Information And Referral Service: From 1 Different Sources
A designated site or contact for locating needed services or care for older adults.
See DENTAL SURGEON.... general dental services
Services provided by government to improve the social welfare of those who need them.... social services
Support service provided in conjunction with medical or hospital care. Such services include laboratory, radiology, physical therapy and inhalation therapy, among others.... ancillary service
A network of health units providing essential health care to a population. Basic health services include communicable disease control, environmental sanitation, maintenance of records for statistical purposes, health education of the public, public health nursing and medical care.... basic health service
Help with chores, such as home repairs, gardening and heavy house cleaning.... chore service
An information system that collects, stores and transmits information that is used to support clinical applications (e.g. transmission of laboratory test results, radiology results, prescription drug orders). Electronic medical records are one method by which clinical information systems can be created.... clinical information system
An integrated collection of computer and telecommunication capabilities that permit multiple providers, payers, employers and related health care entities within a geographic area to share and communicate client, clinical and payment information.... community health information network (chin)
Usually managed by NHS trusts, these are a complex variety of services provided to people outside hospital settings. The key parts are the services delivered by district nurses, health visitors and therapists – for example, physiotherapists and speech therapists.... community health services
The blend of health and social services provided to an individual or family in his/her place of residence for the purpose of promoting, maintaining or restoring health or minimizing the effects of illness and disability. These services are usually designed to help older people remain independent and in their own homes. They can include senior centres, transportation, delivered meals or congregate meals sites, visiting nurses or home health aides, adult day care and homemaker services.... community-based care / community-based services / programmes
Willingness and/or ability to seek, use and, in some settings, pay for services. Sometimes further subdivided into expressed demand (equated with use) and potential demand or need.... demand (for health services)
Service provided in response to the perceived individual need for immediate treatment or care.... emergency service
Transportation for older adults to services and appointments. May use buses, taxis, volunteer drivers, or van services that can accommodate wheelchairs and persons with other special needs.... escort services
Method of billing for health services under which a medical practitioner or other practitioner charges separately for each patient encounter or service rendered. Under a fee-for-service payment system, expenditures increase if the fees themselves increase, if more units of service are provided, or if more expensive services are substituted for less expensive ones. This system contrasts with salary, per capita, or other prepayment systems, where the payment to the medical practitioner is not changed according to the number of services actually used.... fee for service (ffs)
The generation and the use of appropriate health information to support decision-making, health care delivery and management of health services at national and subnational level.... health information system
Service performed by health care professionals, or by others under their direction, for the purpose of promoting, maintaining or restoring health.... health service
A geographic area designated on the basis of such factors as geography, political boundaries, population and health resources, for the effective planning and development of health services.... health service area
An o?cial, responsible to the United Kingdom’s parliament, appointed to protect the interests of National Health Service patients in matters concerning the administration of the health service and the delivery of health care (excluding clinical judgements). Known colloquially as the health ombudsman, the Commissioner presents regular reports on the complaints dealt with.... health service commissioner
The multidisciplinary field of scientific investigation that studies how social factors, financing systems, organizational structures and processes, health technologies, and personal behaviours affect access to health care, the quality and cost of health care, and ultimately health and well-being. Its research domains are individuals, families, organizations, institutions, communities and populations.... health services research
See “community-based care”.... home and community-based services; home and community care programme
A home help service for meal preparation, shopping, light housekeeping, money management, personal hygiene and grooming, and laundry.... homemaker service
A service provided in the home by a home health agency or a residential services agency. It may be provided by personal care attendants or home health aides hired privately and informally, or through staff agencies or registries.... in home health service
The administrative machinery for planning, delivering and monitoring health care provided by health professionals and their supporting sta?. This may range from running a small primary-care centre to organising a large hospital or being responsible for meeting the health needs of a region or a nation. Whether the overall structure for proving care is state-funded, insurance-based, private-practice or a mixture of these, health-service management is essential in an era of rapidly evolving and expensive scienti?c medicine. Health-service managers are administrators with special training and skills in managing health care; sometimes they are doctors, nurses or other health professionals, but many have been trained in management in commercial, civil service or industrial environments.... health-service management
Decision processes oriented towards the creation or acquisition of information and knowledge, the design of information storage and flow, and the allocation and utilization of information in organizational work processes. See also “health information system”.... information management
The advent of computing has had widespread effects in all areas of society, with medicine no exception. Computer systems are vital – as they are in any modern enterprise – for the administration of hospitals, general practices and health authorities, supporting payroll, ?nance, stock ordering and billing, resource and bed management, word-processing correspondence, laboratory-result reporting, appointment and record systems, and management audit.
