Lesson 1 Vocab

Question 1

administrative health professional (AHP)

Answer 1

a graduate from an accredited health office administration program who assumes administrative, communication, and/or clinical responsibilities in a health-care setting

Question 2

allied health care

Answer 2

any duty or profession that supports primary health care providers, such as physicians, nurse practitioners, or midwives, in delivering health care services

Question 3

alternative health care (complementary health care)

Answer 3

nontraditional methods and practices based on a natural approach, including chiropractic, acupuncture, massage, and aromatherapy

Question 4

attribute

Answer 4

an inborn personal quality or characteristic

Question 5

autonomy

Answer 5

a person’s right to self-determination. In heath care it refers to a patient’s right to make his or her own decisions without coercion; for example, decisions for treatment based on fact and being fully informed of all treatment options

Question 6

clinic

Answer 6

a facility providing medical care on an outpatient basis; freestanding or associated with a hospital; many have a specialty; also primary-care groups that offer out-of-office services where rostered patients can seek medical care when their physician is unavailable

Question 7

code of ethics

Answer 7

a set of guidelines for ethical conduct

Question 8

computerized physician order entry (CPOE)

Answer 8

an electronic, multifunctional software system used in health-care facilities that, among other functions, enables the physician (or other provider) to enter orders directly into the computer

Question 9

core compentency

Answer 9

the basic or essential skill that one needs to succeed in a particular profession

Question 10

duty

Answer 10

a moral obligation

Question 11

ethics

Answer 11

the philosophical study of standards accepted by society that determine what is right and wrong in human behaviour

Question 12

externship

Answer 12

a cooperative or workplace experience or period of training for a student that is provided by the student’s educational facility

Question 13

licensure

Answer 13

a legal document, obtained after passing written and clinical examinations, that is required for health care practitioners in regulated fields

Question 14

medical assistant (U.S.)

Answer 14

a person who is trained to assist a physician with various clinical tests, examinations, and procedures

Question 15

medical office assistant (Canada)

Answer 15

a person who handles primarily administrative but also some clinical duties in a health office. The title varies (ex. medical secretary, medical office manager).

Question 16

morals

Answer 16

what a person believes to be right and wrong pertaining to how to act, treat others, and get along in an organized society

Question 17

patient (present term)

Answer 17

an individual who seeks/receives health care and who is also actively involved in all aspects of his or her care, from diagnosis to treatment, and who assumes responsibility for his or her health

Question 18

patient (past term)

Answer 18

an individual who seeks/receives health care

Question 19

preceptor

Answer 19

a mentor who guides and supervises a student throughout a workplace experience

Question 20

regulated profession

Answer 20

a field legally restricted to practitioners with a specific professional qualification or provincial or territorial registration

Question 21

right

Answer 21

a moral, legal, cultural, or traditional claim

Question 22

scope of practice

Answer 22

working within the parameters of duties and responsibilities outlined by one’s professional training and skill set

Question 23

triage

Answer 23

assessing the seriousness of a patient’s presenting problem to determine who needs to have medical help first

Question 24

values

Answer 24

the beliefs a person holds dear and that guide that person’s decisions and behaviour or conduct

Question 25

ward clerk (clinical secretary or communications coordinator)

Answer 25

an individual who manages the administrative and communication needs of a patient-care unit