Any materials used in providing care specifically in the hospital.

Expendable and nonexpendable equipment, supplies, apparatus, and instruments that are used in diagnostic, surgical, therapeutic, scientific, and experimental procedures.

Hospitals engaged in educational and research programs, as well as providing medical care to the patients.

Devices which are very resistant to wear and may be used over a long period of time. They include items such as wheelchairs, hospital beds, artificial limbs, etc.

Large hospitals with a resident medical staff which provides continuous care to maternity, surgical and medical patients.

Hospitals maintained by a university for the teaching of medical students, postgraduate training programs, and clinical research.

The expenses incurred by a hospital in providing care. The hospital costs attributed to a particular patient care episode include the direct costs plus an appropriate proportion of the overhead for administration, personnel, building maintenance, equipment, etc. Hospital costs are one of the factors which determine HOSPITAL CHARGES (the price the hospital sets for its services).

Personnel who provide nursing service to patients in a hospital.

Hospitals located in metropolitan areas.

Economic aspects related to the management and operation of a hospital.

Special hospitals which provide care for ill children.

Equipment required for engaging in a sport (such as balls, bats, rackets, skis, skates, ropes, weights) and devices for the protection of athletes during their performance (such as masks, gloves, mouth pieces).

The number of beds which a hospital has been designed and constructed to contain. It may also refer to the number of beds set up and staffed for use.

Government-controlled hospitals which represent the major health facility for a designated geographic area.

Hospitals which provide care for a single category of illness with facilities and staff directed toward a specific service.

Methods of creating machines and devices.

The presence of an infectious agent on instruments, prostheses, or other inanimate articles.

Hospital department responsible for the administration and provision of immediate medical or surgical care to the emergency patient.

A class of hospitals that includes profit or not-for-profit hospitals that are controlled by a legal entity other than a government agency. (Hospital Administration Terminology, AHA, 2d ed)

The obtaining and management of funds for hospital needs and responsibility for fiscal affairs.

Areawide planning for hospitals or planning of a particular hospital unit on the basis of projected consumer need. This does not include hospital design and construction or architectural plans.

Devices designed to provide personal protection against injury to individuals exposed to hazards in industry, sports, aviation, or daily activities.

The period of confinement of a patient to a hospital or other health facility.

Means or process of supplying water (as for a community) usually including reservoirs, tunnels, and pipelines and often the watershed from which the water is ultimately drawn. (Webster, 3d ed)

Studies used to test etiologic hypotheses in which inferences about an exposure to putative causal factors are derived from data relating to characteristics of persons under study or to events or experiences in their past. The essential feature is that some of the persons under study have the disease or outcome of interest and their characteristics are compared with those of unaffected persons.

Major administrative divisions of the hospital.

The prices a hospital sets for its services. HOSPITAL COSTS (the direct and indirect expenses incurred by the hospital in providing the services) are one factor in the determination of hospital charges. Other factors may include, for example, profits, competition, and the necessity of recouping the costs of uncompensated care.

The confinement of a patient in a hospital.

Freedom of equipment from actual or potential hazards.

Special hospitals which provide care to the mentally ill patient.

Those areas of the hospital organization not considered departments which provide specialized patient care. They include various hospital special care wards.

Compilations of data on hospital activities and programs; excludes patient medical records.

Nonexpendable apparatus used during surgical procedures. They are differentiated from SURGICAL INSTRUMENTS, usually hand-held and used in the immediate operative field.

Apparatus, devices, or supplies intended for one-time or temporary use.

The term "United States" in a medical context often refers to the country where a patient or study participant resides, and is not a medical term per se, but relevant for epidemiological studies, healthcare policies, and understanding differences in disease prevalence, treatment patterns, and health outcomes across various geographic locations.

Information centers primarily serving the needs of hospital medical staff and sometimes also providing patient education and other services.

Any infection which a patient contracts in a health-care institution.

The administrative process of discharging the patient, alive or dead, from hospitals or other health facilities.

Organized services in a hospital which provide medical care on an outpatient basis.

The process of accepting patients. The concept includes patients accepted for medical and nursing care in a hospital or other health care institution.

Elements of limited time intervals, contributing to particular results or situations.

Hospital department which administers all departmental functions and the provision of surgical diagnostic and therapeutic services.

Failure of equipment to perform to standard. The failure may be due to defects or improper use.

Hospitals controlled by the county government.

