Cost-of-living Adjustment (cola): From 1 Different Sources
Increase to a monthly long-term disability benefit, usually after the first year of payments. May be a flat percentage (e.g. 3%) or tied to changes in inflation.
See “advance directive”.... living will
See “residential care services”; “assisted living facility”.... assisted living
Actual expenses incurred to provide a health care product or service. Cost can be divided into a number of types including: average cost: The average cost per unit; equals the total cost divided by the units of production. avoided cost: Cost caused by a health problem that is avoided by a health care intervention. direct cost: Cost borne by the health care system, the community and families, e.g. diagnosis and treatment costs. A cost that is identifiable directly with a particular activity, service or product. fixed cost: Costs that, within a defined period, do not vary with the quantity produced, e.g. overhead costs of maintaining a building. incremental cost: The difference between marginal costs of alternative interventions. indirect cost: Cost which cannot be identified directly with a particular activity, service or product of the programme experiencing the cost. Indirect costs are usually apportioned among the programme’s services in proportion to each service’s share of direct costs. intangible cost: The cost of pain and suffering resulting from a disease, condition or intervention. marginal cost: The additional cost required to produce an additional unit of benefit (e.g. unit of health outcome). operating cost: In the health field, the financial requirements necessary to operate an activity that provides health services. These costs normally include costs of personnel, materials, overheads, depreciation and interest. opportunity cost: The benefit foregone, or value of opportunities lost, by engaging resources in a service. It is usually quantified by considering the benefit that would accrue by investing the same resources in the best alternative manner. recurrent cost: An item of expenditure that recurs year after year, such as the remuneration of health workers and other staff; the cost of food and other goods and services; the cost of vaccines, medicines, appliances and other supplies; the replacement of equipment; and the maintenance of buildings and equipment. tangible cost: Objective elements in the production of care, i.e. number of personnel, beds, consumables, technologies, staff qualifications. total cost: The sum of all costs incurred in producing a set quantity of service.... cost
The personal cost of acute or chronic disease. The cost to the patient may be an economic, social or psychological cost or loss to himself, his family or community. The cost of illness may be reflected in absenteeism, productivity, response to treatment, peace of mind, quality of life, etc. It differs from health care costs in that this concept is restricted to the cost of providing services related to the delivery of health care, rather than the impact on the personal life of the patient. See “burden of disease”.... cost of illness
The systematic comparison, in monetary terms, of all the costs and benefits of proposed alternative schemes with a view to determining: which scheme or combination of schemes will contribute most to the achievement of predetermined objectives at a fixed level of investment; or the magnitude of the benefit that can result from schemes requiring the minimum investment. The resources required per unit of benefit must be determined, account being taken of the fact that costs and benefits accrue with time. For example, the cost of establishing a home and community care programme might be compared with the total cost of building residential facilities. Cost-benefit analysis can also be applied to specific medical tests and treatments.... cost-benefit analysis
A concept of functioning – activities of daily living are basic activities that are necessary to independent living, including eating, bathing and toileting. This concept has several assessment tools to determine an individual’s ability to perform the activity with or without assistance. See related “instrumental activities of daily living (IADL)”.... activities of daily living (adl)
Housing that has been specially built for, or changed to a certain standard to accommodate people with disabilities.... adapted living facility / housing
Establishment which provides accommodation and care for older or disabled persons who cannot live independently but do not need nursing care. Residents are also provided with domestic assistance (meals, laundry, personal care).... assisted living facility / assisted care living facility
See “cost”.... average cost
See “cost”.... avoided cost
Horsetail (Equisetum species).Plant Part Used: Leaf-stem.Dominican Medicinal Uses: Leaves and stems: decoction, orally, for bladder, urinary tract or kidney infection, kidney stones, kidney ailments (general), infections (general), vaginal infections, menstrual cramps, to cleanse the blood and as a diuretic.Safety: Considered safe when used appropriately; must be taken with plenty of water due to diuretic effect; high silica content may be toxic if plant is ingested.Contraindications: Children, case of heart or kidney disorders.Drug Interactions: Cardiac glycosides, digitalis (may enhance toxicity); thiamine (breaks down vitamin).Clinical Data: Human clinical trials: diuretic (aqueous plant extract), metabolism effects and renal excretion (standardized extract).Laboratory & Preclinical Data: In vivo: diuretic, anti-ulcer, gastroprotective, hypoglycemic (organic plant extracts).In vitro: anti-platelet-aggregant, antimicrobial, contractile response enhancement, cytogenic, hepatoprotective, radical scavenging (plant extracts and constituents).* See entry for Cola de caballo in “Part 3: Dominican Medicinal Plant Profiles” of this book for more information, including references.... cola de caballo
