Mindblown: a blog about philosophy.

A new measure, developed at Stanford University, for predicting which patients are unlikely to benefit from critical care. It is derived from a special use of APACHE III model information.  

A term applied to the use of mail-order pharmacies, which are under some attack because of certain problems, such as the failure to protect certain sensitive medications from temperature extremes in transit and the possible accessibility of the medications to children from unprotected mailboxes.  

The aggregate of the investments (stocks, real estate, and other assets) of an investor. Unless there is more than one kind of investment, a portfolio does not exist.  

A dilemma concerning research into public health interventions. The paradox arises when there is a relatively small group of high-risk individuals who are tested for the efficacy of an intervention, when it may be that lower-risk individuals would have a greater benefit from the intervention.  

An information system in which the details about a transaction are picked up electronically, coincidentally with the transaction, and are used as input to an integrated computer system which transmits the details of the transaction to the places in the organization where they are needed and automatically records them.  

Selection made by a managed care plan enrollee, at the time of enrollment, to choose either (1) a lower-priced option, but one which requires the enrollee to use only providers within the plan, or (2) a higher-priced option which allows the enrollee a continuing option to choose providers of her/his choice, whether in-plan or out-of-plan.…

Short-term financing where accounts receivable are used to secure the financing. The lender does not buy the accounts receivable, but simply accepts them as collateral for the loan. It is also called “discounting of accounts receivable.”  

Defined by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as including” juices, gums, fatty oils, essential oils, or any other substance of this nature”. The definitions of botanicals and plant materials do not include yeast, bacteria, or other microscopic organisms previously approved for drug use or accepted for food use in the United States, or homeopathic…

Person whose profession is planning.    

A term used by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) for an organization’s written statement, approved by JCAHO, as to how the organization will correct any deficiencies which resulted in a conditional accreditation.