'Hospital Bed Capacity, 500 and over' refers to the maximum number of hospital beds equaling or exceeding 500 that are medically staffed and equipped to provide patient care and accommodation within a healthcare facility.

Observation of a population for a sufficient number of persons over a sufficient number of years to generate incidence or mortality rates subsequent to the selection of the study group.

Integrated, computer-assisted systems designed to store, manipulate, and retrieve information concerned with the administrative and clinical aspects of providing medical services within the hospital.

The upkeep of property or equipment.

A professional society in the United States whose membership is composed of hospitals.

An infant during the first month after birth.

Hospitals controlled by the city government.

Hospital department that manages and supervises the dietary program in accordance with the patients' requirements.

Hospital department responsible for the purchasing of supplies and equipment.

Clothing designed to protect the individual against possible exposure to known hazards.

Hospital facilities equipped to carry out investigative procedures.

Absolute, comparative, or differential costs pertaining to services, institutions, resources, etc., or the analysis and study of these costs.

Further or repeated use of equipment, instruments, devices, or materials. It includes additional use regardless of the original intent of the producer as to disposability or durability. It does not include the repeated use of fluids or solutions.

The hospital department which is responsible for the organization and administration of nursing activities.

Hospital department responsible for the administration and management of services provided for obstetric and gynecologic patients.

An aspect of personal behavior or lifestyle, environmental exposure, or inborn or inherited characteristic, which, on the basis of epidemiologic evidence, is known to be associated with a health-related condition considered important to prevent.

I'm sorry for any confusion, but 'England' is not a medical term and does not have a medical definition. England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom, known for its rich history, cultural heritage, and contributions to medical science. However, in a medical context, it may refer to the location of a patient, healthcare provider, or research study, but it is not a term with a specific medical meaning.

Private hospitals that are owned or sponsored by religious organizations.

Predetermined sets of questions used to collect data - clinical data, social status, occupational group, etc. The term is often applied to a self-completed survey instrument.

Persons admitted to health facilities which provide board and room, for the purpose of observation, care, diagnosis or treatment.

The nonexpendable items used by the dentist or dental staff in the performance of professional duties. (From Boucher's Clinical Dental Terminology, 4th ed, p106)

Special hospitals which provide care to women during pregnancy and parturition.

A system for classifying patient care by relating common characteristics such as diagnosis, treatment, and age to an expected consumption of hospital resources and length of stay. Its purpose is to provide a framework for specifying case mix and to reduce hospital costs and reimbursements and it forms the cornerstone of the prospective payment system.

The levels of excellence which characterize the health service or health care provided based on accepted standards of quality.

Hospitals which provide care for the military personnel and usually for their dependents.

Subsequent admissions of a patient to a hospital or other health care institution for treatment.

Cooperation among hospitals for the purpose of sharing various departmental services, e.g., pharmacy, laundry, data processing, etc.

Damage inflicted on the body as the direct or indirect result of an external force, with or without disruption of structural continuity.

The development of systems to prevent accidents, injuries, and other adverse occurrences in an institutional setting. The concept includes prevention or reduction of adverse events or incidents involving employees, patients, or facilities. Examples include plans to reduce injuries from falls or plans for fire safety to promote a safe institutional environment.

Programs of disease surveillance, generally within health care facilities, designed to investigate, prevent, and control the spread of infections and their causative microorganisms.

Spontaneous or voluntary recreational activities pursued for enjoyment and accessories or equipment used in the activities; includes games, toys, etc.

Services specifically designed, staffed, and equipped for the emergency care of patients.

Statistical measures of utilization and other aspects of the provision of health care services including hospitalization and ambulatory care.

Conveying ill or injured individuals from one place to another.

Studies in which the presence or absence of disease or other health-related variables are determined in each member of the study population or in a representative sample at one particular time. This contrasts with LONGITUDINAL STUDIES which are followed over a period of time.

The hospital department responsible for the administration and provision of diagnostic and therapeutic services for the cardiac patient.

Interfacility or intrahospital transfer of patients. Intrahospital transfer is usually to obtain a specific kind of care and interfacility transfer is usually for economic reasons as well as for the type of care provided.

'Hospital bed capacity, under 100' refers to the maximum number of hospital beds available for patient care that is less than one hundred, indicating a smaller healthcare facility or a specific unit within a larger hospital with limited bed resources.

