pharmacy networks, and processing claims.

Pharmacy DataTermPrescription Records, Dispensing Data

Records capturing medication dispensing information, including drug name, dosage, and fill dates, typically from pharmacy claims or dispensing systems.

Pharmacy PracticeTermPharmaceutical Practice, Pharmacy Services

In health economics, the professional activities involved in preparing, dispensing and optimising the use of medicines, and the setting in which medicines expenditure and adherence are shaped.

Pharmacy-Based Risk ScoreTermPharmacy Risk Score, Rx-Based Risk Adjustment

A numerical estimate of expected future healthcare costs calculated using prescription drug utilisation patterns as an indicator of health status.

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

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

Phase III TrialTermPhase 3 Trial, Confirmatory Efficacy Trial, Phase III Design, Phase 3 Design, Confirmatory Trial Blueprint

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.

PHQ-9ConceptPatient Health Questionnaire-9, Patient Health Questionnaire 9, PHQ9

PHQ-9 is a nine-item patient-reported depression severity measure scored 0 to 27, used as a trial outcome and mapped to EQ-5D utilities for QALYs.

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.

Physician CompareTermDoctor Ratings, Clinician Compare

Physician Compare was a CMS website reporting performance information on US doctors and clinicians, replaced in December 2020 by Care Compare.

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, Query Process, Clinical Query Workflow, Coding Clarification Workflow

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

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, Registration Trial, Confirmatory Licensing Trial, Approval Study

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.