The imaging systems of COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHY (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (see MRI) have powerful computer techniques underlying them.
Computerised statistical analysis of study data, population databases and disease registries is now routine, leading to enhanced understanding of the interplay between diseases and the population. And the results of research, available on computerised indexes such as MEDLINE, can be obtained in searches that take only seconds, compared with the hours or days necessary to accomplish the same task with its paper incarnation, Index Medicus.
Medical informatics The direct computerisation of those activities which are uniquely medical – history-taking, examination, diagnosis and treatment – has proved an elusive goal, although one hotly pursued by doctors, engineers and scientists working in the discipline of medical informatics. Computer techniques have scored some successes: patients are, for example, more willing to be honest about taboo areas, such as their drug or alcohol consumption, or their sexual proclivities, with a computer than face to face with a clinician; however, the practice of taking a history remains the cornerstone of clinical practice. The examination of the patient is unlikely to be supplanted by technological means in the foreseeable future; visual and tactile recognition systems are still in their infancy. Skilled interpretation of the result by machine rather than the human mind seems equally as remote. Working its way slowly outwards from its starting point in mathematical logic, ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE that in any way mimics its natural counterpart seems a distant prospect. Although there have been successes in computer-supported diagnosis in some specialised areas, such as the diagnosis of abdominal pain, workable systems that could supplant the mind of the generalist are still the dream of the many developers pursuing this goal, rather than a reality available to doctors in their consulting rooms now.
In therapeutics, computerised prescribing systems still require the doctor to make the decision about treatment, but facilitate the process of writing, issuing, and recording the prescription. In so doing, the system can provide automated checks, warning if necessary about allergies, potential drug interactions, or dosing errors. The built-in safety that this process o?ers is enhanced by the superior legibility of the script that ensues, reducing the potential for error when the medicine is dispensed by the nurse or the pharmacist.
Success in these individual applications continues to drive development, although the process has its critics, who are not slow to point to the lengthier consultations that arise when a computer is present in the consulting room and its distracting e?ect on communication with the patient.
Underlying these many software applications lies the ubiquitous personal computer – more powerful today than its mainframe predecessor of only 20 years ago – combined with networking technology that enables interconnection and the sharing of data. As in essence the doctor’s role involves the acquisition, manipulation and application of information – from the individual patient, and from the body of medical knowledge – great excitement surrounds the development of open systems that allow di?erent software and hardware platforms to interact. Many problems remain to be solved, not least the fact that for such systems to work, the whole organisation, and not just a few specialised individuals, must become computer literate. Such systems must be easy to learn to use, which requires an intuitive interface between user(s) and system(s) that is predictable and logical in its ordering and presentation of information.
Many other issues stand in the way of the development towards computerisation: standard systems of nomenclature for medical concepts have proved surprisingly di?cult to develop, but are crucial for successful information-sharing between users. Sharing information between existing legacy systems is a major challenge, often requiring customised software and extensive human intervention to enable the previous investments that an organisation has made in individual systems (e.g. laboratory-result reporting) to be integrated with newer technology. The beginnings of a global solution to this substantial obstacle to networking progress is in sight: the technology that enables the Internet – an international network of telephonically linked personal computers – also enables the establishment of intranets, in which individual servers (computers dedicated to serving information to other computers) act as repositories of ‘published’ data, which other users on the network may ‘browse’ as necessary in a client-server environment.
Systems that support this process are still in early stages of development, but the key conceptualisations are in place. Developments over the next 5–10 years will centre on the electronic patient record available to the clinician on an integrated clinical workstation. The clinical workstation – in essence a personal computer networked to the hospital or practice system – will enable the clinician to record clinical data and diagnoses, automate the ordering of investigations and the collection of the results, and facilitate referral and communication between the many professionals and departments involved in any individual patient’s care.
Once data is digitised – and that includes text, statistical tables, graphs, illustrations and radiological images, etc. – it may be as freely networked globally as locally. Consultations in which live video and sound transmissions are the bonds of the doctor-patient relationship (the techniques of telemedicine) are already reality, and have proved particularly convenient and cost-e?ective in linking the patient and the generalist to specialists in remote areas with low population density.
As with written personal medical records, con?dentiality of personal medical information on computers is essential. Computerised data are covered by the Data Protection Act 1984. This stipulates that data must:
be obtained and processed fairly and lawfully.
be held only for speci?ed lawful purposes.
•not be used in a manner incompatible with those purposes.
