Education that increases the awareness and favorably influences the attitudes and knowledge relating to the improvement of health on a personal or community basis.

The level of health of the individual, group, or population as subjectively assessed by the individual or by more objective measures.

Branch of medicine concerned with the prevention and control of disease and disability, and the promotion of physical and mental health of the population on the international, national, state, or municipal level.

Encouraging consumer behaviors most likely to optimize health potentials (physical and psychosocial) through health information, preventive programs, and access to medical care.

Knowledge, attitudes, and associated behaviors which pertain to health-related topics such as PATHOLOGIC PROCESSES or diseases, their prevention, and treatment. This term refers to non-health workers and health workers (HEALTH PERSONNEL).

The teaching or training of patients concerning their own health needs.

Education which increases the awareness and favorably influences the attitudes and knowledge relating to the improvement of dental health on a personal or community basis.

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

A systematic collection of factual data pertaining to health and disease in a human population within a given geographic area.

Decisions, usually developed by government policymakers, for determining present and future objectives pertaining to the health care system.

Behaviors expressed by individuals to protect, maintain or promote their health status. For example, proper diet, and appropriate exercise are activities perceived to influence health status. Life style is closely associated with health behavior and factors influencing life style are socioeconomic, educational, and cultural.

Public attitudes toward health, disease, and the medical care system.

Educational programs designed to inform physicians of recent advances in their field.

Use for general articles concerning medical education.

Educational programs designed to inform individuals of recent advances in their particular field of interest. They do not lead to any formal advanced standing.

Education centers authorized by the Comprehensive Health Manpower Training Act, 1971, for the training of health personnel in areas where health needs are the greatest. May be used for centers other than those established by the United States act.

Acquisition of knowledge as a result of instruction in a formal course of study.

The state wherein the person is well adjusted.

Innovation and improvement of the health care system by reappraisal, amendment of services, and removal of faults and abuses in providing and distributing health services to patients. It includes a re-alignment of health services and health insurance to maximum demographic elements (the unemployed, indigent, uninsured, elderly, inner cities, rural areas) with reference to coverage, hospitalization, pricing and cost containment, insurers' and employers' costs, pre-existing medical conditions, prescribed drugs, equipment, and services.

Educational attainment or level of education of individuals.

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.

Use for general articles concerning nursing education.

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

Care which provides integrated, accessible health care services by clinicians who are accountable for addressing a large majority of personal health care needs, developing a sustained partnership with patients, and practicing in the context of family and community. (JAMA 1995;273(3):192)

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.

The state of the organism when it functions optimally without evidence of disease.

Education which increases the knowledge of the functional, structural, and behavioral aspects of human reproduction.

Studies designed to assess the efficacy of programs. They may include the evaluation of cost-effectiveness, the extent to which objectives are met, or impact.

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)

The seeking and acceptance by patients of health service.

Education and training in PUBLIC HEALTH for the practice of the profession.

The optimal state of the mouth and normal functioning of the organs of the mouth without evidence of disease.

Use for articles concerning dental education in general.

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.

The concept pertaining to the health status of inhabitants of the world.

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

Preventive health services provided for students. It excludes college or university students.

Planning for needed health and/or welfare services and facilities.

The status of health in rural populations.

A course of study offered by an educational institution.

Professions or other business activities directed to the cure and prevention of disease. For occupations of medical personnel who are not physicians but who are working in the fields of medical technology, physical therapy, etc., ALLIED HEALTH OCCUPATIONS is available.

Diagnostic, therapeutic and preventive health services provided for individuals in the community.

Formal education and training in preparation for the practice of a profession.

Health services, public or private, in rural areas. The services include the promotion of health and the delivery of health care.

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)

Services for the diagnosis and treatment of disease and the maintenance of health.

Education via communication media (correspondence, radio, television, computer networks) with little or no in-person face-to-face contact between students and teachers. (ERIC Thesaurus, 1997)

Insurance providing coverage of medical, surgical, or hospital care in general or for which there is no specific heading.

Management of public health organizations or agencies.

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

Variation in rates of disease occurrence and disabilities between population groups defined by socioeconomic characteristics such as age, ethnicity, economic resources, or gender and populations identified geographically or similar measures.

Instructional materials used in teaching.

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

Components of a national health care system which administer specific services, e.g., national health insurance.

The concept covering the physical and mental conditions of women.

The inhabitants of rural areas or of small towns classified as rural.

Studies beyond the bachelor's degree at an institution having graduate programs for the purpose of preparing for entrance into a specific field, and obtaining a higher degree.

The status of health in urban populations.

Degree to which individuals have the capacity to obtain, process, and understand basic health information and services needed to make appropriate health decisions.

The period of medical education in a medical school. In the United States it follows the baccalaureate degree and precedes the granting of the M.D.

The amounts spent by individuals, groups, nations, or private or public organizations for total health care and/or its various components. These amounts may or may not be equivalent to the actual costs (HEALTH CARE COSTS) and may or may not be shared among the patient, insurers, and/or employers.

Preferentially rated health-related activities or functions to be used in establishing health planning goals. This may refer specifically to PL93-641.

The activities and endeavors of the public health services in a community on any level.

Educational institutions.

Educational programs for medical graduates entering a specialty. They include formal specialty training as well as academic work in the clinical and basic medical sciences, and may lead to board certification or an advanced medical degree.

The science of controlling or modifying those conditions, influences, or forces surrounding man which relate to promoting, establishing, and maintaining health.

Schools which offer training in the area of health.

Institutions which provide medical or health-related services.

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.

Social and economic factors that characterize the individual or group within the social structure.

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 educational process of instructing.

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).

Organized services to provide health care for children.

Conversations with an individual or individuals held in order to obtain information about their background and other personal biographical data, their attitudes and opinions, etc. It includes school admission or job interviews.

