Comprehensive Guide to Public Health, Nursing, and Healthcare Concepts

Alternative Therapies

Health practices used instead of conventional medicine, often based on cultural or holistic approaches.

Cost Comparison

Evaluating the price of different healthcare services, treatments, or medications to choose the most affordable and effective option.

Culture

Shared values, beliefs, norms, and practices that shape a person's worldview and influence health behaviors.

Diversity

The presence of differences among people, including race, ethnicity, gender, age, socioeconomic status, religion, and more.

Equity

Fair and just access to healthcare, resources, and opportunities tailored to individual needs.

Health

A state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being, not merely the absence of disease.

Health Disparities

Differences in health outcomes or access to care among specific populations, often linked to social or economic disadvantages.

Health Literacy

The ability to obtain, understand, and use health information to make appropriate health decisions.

Health Promotion

Activities that encourage healthy behaviors and lifestyles to enhance well-being and prevent illness.

Hospital National Patient Safety Goals

Standards set by The Joint Commission to improve patient safety, reduce medical errors, and ensure quality care in hospitals.

Illness

The personal experience and response to a disease that alters normal functioning.

Leading Health Indicators

A set of key measures used to track and improve the nation's health (e.g., in Healthy People initiatives).

Over-the-Counter (OTC)

Medications available without a prescription that are considered safe when used as directed.

Social Determinants of Health

Non-medical factors like income, education, environment, and social support that influence health outcomes.

Street Drugs

Illegal, non-prescribed substances that are used recreationally and often pose significant health risks.

Teaching

The process of imparting knowledge, skills, or attitudes to help individuals achieve learning goals, including health-related education.

Wellness

An active, ongoing process of making choices that support physical, emotional, and social health.

Care Coordination

The deliberate organization and communication of patient care activities between healthcare providers to ensure safe, efficient, and effective care transitions.

Care Maps

Multidisciplinary plans of care (also called clinical or collaborative pathways) that outline expected treatments, interventions, and outcomes for specific diagnoses over a set time frame.

Care Transition

The movement of patients between healthcare settings (such as hospital to home or rehab) while maintaining continuity, safety, and quality of care.

Case Manager

A nurse or other healthcare professional who plans, coordinates, monitors, and evaluates services to meet patients' comprehensive health needs in a cost-effective way.

Continuity of Care

The consistent and seamless delivery of healthcare services across all settings and over time to maintain patient safety and quality outcomes.

Critical Pathways

Standardized, evidence-based multidisciplinary plans that define key steps and expected outcomes in the care of patients with specific medical conditions.

Managed Care

A healthcare delivery system that uses financial incentives and coordination strategies to control costs and ensure quality through provider networks and utilization management.

Medicaid

A joint federal and state-funded insurance program that provides healthcare coverage for low-income individuals and families.

Medicare

A federal health insurance program primarily for adults aged 65 and older, and for certain younger individuals with disabilities or chronic illnesses.

Nurse Manager

A registered nurse responsible for leading and managing a nursing unit or department, including staffing, budgeting, and ensuring quality patient care.

Occurrence Charting

A documentation method used to record any event or variance that deviates from the expected plan of care, such as errors, delays, or unexpected outcomes.

Parity

The requirement that insurance coverage for mental health and substance use disorders be equal (on par) with coverage for physical health conditions.

Social Worker

A healthcare professional who helps patients and families address psychosocial needs, access community resources, and navigate social and financial barriers to care.

Census

An official count or survey of a population that collects demographic data such as age, gender, income, and household composition to guide community health planning.

Community as Partner Model

A framework for community health nursing that views the community as a living system with a central core (the people) surrounded by eight interrelated subsystems influencing health.

Community Assessment for Public Health Emergency Response (CASPER)

A rapid, low-cost data collection method developed by the CDC to assess community needs and health status after emergencies or disasters using cluster sampling.

Demographics

Statistical data describing the characteristics of a population, such as age, gender, race, income, and education, used to identify health trends and disparities.

Dissemination

The process of sharing evidence-based findings, data, and best practices with others (such as healthcare professionals or the public) to improve health outcomes and inform decisions.

Evidence-Based Practice (EBP)

The integration of the best current research evidence, clinical expertise, and patient or community preferences to make informed healthcare decisions.

Health Care Disparity

Differences in access to or quality of healthcare services and health outcomes among various population groups, often influenced by social, economic, or environmental factors.

Johns Hopkins Nursing Evidence-Based Practice (JHNEBP) Model

A structured model that guides nurses through developing a practice question, appraising evidence, and translating findings into clinical or community practice.

PICOT Format

A framework for developing focused clinical questions using five elements: Patient/Population, Intervention, Comparison, Outcome, and Time frame.

Reliability

The degree to which a research measurement or instrument consistently produces the same results under the same conditions.

Systematic Review

A comprehensive summary and critical analysis of multiple research studies on a specific topic, using structured methods to identify the best available evidence.

Validity

The extent to which a research study or measurement accurately reflects the concept or variable it is intended to measure.