Foundational Knowledge and Basic Science Flashcards

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering health care systems, psychology, pharmacology, nutrition, anatomy, and clinical procedures based on the lecture notes.

Medical Assistant (MA)

An allied health professional primarily cross-trained to perform both administrative and clinical duties in an outpatient or ambulatory health care setting.

Scope of Practice

A description of the duties delegated to a health care professional based on their education, training, and experience; it excludes the practice of medicine for MAs.

Care Coordination

The role of guiding patients through the health care system, helping them understand necessary steps, and connecting them to appropriate specialists.

CMAA

Certified medical administrative assistant.

CPT (Credential)

Certified phlebotomy technician.

CET

Certified EKG technician.

CBCS

Certified billing and coding specialist.

CEHRS

Certified electronic health records specialist.

Allopathic Provider

A medical doctor (MD) who is the most widely recognized type of doctor, diagnosing illnesses and providing treatments including surgery and prescriptions.

Osteopathic Manipulative Therapy

A treatment method used by Doctors of Osteopathy (DO) in addition to modern medicine and surgical procedures.

Midlevel Providers

Health care professionals such as Physician Assistants (PA) and Nurse Practitioners (NP) who provide basic patient care under the supervision of a physician.

Licensure

A mandatory process regulated by state statutes through medical practice acts that ensures medical care is provided by individuals with adequate knowledge and skill sets.

Reciprocity

A process where one state automatically recognizes licensure requirements met in another state.

Endorsement

A case-by-case granting of a license to practice medicine based on national board certification examinations.

Ambulatory Care

Health care received in an outpatient facility rather than while admitted to a hospital.

Hospice

End-of-life care focused on providing comfort rather than pursuing curative efforts for terminal illnesses.

Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCMH)

A care delivery model where a primary care provider leads an interprofessional team to coordinate treatment and ensure patients receive required care when and where they need it.

Telehealth

Health care delivered virtually, most commonly via video call, often used to bypass communicable diseases or reach rural areas.

Patient Portals

A feature in electronic health records (EHR) that allows patients to securely view personal health information, message the team, and schedule appointments.

Fee-for-Service

A payment model where providers and facilities bill insurance and patients for each individual examination, service, test, and procedure provided.

Quadruple Aim

The goals of value-based care: improved patient outcomes, improved patient satisfaction, lower cost, and health care professional well-being.

Managed Care

An umbrella term for plans providing health care via preset scheduled payments and coordinated care through a defined network.

Capitation

A payment model where providers receive a per-member, per-month payment based on factors like age and medical history, regardless of how often the patient visits.

Health Maintenance Organization (HMO)

A health plan that contracts with a medical center to provide care and generally requires referrals for specialists and precertification for treatments.

Preferred Provider Organization (PPO)

Flexible health plans where patients do not need a primary care provider and can see specialists without referrals, though in-network providers cost less.

General Practitioner (GP)

Medical doctors who treat acute and chronic illnesses and take a holistic approach considering biological, psychological, and social aspects of illness.

Internist

A provider who offers comprehensive care for adults, focusing on diagnosing and treating chronic, long-term conditions.

Ancillary Services

Supportive medical services provided in an office setting, such as urgent care, laboratory services, or diagnostic imaging, to add convenience for patients.

Acupuncture

A complementary therapy involving pricking the skin with needles to relieve pain and treat various conditions.

Chiropractic Medicine

A practice that diagnoses and treats pain and body function through spinal manipulation and alignment.

Trust vs. Mistrust

Erikson's psychosocial crisis for infants; success leads to self-confidence while failure leads to suspiciousness.

Autonomy vs. Shame and Doubt

Erikson's psychosocial crisis for toddlers; success leads to self-control and independence.

Identity vs. Role Confusion

Erikson's psychosocial crisis for adolescents; success leads to emotional stability while failure leads to a lack of personal goals.