Federal program, created by Public Law 89-97, Title XVIII-Health Insurance for the Aged, a 1965 amendment to the Social Security Act, that provides health insurance benefits to persons over the age of 65 and others eligible for Social Security benefits. It consists of two separate but coordinated programs: hospital insurance (MEDICARE PART A) and supplementary medical insurance (MEDICARE PART B). (Hospital Administration Terminology, AHA, 2d ed and A Discursive Dictionary of Health Care, US House of Representatives, 1976)

Facilities equipped for performing surgery.

The exposure to potentially harmful chemical, physical, or biological agents that occurs as a result of one's occupation.

Activities and programs intended to assure or improve the quality of care in either a defined medical setting or a program. The concept includes the assessment or evaluation of the quality of care; identification of problems or shortcomings in the delivery of care; designing activities to overcome these deficiencies; and follow-up monitoring to ensure effectiveness of corrective steps.

Hospital facilities which provide care for newborn infants.

The integration of epidemiologic, sociological, economic, and other analytic sciences in the study of health services. Health services research is usually concerned with relationships between need, demand, supply, use, and outcome of health services. The aim of the research is evaluation, particularly in terms of structure, process, output, and outcome. (From Last, Dictionary of Epidemiology, 2d ed)

Respirators to protect individuals from breathing air contaminated with harmful dusts, fogs, fumes, mists, gases, smokes, sprays, or vapors.

'Hospital Bed Capacity, 100 to 299' refers to the medical facility's capacity to accommodate patients, specifically within the range of 100 to 299 beds, which allows for a moderate-sized hospital setting, enabling it to provide care for a substantial number of patients while maintaining relatively close proximity between healthcare professionals and individuals under their supervision.

Hospital units providing continuous surveillance and care to acutely ill patients.

A measure of inpatient health facility use based upon the average number or proportion of beds occupied for a given period of time.

Systematic gathering of data for a particular purpose from various sources, including questionnaires, interviews, observation, existing records, and electronic devices. The process is usually preliminary to statistical analysis of the data.

The number of new cases of a given disease during a given period in a specified population. It also is used for the rate at which new events occur in a defined population. It is differentiated from PREVALENCE, which refers to all cases, new or old, in the population at a given time.

Advanced technology that is costly, requires highly skilled personnel, and is unique in its particular application. Includes innovative, specialized medical/surgical procedures as well as advanced diagnostic and therapeutic equipment.

The legal relation between an entity (individual, group, corporation, or-profit, secular, government) and an object. The object may be corporeal, such as equipment, or completely a creature of law, such as a patent; it may be movable, such as an animal, or immovable, such as a building.

Research aimed at assessing the quality and effectiveness of health care as measured by the attainment of a specified end result or outcome. Measures include parameters such as improved health, lowered morbidity or mortality, and improvement of abnormal states (such as elevated blood pressure).

Situations or conditions requiring immediate intervention to avoid serious adverse results.

Rendering pathogens harmless through the use of heat, antiseptics, antibacterial agents, etc.

Substances that reduce the growth or reproduction of BACTERIA.

A detailed review and evaluation of selected clinical records by qualified professional personnel for evaluating quality of medical care.

Studies in which individuals or populations are followed to assess the outcome of exposures, procedures, or effects of a characteristic, e.g., occurrence of disease.

Hospital department whose primary function is the upkeep and supervision of the buildings and grounds and the maintenance of hospital physical plant and equipment which requires engineering expertise.

Freedom from exposure to danger and protection from the occurrence or risk of injury or loss. It suggests optimal precautions in the workplace, on the street, in the home, etc., and includes personal safety as well as the safety of property.

'Animal hospitals' are specialized medical facilities primarily dedicated to the diagnosis, treatment, and care of sick, injured, or adopted animals, providing advanced veterinary services, surgeries, and intensive care units, often staffed with trained veterinarians and support personnel.

A specialty concerned with the study of anesthetics and anesthesia.

Conformity in fulfilling or following official, recognized, or institutional requirements, guidelines, recommendations, protocols, pathways, or other standards.

The status during which female mammals carry their developing young (EMBRYOS or FETUSES) in utero before birth, beginning from FERTILIZATION to BIRTH.

The physical space or dimensions of a facility. Size may be indicated by bed capacity.

Hospitals providing medical care to veterans of wars.

Age as a constituent element or influence contributing to the production of a result. It may be applicable to the cause or the effect of a circumstance. It is used with human or animal concepts but should be differentiated from AGING, a physiological process, and TIME FACTORS which refers only to the passage of time.

