Category: P

Health care guided by the recipient of the care. A trend in medical practice stemming from the concept that patients should be empowered to make decisions as to their own health and health care. In patient-directed care, the physician advises and collaborates with the patient in determining the steps to be taken to discover the…

Health care which takes into account the patient’s preferences, values, life style, family, expressed needs and fears; care approached from the patient’s point of view. Such care includes education, physical comfort, emotional support, coordination of care, involvement of family and friends, and help with transitions.  

Synonym for gatekeeper. It has been suggested that the term “PCM” replace the widely-used term “gatekeeper,” but “gatekeeper” is likely to be retained.  

The determination of processes and procedures (such as diagnostic testing, administration of drugs, surgery, nursing, physical therapy, and others), their scheduling, and arranging for them in the care of the individual patient.  

An allied health field developed to help patients with their complaints and problems in relation to medical care and hospital and other health care services, and with the protection of their rights. The practitioner may be called a patient advocate, a patient representative, a health advocate, or an ombudsperson.  

A principle which states that in any series of steps in a process, such as the diagnosis of a patient’s problem, there are a “vital few” steps and a “trivial many.” The procedure for identifying the vital few and the trivial many is called a Pareto analysis. The Pareto analysis makes feasible productive efforts at…

The change in one’s “world view” in moving from one paradigm to another: replacing an old paradigm with a new one. Such a change may take a lot of energy, and usually has far-reaching consequences.  

A specialized medical program for the management of chronic (and sometimes acute) pain, employing a multidisciplinary approach with medical, nursing, and allied health professionals. The national cost of treating pain is said to rank as the third highest health care cost, led only by cancer and heart disease.  

Substances that temporarily alter the body’s central nervous system (e.g., uppers, downers, etc.). Psychoactive drugs are mind-affecting or mind-altering chemical substances that change one’s thinking, feelings, perceptions, and behaviors. Depressants, marijuana, narcotics, stimulants, psychedelics, and inhalants are classifications of psychoactive drugs. A chemical that affects the activity of brain cells to alter perception, thought, and…

The amount of drug given that is roughly equivalent to the amount of a similar substance normally produced within the body; this dosage is typically used to replace the endogenous substance when the body is no longer able to produce the substance.