Ego Integrity vs. Despair

Erikson's psychosocial crisis for older adults; success results in wisdom and self-acceptance.

Stressor

Anything that causes anxiety or stress, ranging from psychological factors like grief to environmental factors like pollution.

White-coat Syndrome

An objective indication of anxiety where a patient's blood pressure increases specifically when in a health care facility.

Defense Mechanisms

Unconscious coping strategies used to protect individuals from negative emotions like guilt, anxiety, or shame.

Apathy

A defense mechanism characterized by indifference or a lack of interest, feeling, and emotion.

Rationalization

A defense mechanism involving explanations that make negative or unacceptable behavior seem justifiable.

Regression

A defense mechanism involving a reversion to an earlier, more childlike developmental behavior.

Anticipatory Grief

The experience of grief-related emotions and reactions before an actual loss occurs.

Denial (Grief)

The first stage of Kübler-Ross's stages of grief where the individual cannot or will not believe the loss is happening.

Analgesics

Medications used to relieve pain, such as acetaminophen, hydrocodone, or codeine.

Antipyretics

Medications intended to reduce fever.

Controlled Substances Act (CSA)

Federal legislation that created five schedules for drugs based on their potential for abuse and addiction.

Schedule I Drugs

Substances with high abuse potential and no approved medical use in the U.S., such as heroin and LSD.

Schedule II Drugs

Dangerous substances with high abuse potential that are approved for medical use but can lead to heavy dependence, such as morphine and fentanyl.

Pharmacokinetics

The study of how medications move through the body, involving absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion.

Half-life

The time required for metabolism and excretion to eliminate half a dose of a medication from the body.

Nutrients

Essential organic and inorganic food substances needed for energy, growth, repair, and thermoregulation.

Essential Amino Acids

Organic compounds the body cannot produce on its own that must be obtained from plant and animal foods.

Glycogen

The form in which the body stores excess glucose in the liver for future energy needs.

Saturated Fats

Fats that are solid at room temperature, primarily from meat products, and known to raise LDL levels.

Sphygmomanometer

Instrument used to measure blood pressure, consisting of an inflatable cuff and a gauge.

Korotkoff Sounds

Distinct sounds heard throughout the cardiac cycle during the measurement of blood pressure.

Tachypnea

A respiratory rate that is abnormally fast.

Hypoxemia

A condition characterized by decreased oxygen levels in the blood, often identified by an SpO2 reading below 90%.

Pyrexia

Medical term for fever, commonly caused by infection.

Mitochondria

Elongated cell organelles known as the 'power plant' of the cell that convert nutrients into ATP.

Homeostasis

The state of stable, efficient equilibrium maintained by body systems working together.

Alimentary Canal

The primary group of organs in the digestive system, beginning with the mouth and ending with the anus.

Sinoatrial (SA) node

Often called the 'pacemaker' of the heart, it generates the initial electrical impulse for the cardiac cycle.

Clearinghouse

An intermediary contracted by providers to process medical claims for third-party payers and reduce errors.

ICD-10-CM

Three to seven-character alphanumeric codes used to identify diseases, injuries, and medical conditions.

CPT (Billing)

Current Procedural Terminology; codes used to identify medical services and procedures performed by providers.

Centrifugation

The process of rotating blood collection tubes at high speeds to separate heavier elements from lighter ones.

Aliquot

The process of transferring a portion of a specimen, such as serum, from one tube to another using a pipette.

Somatic Tremor

An EKG artifact characterized by irregular spikes caused by muscle movement or shivering.

Asystole

The complete absence of any electrical waves on an EKG tracing.

Durable Medical Equipment (DME)

Medical devices and supplies prescribed by a provider that can be used repeatedly and have an expected life of at least three years.

Sanitization

The cleaning process that serves as the first step in ensuring equipment is free of debris and ready for disinfection or sterilization.

Sterilization

The destruction of all living organisms, including pathogens and their spores, typically achieved via an autoclave.