Author: Glossary
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Self-governance
A term commonly used in connection with the medical staff, to which the hospital governing body delegates certain duties, for example, those connected with evaluation of care or the control of physician practices. It should be noted, however, that the governing body retains the ultimate responsibility for the care in the hospital, even where the…
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Second opinion program
A mandatory or voluntary program calling for second opinions for elective (non-emergency) surgery prior to authorization of the performance of the surgery.
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Scoring
A term used in connection with legislative budgeting in estimating the effects on revenue of tax policy changes, depending on their influence on behavior. Static scoring is used when no effect on behavior is expected from the change in tax policy; dynamic scoring is used when behavior is expected to change. Also called “cost estimating”.…
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Sanction
A term used with two, opposite meanings: (1) a kind of permission or support; and (2) discipline, punishment, or prohibition. Only by the context can one determine which meaning is intended.
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Safety-critical
Systems whose failure can cause injury or death or damage to life-sustaining qualities of the earth. For example, a control system for radiation therapy dosage is a safety-critical system; its failure may result in radiation burns or death. A control system for a washing machine is likely to be mission-critical; its failure is likely to…
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Safe harbor regulations
Regulations which describe certain acts or behaviors which will not be illegal under a specific law, even though they might overwise arguably be illegal. Federal safe harbor regulations specify certain joint ventures and other arrangements concerning hospitals and/or physicians which will not violate federal Medicare fraud and abuse laws.
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Rules and regulations
Official statements (statements authorized or commissioned by the governing body) as to the conduct of the organization’s affairs in specific areas. In hospitals, the term often applies to statements which supplement the medical staff bylaws. Such rules and regulations have the force of the bylaws themselves, but contain more detail than would be appropriate in…
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Rule of rescue
The principle that saving a patient from imminent death has priority over any other medical duty. This “rule” is stated by some as a fact of the human psyche in connection with discussions of the rationing of health care.
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Rule of reason
A doctrine in antitrust law which states that only unreasonable restraints of trade are prohibited. Thus, in most cases of alleged anticompetitive behavior, the specific facts must be examined to decide whether an antitrust violation has occurred. For example, an exclusive contract between a hospital and a group of radiologists is anticompetitive on its face;…
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Robinson-patman act
A federal antitrust law which prohibits price discrimination. A seller cannot charge a buyer a discriminatory price and a buyer cannot knowingly benefit from such a price. The prohibition applies only to sales of goods. Discrimination may be justified in some cases if the seller can show a relationship between the discount and the cost…