Pathologic processes that affect patients after a surgical procedure. They may or may not be related to the disease for which the surgery was done, and they may or may not be direct results of the surgery.

Great Britain is not a medical term, but a geographical name for the largest island in the British Isles, which comprises England, Scotland, and Wales, forming the major part of the United Kingdom.

Studies in which subsets of a defined population are identified. These groups may or may not be exposed to factors hypothesized to influence the probability of the occurrence of a particular disease or other outcome. Cohorts are defined populations which, as a whole, are followed in an attempt to determine distinguishing subgroup characteristics.

Hospital department responsible for the administration of functions and activities pertaining to the delivery of anesthetics.

I'm sorry for any confusion, but "Brazil" is not a medical term or concept, it is a country located in South America, known officially as the Federative Republic of Brazil. If you have any questions related to health, medicine, or science, I'd be happy to help answer those!

A medical facility which provides a high degree of subspecialty expertise for patients from centers where they received SECONDARY CARE.

Personal devices for protection of the eyes from impact, flying objects, glare, liquids, or injurious radiation.

Operations carried out for the correction of deformities and defects, repair of injuries, and diagnosis and cure of certain diseases. (Taber, 18th ed.)

The destroying of all forms of life, especially microorganisms, by heat, chemical, or other means.

Sudden increase in the incidence of a disease. The concept includes EPIDEMICS and PANDEMICS.

The removal of contaminating material, such as radioactive materials, biological materials, or CHEMICAL WARFARE AGENTS, from a person or object.

Norms, criteria, standards, and other direct qualitative and quantitative measures used in determining the quality of health care.

The practice of sending a patient to another program or practitioner for services or advice which the referring source is not prepared to provide.

The production and movement of food items from point of origin to use or consumption.

The total number of cases of a given disease in a specified population at a designated time. It is differentiated from INCIDENCE, which refers to the number of new cases in the population at a given time.

Statistical models which describe the relationship between a qualitative dependent variable (that is, one which can take only certain discrete values, such as the presence or absence of a disease) and an independent variable. A common application is in epidemiology for estimating an individual's risk (probability of a disease) as a function of a given risk factor.

The degree to which individuals are inhibited or facilitated in their ability to gain entry to and to receive care and services from the health care system. Factors influencing this ability include geographic, architectural, transportational, and financial considerations, among others.

The statistical reproducibility of measurements (often in a clinical context), including the testing of instrumentation or techniques to obtain reproducible results. The concept includes reproducibility of physiological measurements, which may be used to develop rules to assess probability or prognosis, or response to a stimulus; reproducibility of occurrence of a condition; and reproducibility of experimental results.

Unforeseen occurrences, especially injuries in the course of work-related activities.

The selection, appointing, and scheduling of personnel.

Devices or pieces of equipment placed in or around the mouth or attached to instruments to protect the external or internal tissues of the mouth and the teeth.

Hospital department which is responsible for the administration and provision of x-ray diagnostic and therapeutic services.

Recording of pertinent information concerning patient's illness or illnesses.

Hospital department responsible for the organization and administration of psychiatric services.

A geographic area defined and served by a health program or institution.

Available manpower, facilities, revenue, equipment, and supplies to produce requisite health care and services.

Binary classification measures to assess test results. Sensitivity or recall rate is the proportion of true positives. Specificity is the probability of correctly determining the absence of a condition. (From Last, Dictionary of Epidemiology, 2d ed)

I'm sorry for any confusion, but "India" is not a medical term that can be defined in a medical context. It is a geographical location, referring to the Republic of India, a country in South Asia. If you have any questions related to medical topics or definitions, I would be happy to help with those!

The qualitative or quantitative estimation of the likelihood of adverse effects that may result from exposure to specified health hazards or from the absence of beneficial influences. (Last, Dictionary of Epidemiology, 1988)

Payment by a third-party payer in a sum equal to the amount expended by a health care provider or facility for health services rendered to an insured or program beneficiary. (From Facts on File Dictionary of Health Care Management, 1988)

Hospital department which manages and provides the required housekeeping functions in all areas of the hospital.

The hospital department responsible for the administration and provision of diagnostic and therapeutic services for the cancer patient.

Attitudes of personnel toward their patients, other professionals, toward the medical care system, etc.

An organized procedure carried out through committees to review admissions, duration of stay, professional services furnished, and to evaluate the medical necessity of those services and promote their most efficient use.