•only be recorded where necessary for these purposes.
be accurate and up to date.
not be stored longer than necessary.
be made available to the patient on request.
be protected by appropriate security and backup procedures. As these problems are solved, concerns about
privacy and con?dentiality arise. While paper records were often only con?dential by default, the potential for breaches of security in computerised networks is much graver. External breaches of the system by hackers are one serious concern, but internal breaches by authorised users making unauthorised use of the data are a much greater risk in practice. Governing network security so that clinical users have access on a need-to-know basis is a di?cult business: the software tools to enable this – encryption, and anonymisation (ensuring that clinical information about patients is anonymous to prevent con?dential information about them leaking out) of data collected for management and research processes – exist in the technical domain but remain a complex conundrum for solution in the real world.
The mushroom growth of websites covering myriad subjects has, of course, included health information. This ranges from clinical details on individual diseases to facts about medical organisations and institutes, patient support groups, etc. Some of this information contains comments and advice from orthodox and unorthodox practitioners. This open access to health information has been of great bene?t to patients and health professionals. But web browsers should be aware that not all the medical information, including suggested treatments, has been subject to PEER REVIEW, as is the case with most medical articles in recognised medical journals.... information technology in medicine
Health services delivered on an inpatient basis in hospitals, nursing homes or other inpatient institutions. The term may also refer to services delivered on an outpatient basis by departments or other organizational units of such institutions, or sponsored by them.... institutional (care) health services
A network of organizations, usually including hospitals and medical practitioner groups, that provides or arranges to provide a coordinated continuum of services to a defined population and is held both clinically and financially accountable for the outcomes in the populations served.... integrated delivery system / integrated services network (isn)
The provision of assistance with laundry tasks for someone in his or her own home, either through a central facility or by a home help in the home.... laundry services
A system of databases designed to process and exchange information to support decision-making as well as implementation, monitoring and evaluation of programmes, activities and projects. See also “health information system”.... management information system
Comprehensive mental health services, as generally defined under some national (or state) laws and statutes, include: inpatient care, outpatient care, day care and other partial hospitalization and emergency services; specialized services for the mental health of the elderly; consultation and education services and specialized programmes for the prevention, treatment and rehabilitation of alcohol and drug abusers. They generally include a variety of services provided to people of all ages, including counselling, psychotherapy, psychiatric services, crisis intervention and support groups. Issues addressed include depression, grief, anxiety and stress, as well as severe mental illnesses.... mental health services
A service delivery model that consists of a comprehensive range of services meeting the aged and health care needs of a community. Multipurpose centres could bring together existing health services and develop additional services from a single base.... multipurpose service
The United Kingdom’s National Health Service was created by Act of Parliament and inaugurated on 5 July 1948. Its original aim was to provide a comprehensive system of health care to everyone, free at the point of delivery. Scotland had its own, similar legislation, as did Northern Ireland. The service is funded by National Insurance contributions and from general taxation, with a small amount from patient charges. The structure, functioning and ?nancing of the NHS have been – and still are – undergoing substantial changes.... national health service (nhs)
A service that enables a caregiver night rest (e.g. where night disturbances of the older person receiving care are frequent).... night-sitting service
Health services concerned with the physical, mental and social well-being of an individual in relation to his/her working environment and with the adjustment of individuals to their work. The term applies to more than the safety of the workplace and includes health and job satisfaction.... occupational health services
See “ambulatory care”.... outpatient services
Health services targeted at populations with specific diseases or disorders.... population-based services
Health services re-orientation is characterized by a more explicit concern for the achievement of population health outcomes in the ways in which the health system is organized and funded.... re-orienting health services
The direction of people to an appropriate facility, institution or specialist in a health system, such as a health centre or a hospital, when health workers at a given level cannot diagnose or treat certain individuals by themselves, or face health or social problems they cannot solve by themselves.... referral
A service designed to improve function and/or prevent deterioration of functioning. Such services may include physical therapy, occupational therapy, and/or speech therapy. They may be provided at home, in a hospital or in a long-term care facility.... rehabilitation service
Accommodation and support for people who can no longer live at home.... residential care services
A result of a provider’s actions aimed at meeting the needs of a consumer.... service
See “care package”.... service package
See “care plan”.... service plan
The coordinated, or otherwise explicitly agreed upon, sharing of responsibility for provision of medical or nonmedical services on the part of two or more otherwise independent hospitals or health programmes.... shared services
A service which involves a worker or volunteer going into an older person’s home to provide care whilst the carer takes a break for up to six hours.... sitting service
Assistance with the activities of daily life (personal care, domestic maintenance, self-direction) delivered by a personal care helper, home helper or social worker and aimed at supporting older people who experience disabilities in functioning.... social care service
Stevia Tea is made from a green plant native to Paraguay with nutritious leaves up to 30 times sweeter than cane sugar. Stevia Tea contains numerous vitamins and nutrients and it has no calories, but its sweet taste reduces the craving for sweets and aids in the weight loss process. It does not adversely affect the blood sugar level and it can be enjoyed by both diabetics and obese people.
