Chapter 5 Medical Technology

Administrative Information Systems

Designed to assist in carrying out financial and administrative support activities such as payroll, patient accounting, materials management, and office automation.

Clinical Trial

A carefully designed research study in which human subjects participate under controlled observations.

Cost-effectiveness (or cost-efficiency)

Step beyond the determination of efficacy. Whereas efficacy is concerned only with the benefit to be derived from the use of technology, cost-effectiveness weighs benefits against costs. Health care is cost-effective when benefits exceed the costs.

Decision Support Systems

Computer-based information and analytical tools to support managerial decision-making in health care organizations.

Effective

A health care product or service is effective when it actually produces some health benefit.

Efficacy

Health benefit to be derived from the use of technology.

EHR

Digital medical record designed to be shared among locations.

E-health

All forms of electronic health care delivered over the Internet, ranging from informational, educational, and commercial "products" to direct services offered by professionals, nonprofessionals, businesses, or consumers.

EMR

Digital medical record designed to serve one system or entity.

Health Informatics

Information technology applications that are designed to improve clinical efficiency, accuracy, and reliability.

Health Technology Assessment

The evaluation of medical technology to determine its efficacy, safety, and cost-effectiveness.

Information Technology

Computer applications that transform massive amounts of data into useful information.

Meaningful Use

Specific criteria in quality, safety, efficiency, and so on, for the purpose of incentives under the HITECH law.

Medical Practice Guidelines (or clinical practice guidelines)

Systematically developed protocols to assist practitioners in delivering appropriate health care for specific clinical conditions.

Nanomedicine

A developing area of medicine in which materials are manipulated at the atomic and molecular levels.

Quality of Life

The overall satisfaction with life during and after medical treatment.

Technological Imperative

Implies the use of technology without cost considerations, especially when the benefits to be derived from the use of technology are small compared to the costs.

Technology Diffusion

The proliferation of technology once it is developed.

Telemedicine

The use of advanced telecommunications, such as videoconferencing and computer technology, to provide health care at a distance.

HITECH Act

Provides financial incentives to providers for adopting meaningful use of EHR technology.

HIPAA

Requires confidentiality of patient information and restricts the legal use of personal medical information for 3 main purposes: 1) healthcare delivery to the patient, 2) operation of the healthcare organization, and 3) reimbursement

21st Century Cures Act

designed to help accelerate medical product development and bring new innovations and advances to patients who need them faster and more efficiently

APIs

application programming interface

Medical Technology

The practical application of scientific knowledge to improve people's health and to create efficiencies in the delivery of medical care.