Category: G

Methods for the assay or identification of antigens or antibodies in bacterial species. Interacting antigen and antibody diffuse toward each other through agar or gelatin, any resultant precipitation being seen as an opaque line at the point of contact. Secondary lines may appear, denoting further antigens or antibodies. An application of the method is Elek’s…

Plastic envelope which, with the addition of water, evolves hydrogen for use in an anaerobic jar with cold catalyst.  

Directing principles which lay out a suggested policy or procedure. An instructional guide or reference to indicate a course of action in a specified situation (e.g., critical care guideline). Located either at the perimeter or the interior of the cut, that determines the length the hair will be cut; usually the first section that is…

A pool of money, funded by assessing insurers, which is designed to protect health care providers and consumers if an insurer becomes insolvent.  

The body which is legally responsible for the hospital’s policies, organization, management, and quality of care. It is often called the “hospital board,” “board of trustees,” “governing board,” or “board of directors.” Individual members of the body are “trustees” or “directors,” depending on the name of the body. The governing body is accountable to the…

A state law which protects a volunteer who stops at the scene of an accident and assists the victims, making that volunteer immune from suit as long as he did not act maliciously or recklessly. Most states have such a law.  

A legal term which means honest in fact, and describes the state of mind of someone acting without intent to defraud or injure, but with the intent of carrying out his legal and professional obligations honestly and fairly, without ulterior or dishonest motive.  

Slang for practicing without professional liability insurance coverage.  

A single fee charged for certain medical services which would otherwise be broken down into a number of separate fees. Managed care plans frequently use this method to achieve greater predictability of costs, since there otherwise could be significant variations in what separate services the provider actually bills for. For any complex surgery, for instance,…

A limit on total health care spending for a given unit of population, taking into account all sources of funds. In health care reform discussions and proposals, it usually means that caps will be placed on (1) employers’ expenditures, based on payroll, (2) individuals’ expenditures for insurance, based on income, (3) institutional budgets’ “core spending,”…