Stevia Tea Brewing
Stevia Tea can be added to other teas as a replacement for artificial sweetners. Pour one cup of unboiled hot water or other type of beverage over the Stevia Tea bag and let it steep for about three to five minutes. You can serve it hot or iced.
If you use Stevia leaves to prepare your Stevia Tea cup, all you need to do is pour hot water over a couple of leaves and it will be ready in only a few minutes. There is no need to add sugar or honey because of its natural sweetness which serves as the perfect substitute.
Stevia Tea Health Benefits
Stevia, also called “honeyleaf” or “sweet herb”, is considered a miracle plant due to its health restoring benefits. Its leaves contain numerous beneficial minerals which include calcium, zinc, potassium and carbohydrates, as well as A and C vitamins. Stevia Tea can be used as an aid in the treatment of diabetes, high blood pressure and heartburn. Other health benefits of Stevia Tea include the improvement of digestion, oral health and hygene. The water based stevia concentrate has alo been used for treating skin conditions such as acnea. It is beneficial in skin care, having a smoothing and softening effect.
Stevia Tea Side Effects
The reportedside effects of Stevia Tea include dizziness, nausea and bloating, numbness and mild muscle pain, but none of them were long-lasting. Stevia may interfere with the blood sugar level, potentially lowering it, but caution is advisable among people with diabetes. Patients who already have a low blood pressure should avoid it because another effect of Stevia Tea is lowering the blood pressure. Although there are no long-term side effects, it is recommended that pregnant and nursing women avoid it also until more conclusive research is conducted.
Sweetening your tea with stevia will bring your cup a delighful taste, without any unpleasant aftertaste. Enjoy a nice sweet cup of Stevia Tea and benefit from its nutritional value and extraordinarily valuable health effects!... stevia tea information
See “assisted living facility”.... supported residential service
In the UK, this NHS authority (UKTSSA) provides a 24-hour service for matching, allocating and distributing organs. It is also responsible for keeping the records of all patients awaiting transplants. Established in 1991, the authority allocates donor organs without favour, following protocols set by advisory groups. It also administers the Human Organ Transplant Act on behalf of the Department of Health. (See TRANSPLANTATION.)... transplant support services authority
A system operated to transfer a patient or client to or from a health care facility and place of residence.... transportation service
Through volunteers or community workers, a service providing companionship and support for older people who may be lonely and isolated.... visiting service / visitor programme
A type of social care service supported through public funding. Eligibility criteria vary from universal coverage to specialized requirements. See “social care service”.... welfare service
see domiciliary services.... community services
(HHS) the major US government agency providing health care. The department was created in 1953 and assumed its current name in 1980. HHS administers more than 300 health and health-related programmes and services, including *Medicare and *Medicaid. Other activities include research, immunization services, and providing financial assistance for low-income families. Almost a quarter of federal spending occurs through HHS.... department of health and human services
(in Britain) health and social services that are available in the home and are distinguished from hospital-based services. They include the services of such personnel as community nurses employed by care trusts (see district nurse; community midwife; health visitor) and social workers and care assistants employed by social service departments of local authorities. The term community services is applied to these services.... domiciliary services
White tea is a fruity low-caffeine beverage with a delicate aroma and a sweet or bittersweet taste. Despite its name, it has a pale yellow colour. White tea originated in the Fujian province of China sometime in the 18th century. Green tea and black tea are made from the leaves of the tea plant, whereas white tea is prepared from its white fuzzy buds. White tea is minimally processed, withered in natural sunlight and only slightly oxidized.
White Tea Brewing
White tea brewing is a quite easy procedure. When preparing white tea, preferably use water heated at a below boiling temperature of approximately 80 degrees Celsius and steep it for three to five minutes. White tea should be enjoyed plain because milk might neutralize its beneficial properties.
White Tea Health Benefits
White tea consumption offers your body numerous health benefits by boosting the immune system and strengthening its power to fight against viruses and bacteria. The beverage is also effective in the prevention of dental plaque, one of the main causes of tooth decay, and it may also have a beneficial effect for people afflicted with osteoporosis or arthritis.
Research shows that some white tea compounds protect against cancer, reduce the cholesterol level and improve artery function, thus lowering the risk of cardiovascular disease. The antioxidants in white tea protect the skin and make it appear healthy and radiant.