A republic in western Africa, south of NIGER between BENIN and CAMEROON. Its capital is Abuja.

Disease having a short and relatively severe course.

Errors or mistakes committed by health professionals which result in harm to the patient. They include errors in diagnosis (DIAGNOSTIC ERRORS), errors in the administration of drugs and other medications (MEDICATION ERRORS), errors in the performance of surgical procedures, in the use of other types of therapy, in the use of equipment, and in the interpretation of laboratory findings. Medical errors are differentiated from MALPRACTICE in that the former are regarded as honest mistakes or accidents while the latter is the result of negligence, reprehensible ignorance, or criminal intent.

Nonexpendable items used in examination.

The degree to which the individual regards the health care service or product or the manner in which it is delivered by the provider as useful, effective, or beneficial.

Efforts and designs to reduce the incidence of unexpected undesirable events in various environments and situations.

Individuals licensed to practice medicine.

Physical surroundings or conditions of a hospital or other health facility and influence of these factors on patients and staff.

Studies determining the effectiveness or value of processes, personnel, and equipment, or the material on conducting such studies. For drugs and devices, CLINICAL TRIALS AS TOPIC; DRUG EVALUATION; and DRUG EVALUATION, PRECLINICAL are available.

Facilities equipped to carry out investigative procedures.

The effort of two or more parties to secure the business of a third party by offering, usually under fair or equitable rules of business practice, the most favorable terms.

The promotion and maintenance of physical and mental health in the work environment.

The management of all procurement, distribution, and storage of equipment and supplies, as well as logistics management including laundry, processing of reusables, etc.

The largest country in North America, comprising 10 provinces and three territories. Its capital is Ottawa.

The architecture, functional design, and construction of hospitals.

The actual costs of providing services related to the delivery of health care, including the costs of procedures, therapies, and medications. It is differentiated from HEALTH EXPENDITURES, which refers to the amount of money paid for the services, and from fees, which refers to the amount charged, regardless of cost.

The combining of administrative and organizational resources of two or more health care facilities.

Architecture, exterior and interior design, and construction of facilities other than hospitals, e.g., dental schools, medical schools, ambulatory care clinics, and specified units of health care facilities. The concept also includes architecture, design, and construction of specialized contained, controlled, or closed research environments including those of space labs and stations.

Overall systems, traditional or automated, to provide medication to patients in hospitals. Elements of the system are: handling the physician's order, transcription of the order by nurse and/or pharmacist, filling the medication order, transfer to the nursing unit, and administration to the patient.

Hospitals which provide care to patients with long-term illnesses.

A vehicle equipped for transporting patients in need of emergency care.

Management activities concerned with hospital employees.

Community health and NURSING SERVICES providing coordinated multiple services to the patient at the patient's homes. These home-care services are provided by a visiting nurse, home health agencies, HOSPITALS, or organized community groups using professional staff for care delivery. It differs from HOME NURSING which is provided by non-professionals.

A method of comparing the cost of a program with its expected benefits in dollars (or other currency). The benefit-to-cost ratio is a measure of total return expected per unit of money spent. This analysis generally excludes consideration of factors that are not measured ultimately in economic terms. Cost effectiveness compares alternative ways to achieve a specific set of results.

Levels within a diagnostic group which are established by various measurement criteria applied to the seriousness of a patient's disorder.

Formularies concerned with pharmaceuticals prescribed in hospitals.

Includes relationships between hospitals, their governing boards, and administrators in regard to physicians, whether or not the physicians are members of the medical staff or have medical staff privileges.

A parliamentary democracy with a constitutional monarch in southeast Asia, consisting of 11 states (West Malaysia) on the Malay Peninsula and two states (East Malaysia) on the island of BORNEO. It is also called the Federation of Malaysia. Its capital is Kuala Lumpur. Before 1963 it was the Union of Malaya. It reorganized in 1948 as the Federation of Malaya, becoming independent from British Malaya in 1957 and becoming Malaysia in 1963 as a federation of Malaya, Sabah, Sarawak, and Singapore (which seceded in 1965). The form Malay- probably derives from the Tamil malay, mountain, with reference to its geography. (From Webster's New Geographical Dictionary, 1988, p715 & Room, Brewer's Dictionary of Names, 1992, p329)

I'm sorry for any confusion, but "California" is a place, specifically a state on the western coast of the United States, and not a medical term or concept. Therefore, it doesn't have a medical definition.

