HEALTH PROFESSIONS - CHAPTER 1

Acute infectious disease

An illness with sudden onset that has an intense but short effect on the body.

Affordable Care Act (ACA)

Healthcare reform legislation signed into law by President Barack Obama in March 2010 aimed at increasing access to health insurance while controlling healthcare costs.

American Academy of Family Physicians

Professional organization of primary care physicians providing medical care for all ages, supporting family physicians through networking and continuing education.

American Hospital Association (AHA)

A national industry trade group that supports hospitals, healthcare systems, and health networks as well as the communities served.

Applied behavior analysis (ABA)

Application of behavioral sciences in schools and clinics to improve behavioral problems and facilitate learning, particularly in autism spectrum disorder treatment.

Artificial Intelligence (AI)

The use of computers and technology to simulate intelligent behavior and critical thinking, such as predicting the spread of infectious diseases.

Autism spectrum disorders (ASD)

A group of developmental disabilities causing significant social, communication, and behavioral challenges.

Avian (bird) influenza

Strains of influenza virus that normally infect birds but can sometimes pass to humans.

Birth defects

Structural changes in organs or body parts in infants at birth, which may require surgery to improve function.

Centers for Disease Control (CDC)

Federal government branch that tracks national health and identifies causes of epidemics and foodborne illnesses.

Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) Innovation programs

Agency managing Medicare and Medicaid, ensuring effective healthcare coverage and promoting quality care.

Chronic disease

A disease that is long in duration, reoccurs frequently, and progresses slowly.

Clinical care

Services provided to individuals, groups, or communities to benefit their health status.

Clinical preventive services

Guidelines for primary care providers to screen and counsel patients to prevent or reduce risks of diseases.

Congenital malformation

A physical defect of an organ or body part present at birth.

Coronavirus

A virus causing respiratory illness in humans and animals, leading to a worldwide pandemic starting in 2019.

Discrimination

Marginalized groups facing obstacles in obtaining healthcare due to low income, racial and ethnic minorities, and LGBTQ identification.

Disparities

Wide differences in access to or quality of healthcare based on location, income, education, race, ethnicity, gender expression, or sexual orientation.

Doulas

Individuals providing emotional and physical support for women during pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum to promote health and wellbeing.

Ebola virus

Causes rare and deadly infections endemic to Africa, with a significant epidemic occurring in West Africa in 2014.

Electronic health records (EHRs)

Individual patient health records stored in a computer database for easy access by healthcare workers.

Epidemics

Outbreaks of disease in a geographic area occurring in greater numbers than usual, commonly caused by the flu in the US.

Equality

Providing the same healthcare opportunities for everyone, such as universal immunization for infants and children.

Equity

Removing obstacles to healthcare, ensuring high-quality care regardless of income, and providing support for prenatal care.

Federal Poverty Level (FPL)

A measure of income level issued yearly by HHS to determine eligibility for Medicaid and health insurance premiums.

Foodborne illness

Illness caused by food contaminated with microorganisms or toxins, often resulting in vomiting and diarrhea.

Globalization

Increased access to travel and food products, leading to greater exposure to communicable diseases and foodborne illnesses.

Health Information technology (health IT)

Technologies used to record, store, retrieve, protect, share, and analyze health information.

Health behaviors

Actions that promote health or increase disease risk, such as diet, physical activity, and substance use.

Health disparities

Differences in health outcomes due to race, ethnicity, immigration status, income, education, or employment.

Health equity

Ensuring everyone has the same opportunity to be healthy by addressing obstacles to healthcare access.

Health outcomes

The health status of individuals or communities resulting from public health programs or medical interventions.

Human Genome Project

An international research project that sequenced and mapped all human genes, aiding in predicting illnesses and drug responses.

Hygiene

Personal behaviors that prevent the transmission of infectious diseases, such as frequent hand washing.

Immunizations

Public health measures to vaccinate individuals to prevent the spread of infectious diseases.

Infant mortality

The number of deaths in children under one year of age per 1,000 live births, reflecting healthcare quality.

Infectious disease

Illness caused by pathogenic microorganisms transmitted through person-to-person contact or vectors.

Life expectancy

The average number of years of life expected if current death rates remain constant, indicating overall population health.

Lifestyle

Behaviors impacting disease incidence and development, including diet, physical activity, and substance use

Longevity

The length of human life; longevity usually refers to living past the estimated life expectancy or the average age of death

Low Birth Weight

Infants weighing less than 2,500 grams (5 lbs 8 oz) compared to the average birth weight of 8 lbs (3629 grams); more likely to occur infants born before 37 weeks with complications requiring admission to a neonatal intensive care unit.

Mortality

Causes and rates of death in a population; monitoring mortality over time is used to develop policies to improve health outcomes

Medical technology

The procedures, equipment, and processes by which medical care is delivered

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)

A strain of the S. aureus bacteria that is resistant to too many antibiotics. In community settings, MRSA is usually confined to the skin; in medical facilities, MRSA causes life threatening bloodstream and surgical site infections and pneumonia

National Institutes of Health (NIH)

Agency of the HHS that conducts research to discover causes and treatments for diseases

Opioid use disorder

A mental illness and brain disorder caused by an addiction to drugs used to relieve pain such as morphine of synthetic opioids

Pandemic

When an infectious disease affects large numbers of people and spreads around the world

Personal protective equipment (PPE)

Refers to wearing face masks, gowns, and gloves in a healthcare setting to prevent the transmission of infectious disease

Preterm birth

Birth that occurs before 37 weeks’ gestation; can be caused by lack of prenatal care, underlying disease in the mother or multiple births. Preterm infants often need additional support, including care in a neonatal intensive nursery because of immature organ systems

Sepsis

An inflammatory response to a serious and wide-spread infection; the response causes damage to organ systems and can cause shock and death

Social and Economic Factors

lack of access to stable housing, nutritious food, employment, education, personal safety, and personal or family support

Social determinants of health (SDOH)

The conditions under which people are born, live, work, and age. Lack of access to stable housing, nutritious food, employment, education, reliable transportation, and personal safety influences access to quality health care.

Spanish flu (1918 flu)

Pandemic caused by a deadly H1N1 influenza A virus that lasted two years, spread worldwide, and caused many deaths

Sudden Infant Death syndrome (SIDS)

Sudden unexplained death in an infant younger than one year of age, usually between 1 and 4 months

Telehealth

Healthcare appointments delivered by the clinician through telecommunication technologies. Also, communicating appointment reminders, visit summaries, and laboratory and diagnostic results through an electronic record

Value-based care

Paying providers of health care based on the quality of care instead of the volume or number of patients treated or the number of treatment procedures

Viral gastroenteritis

Infection of the digestive tract caused by a virus transmitted between individuals. The most common cause of viral gastroenteritis in humans is the norovirus with symptoms of vomiting and diarrhea

Universal vaccination

Public health program to prevent communicable diseases through vaccination programs of children, adolescents, and adults. Immunization programs for children have eliminated most childhood infectious diseases such as measles, mumps, meningitis, hep A and B, and polio. Adult immunizations prevent bacterial pneumonia, shingles, and influenza

World Health Organization

Agency of the UN that directs and coordinated international health within the UN’s system

Zoonotic diseases

The spread of harmful microorganisms (virus, bacteria, parasites, fungi) between animals and people. Ex: Avianu