Mindblown: a blog about philosophy.
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Screening quality
A method for separating some kinds of things or patients from others. The term is often employed in one method of assessing quality of care, in which medical records of patients are subjected to a “screen” which isolates for detailed review the records of those with unusually long stays, or those with complications of care,…
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Scintimammography
A nuclear medicine scanning procedure using a radioactive tracer which has been suggested as an alternative or complementary procedure to traditional mammography and biopsy for the detection of breast cancers. Mammography enhanced by a radioactive isotope study of healthy and malignant breast tissue. The radioactive tracer is injected into a peripheral vein and is taken…
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School rule
A legal doctrine which states that the standard of care (legal) in a malpractice lawsuit will be measured by the degree of care exercised by professionals within the same specialty or “school” of medicine. For example, under the school rule, osteopaths (DOs) would be measured by the practices of other osteopaths, not those of medical…
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Rubric
The title or label given to a category in a classification (scheme).
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Room
An enclosed area within a health care facility in which one or more patients are lodged, cared for, and/or treated.
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Risk manager
A hospital employee who coordinates the hospital’s activities with respect to risk management; this is a staff position, as contrasted with a line position.
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Risk software
As used in connection with computer software, the probability of failure and the consequences of that failure.
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Risk actuarial
An actuary’s statement of the risk presented by a group of individuals which is being considered for enrollment in health care insurance. This risk statement is the basis for rating the group, i.e., determining the insurance premium to be charged. For community rating, the risk statement is for the entire community; for experience rating, the…
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Risk health
The likelihood of disease, injury, or death among various groups of individuals and from different causes. Individuals are said to be “at risk” if they are in a group in which a given causal factor is present. Patients who smoke are at risk from smoking; patients undergoing appendectomy are at risk from this operation. This…
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Risk insurance
Chance of loss, the type of which can usually be covered by insurance. To a health care institution, the risk may arise through general liability (such as a visitor slipping and falling on hospital premises) or professional liability (harm to a patient from medical or hospital care). It may also arise because of other hospital…
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