Regular consumption of white tea may also prevent obesity and aid in the weight-loss process. White tea increases metabolism, encouraging the burning of fat.
White Tea Side Effects
Although white tea has low caffeine content, some people may still experience unpleasant side effects which include anxiety, sleeping difficulties, nausea, faster heart rate, tremors or gastrointestinal problems.
Enjoy the pleasant aroma ofwhite tea and its health benefits at any time of the day. You have a wide range of white teas you can choose from and you can drink as many as four cups a day. White tea is definitely one of nature’s great gifts!... white tea - health benefits, information
(HSCIC) formerly, an executive nondepartmental public body set up in April 2013 to collect, analyse, and publish UK national health data and supply IT systems and services to health-care providers nationwide. It was rebranded as *NHS Digital in August 2016.... health and social care information centre
an administrator with special training and skills in management who is concerned with the planning and provision of health services and with managing performance. Some managers enter the profession via the NHS Graduate Management Training Scheme; for others the basic training is in disciplines other than health; however, doctors, nurses, and others may fill such posts, sometimes combining them with professional appointments. See also National Health Service.... health service manager
balancing the health and health-care needs of a community, assessed by such indices as mortality, morbidity, and disability, with the resources available to meet these needs in terms of human resources (including ensuring the numbers in training grades meet future requirements) and technical resources, such as hospitals (capital planning), equipment, and medicines. See also clinical audit.... health service planning
see HEMS.... helicopter-based emergency medical services
the person in charge of the independent public agency set up to regulate the use and storage of personal data under the Data Protection Act 1998 (see data protection). The office of the Information Commissioner both regulates the use of data under the Act and takes any enforcement action required as a result of noncompliance with the principles of the statute. The Information Commissioner’s office also promotes public access to official information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.... information commissioner
(NCAS) see Practitioner Performance Advice.... national clinical assessment service
(NSFs) formerly, national standards of care published for a variety of conditions and patient groups (the first were for coronary heart disease and mental health). NSFs were ten-year programmes designed to improve, and reduce variations in, the quality of care by defining long-term strategies for delivery of the standards and by setting specific goals. The NSFs were dropped in the reform of the NHS after 2010 and subsequent establishment of *NHS England.... national service frameworks
an electronic referral system administered by *NHS Digital. Since 2015 it has been used by NHS England to support referrals from GPs to secondary care. Replacing the earlier choose and book system, it enables patients to choose which hospital they are referred to and then to book a convenient date and time for the appointment.... nhs e-referral service
(NHSPSA) see NHS Business Services Authority.... nhs prescription services authority
(OHS) a scheme by which employers provide a mainly preventive health service for employees. Specially trained doctors and nurses advise management on hazardous situations at work. Advice is also given to management to ensure that people with ill health or disability are not prevented from taking up employment and on the potential for rehabilitating employees with prolonged or repeated sickness absence. Instruction may be given to the workforce on simple first aid procedures, and *health promotion programmes may be offered in relation to nutrition, physical activity, and stress. With the approval of the *Health and Safety Executive, the OHS may conduct routine tests on employees working with potentially hazardous substances, such as lead. See also coshh.... occupational health service
(in England) an official responsible to Parliament and appointed to protect the interests of patients in relation to administration of and provision of health care by the *National Health Service. He or she can investigate complaints about the NHS when they cannot be resolved locally. In Scotland, and in Wales, this role is undertaken by a Public Services Ombudsman.... parliamentary and health service ombudsman
(PALS) (in England) a confidential service provided by each NHS trust to support patients, their families, and carers by giving advice and information in response to questions and concerns about local NHS services. See also advocacy.... patient advice and liaison service
(PHS) the oldest and one of the largest US federal health agencies. Founded in 1798 as a system of hospitals for sailors, the PHS is now the major health service operating division of the *Department of Health and Human Services and administers eleven agencies, including the *Food and Drug Administration, the National Institutes of Health, and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. The agency employs tens of thousands of people with a total annual budget well into the billions.... public health service
see Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman.... public services ombudsman
(RIS) a computer database used to keep details of all the patients attending a clinical radiology department. It records patient demographics, imaging procedures done, medications given and dosage, person performing the imaging, and time and place of examination. Radiologist reports interpreting the images will also feature here. The RIS is vital to the functioning of a picture archiving and communications system (see PACS) and the electronic medical record system.... radiology information system
(in Britain) a service concerned with promotion of health and wellbeing in schoolchildren, including the early detection of health and social problems and their subsequent treatment and surveillance.... school health service
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