An accounting device whereby all related costs attributable to some “financial centre” within an organization, such as a department, centre or programme, are segregated for accounting or reimbursement purposes.... cost centre
A set of steps to control or reduce inefficiencies in the consumption, allocation or production of health care services which contribute to higher than necessary costs.... cost containment
A determination of the least costly among alternative interventions that are assumed to produce equivalent outcomes.... cost minimization analysis
A case which is more costly to treat compared with other persons in a particular diagnosis-related group. Outliers also refer to any unusual occurrence of cost, cases which skew average costs or unusual procedures.... cost outlier
Payment method whereby a person is required to pay some health costs in order to receive medical care. The general set of financing arrangements whereby the consumer must pay out-of-pocket to receive care, either at the time of initiating care or during the provision of health care services, or both. Cost sharing can also occur when an insured person pays a portion of the monthly premium for health care insurance.... cost sharing
Recouping the cost of providing uncompensated care by increasing revenues from some payers to offset losses and lower net payments from other payers.... cost shifting
The relationship between the cost of an activity and the benefit that accrues from it.... cost-benefit
A form of analysis that seeks to determine the costs and effectiveness of a health intervention compared with similar alternative interventions to determine the relative degree to which they will obtain the desired health outcome(s).... cost-effectiveness analysis
The extent to which financial resources are being used as well as possible.... cost-efficiency
A determination of the economic impact of a disease or health condition, including treatment costs.... cost-of-illness analysis
See “cost”.... direct cost
See “cost”.... fixed cost
See “cost”.... incremental cost
Living at home without the need for continuous help and with a degree of self determination or control over one’s activities.... independent living
A rental unit in which services are not included as part of the rent, although services may be available on site and may be purchased by residents for an additional fee.... independent living facility
See “cost”.... indirect cost
Activities with aspects of cognitive and social functioning, including shopping, cooking, doing housework, managing money and using the telephone. See also “activities of daily living (ADLs)”.... instrumental activities of daily living (iadl)
The cost of pain and suffering resulting from a disease, condition or intervention.... intangible cost
See “cost”.... marginal cost
See “cost”.... operating cost
See “cost”.... opportunity cost
See “cost”.... recurrent cost
See living will.... will, living
(ADLs) the tasks of everyday life. Basic ADLs include self-care tasks, such as bathing, dressing, eating, grooming, toileting, and moving. Instrumental ADLs include housework, shopping, managing finances, taking medication, and cooking. Inability to perform ADLs is a practical measure of disability in many disorders; problems are much more prevalent in the elderly.... activities of daily living
(DLA) (in Britain) a state benefit payable to help with the extra costs of looking after a child under the age of 16 with special needs. It has two components: a care component, payable at three rates to children needing help with personal care; and a mobility component, payable at two rates to those aged 3 years or over who need help with walking. The rates depend on the level of help required. DLA for adults aged 16–64 years has been replaced by the *personal independence payment (PIP). People aged over 65 years with a disability and requiring help may be eligible for the attendance allowance.... disability living allowance
Kola seeds. Cola nitida. Cola acuminata. German: Kolabaum. French: Cafe? du Soudan. Spanish: Kola. Italian: Noci del sudan. Malayan: Kelapong. Part used: dried powdered seeds. Constituents: Caffeine, theobromine, kolanin, gum, tannic acid, phenols.
Keynote: cerebro-spinal stimulant.
Action: Nerve tonic, anti-depressant, diuretic, astringent, anti-diarrhoeal. Thymoleptic BHP (1983). Strengthens action of the heart by increasing its muscular power. Antidepressant. Stimulates the central nervous system and strengthens the heart by increasing its muscular power.
Uses: Physical and mental exhaustion (jet-lag), brain fatigue, neurasthenia, convalescence, muscle weakness, headache, depression. Diarrhoea, dysentery. Contains caffeine which increases mental alertness, heart rate and passage of urine. Low blood pressure. Not given in presence of high blood pressure.
Traditional combinations: (1) with Damiana and Saw Palmetto for sexual weakness. (2) with Skullcap and Oatstraw for depression and nerve debility.
Burroughs and Wellcome (1900) issued a tabloid “Forced March” (Kola compound 5g) used during the South African war and continued until 1937. Today similar preparations exist for jet-travel and tired business-men.
Side-effects: over-excitability.
Preparations: Average dose: 1 to 3 grams. Thrice daily.
Decoction (powder). Half a teaspoon to each cup water gently simmered 10 minutes. Dose 1 cup. Powder/tablets: 1 to 3g.
Liquid Extract, BHC Vol 1. 1:1, 60 per cent ethanol. Dose: 0.6 to 1.2ml.
Tincture BPC (1934). 1:5 in 60 per cent alcohol. Dose: 1-4ml. ... cola
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