Countries in the process of change with economic growth, that is, an increase in production, per capita consumption, and income. The process of economic growth involves better utilization of natural and human resources, which results in a change in the social, political, and economic structures.

Hospital department responsible for the flow of patients and the processing of admissions, discharges, transfers, and also most procedures to be carried out in the event of a patient's death.

Those funds disbursed for facilities and equipment, particularly those related to the delivery of health care.

Injuries incurred during participation in competitive or non-competitive sports.

The process of minimizing risk to an organization by developing systems to identify and analyze potential hazards to prevent accidents, injuries, and other adverse occurrences, and by attempting to handle events and incidents which do occur in such a manner that their effect and cost are minimized. Effective risk management has its greatest benefits in application to insurance in order to avert or minimize financial liability. (From Slee & Slee: Health care terms, 2d ed)

Tools used in dentistry that operate at high rotation speeds.

Personal devices for protection of heads from impact, penetration from falling and flying objects, and from limited electric shock and burn.

Men and women working in the provision of health services, whether as individual practitioners or employees of health institutions and programs, whether or not professionally trained, and whether or not subject to public regulation. (From A Discursive Dictionary of Health Care, 1976)

A set of techniques used when variation in several variables has to be studied simultaneously. In statistics, multivariate analysis is interpreted as any analytic method that allows simultaneous study of two or more dependent variables.

I'm sorry for any confusion, but "Scotland" is not a medical term and does not have a medical definition. Scotland is one of the four constituent countries of the United Kingdom, located in the northern part of Great Britain. If you have any questions related to healthcare or medical terminology, I would be happy to help answer those!

The frequency of different ages or age groups in a given population. The distribution may refer to either how many or what proportion of the group. The population is usually patients with a specific disease but the concept is not restricted to humans and is not restricted to medicine.

Child hospitalized for short term care.

Procedures for finding the mathematical function which best describes the relationship between a dependent variable and one or more independent variables. In linear regression (see LINEAR MODELS) the relationship is constrained to be a straight line and LEAST-SQUARES ANALYSIS is used to determine the best fit. In logistic regression (see LOGISTIC MODELS) the dependent variable is qualitative rather than continuously variable and LIKELIHOOD FUNCTIONS are used to find the best relationship. In multiple regression, the dependent variable is considered to depend on more than a single independent variable.

## I'm sorry for any confusion, but "Japan" is not a medical term or concept. It is a country located in Asia, known as Nihon-koku or Nippon-koku in Japanese, and is renowned for its unique culture, advanced technology, and rich history. If you have any questions related to medical topics, I would be happy to help answer them!

Health services required by a population or community as well as the health services that the population or community is able and willing to pay for.

I'm sorry for any confusion, but "London" is a place name and not a medical term, so it doesn't have a medical definition. It's the capital city of England and the United Kingdom, known for its rich history, culture, and landmarks. If you have any questions related to health or medicine, I'd be happy to help answer those!

Institutional funding for facilities and for equipment which becomes a part of the assets of the institution.

Institutional systems consisting of more than one health facility which have cooperative administrative arrangements through merger, affiliation, shared services, or other collective ventures.

The capability to perform acceptably those duties directly related to patient care.

Pricing statements presented by more than one party for the purpose of securing a contract.

Efforts to reduce risk, to address and reduce incidents and accidents that may negatively impact healthcare consumers.

The closing of any health facility, e.g., health centers, residential facilities, and hospitals.

Patterns of practice related to diagnosis and treatment as especially influenced by cost of the service requested and provided.

Health care services provided to patients on an ambulatory basis, rather than by admission to a hospital or other health care facility. The services may be a part of a hospital, augmenting its inpatient services, or may be provided at a free-standing facility.

Directions or principles presenting current or future rules of policy for assisting health care practitioners in patient care decisions regarding diagnosis, therapy, or related clinical circumstances. The guidelines may be developed by government agencies at any level, institutions, professional societies, governing boards, or by the convening of expert panels. The guidelines form a basis for the evaluation of all aspects of health care and delivery.

Hospitals organized and controlled by a group of physicians who practice together and provide each other with mutual support.

The concept concerned with all aspects of providing and distributing health services to a patient population.

Coverings for the hands, usually with separations for the fingers, made of various materials, for protection against infections, toxic substances, extremes of hot and cold, radiations, water immersion, etc. The gloves may be worn by patients, care givers, housewives, laboratory and industrial workers, police, etc.