Theoretical models which propose methods of learning or teaching as a basis or adjunct to changes in attitude or behavior. These educational interventions are usually applied in the fields of health and patient education but are not restricted to patient care.

The process of formulating, improving, and expanding educational, managerial, or service-oriented work plans (excluding computer program development).

Planning for the equitable allocation, apportionment, or distribution of available health resources.

A nursing specialty concerned with promoting and protecting the health of populations, using knowledge from nursing, social, and public health sciences to develop local, regional, state, and national health policy and research. It is population-focused and community-oriented, aimed at health promotion and disease prevention through educational, diagnostic, and preventive programs.

A health care system which combines physicians, hospitals, and other medical services with a health plan to provide the complete spectrum of medical care for its customers. In a fully integrated system, the three key elements - physicians, hospital, and health plan membership - are in balance in terms of matching medical resources with the needs of purchasers and patients. (Coddington et al., Integrated Health Care: Reorganizing the Physician, Hospital and Health Plan Relationship, 1994, p7)

Services designed for HEALTH PROMOTION and prevention of disease.

Organized services to provide mental health care.

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

The teaching staff and members of the administrative staff having academic rank in an educational institution.

A specialized agency of the United Nations designed as a coordinating authority on international health work; its aim is to promote the attainment of the highest possible level of health by all peoples.

Educational programs designed to ensure that students attain prespecified levels of competence in a given field or training activity. Emphasis is on achievement or specified objectives.

Health care workers specially trained and licensed to assist and support the work of health professionals. Often used synonymously with paramedical personnel, the term generally refers to all health care workers who perform tasks which must otherwise be performed by a physician or other health professional.

Individuals enrolled in a school or formal educational program.

The science dealing with the establishment and maintenance of health in the individual and the group. It includes the conditions and practices conducive to health. (Webster, 3d ed)

Educational institutions for individuals specializing in the field of public health.

Educational institutions providing facilities for teaching and research and authorized to grant academic degrees.

Organized services to provide health care to expectant and nursing mothers.

A stratum of people with similar position and prestige; includes social stratification. Social class is measured by criteria such as education, occupation, and income.

Economic sector concerned with the provision, distribution, and consumption of health care services and related products.

The recognition of professional or technical competence through registration, certification, licensure, admission to association membership, the award of a diploma or degree, etc.

Time period from 1901 through 2000 of the common era.

Community or individual involvement in the decision-making process.

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.

Facilities which administer the delivery of health care services to people living in a community or neighborhood.

Health services for employees, usually provided by the employer at the place of work.

Maleness or femaleness as a constituent element or influence contributing to the production of a result. It may be applicable to the cause or effect of a circumstance. It is used with human or animal concepts but should be differentiated from SEX CHARACTERISTICS, anatomical or physiological manifestations of sex, and from SEX DISTRIBUTION, the number of males and females in given circumstances.

Education of the individual who markedly deviates intellectually, physically, socially, or emotionally from those considered to be normal, thus requiring special instruction.

Professionals who plan, organize and direct health education programs for the individual, groups and the community.

Planning that has the goals of improving health, improving accessibility to health services, and promoting efficiency in the provision of services and resources on a comprehensive basis for a whole community. (From Facts on File Dictionary of Health Care Management, 1988, p299)

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.

The inhabitants of a city or town, including metropolitan areas and suburban areas.

Educational programs designed to inform nurses of recent advances in their fields.

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.

A situation in which the level of living of an individual, family, or group is below the standard of the community. It is often related to a specific income level.

Inhaling and exhaling the smoke of burning TOBACCO.

Printed publications usually having a format with no binding and no cover and having fewer than some set number of pages. They are often devoted to a single subject.

The availability of HEALTH PERSONNEL. It includes the demand and recruitment of both professional and allied health personnel, their present and future supply and distribution, and their assignment and utilization.

Community health education events focused on prevention of disease and promotion of health through audiovisual exhibits.

Persons living in the United States having origins in any of the black groups of Africa.

The study of NUTRITION PROCESSES as well as the components of food, their actions, interaction, and balance in relation to health and disease.

Small-scale tests of methods and procedures to be used on a larger scale if the pilot study demonstrates that these methods and procedures can work.

Systematic identification of a population's needs or the assessment of individuals to determine the proper level of services needed.

Performance of activities or tasks traditionally performed by professional health care providers. The concept includes care of oneself or one's family and friends.

Those actions designed to carry out recommendations pertaining to health plans or programs.

A country spanning from central Asia to the Pacific Ocean.

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

Organized periodic procedures performed on large groups of people for the purpose of detecting disease.

Planning for health resources at a regional or multi-state level.

An infant during the first month after birth.

Organized services to provide health care to women. It excludes maternal care services for which MATERNAL HEALTH SERVICES is available.

Auditory and visual instructional materials.

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.

Typical way of life or manner of living characteristic of an individual or group. (From APA, Thesaurus of Psychological Index Terms, 8th ed)

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

Any type of research that employs nonnumeric information to explore individual or group characteristics, producing findings not arrived at by statistical procedures or other quantitative means. (Qualitative Inquiry: A Dictionary of Terms Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, 1997)

The purposes, missions, and goals of an individual organization or its units, established through administrative processes. It includes an organization's long-range plans and administrative philosophy.

Educational programs designed to inform dentists of recent advances in their fields.

Educational institutions for individuals specializing in the field of medicine.

A generic concept reflecting concern with the modification and enhancement of life attributes, e.g., physical, political, moral and social environment; the overall condition of a human life.

Voluntary cooperation of the patient in following a prescribed regimen.

Individuals enrolled in a school or formal educational program in the health occupations.

Ongoing scrutiny of a population (general population, study population, target population, etc.), generally using methods distinguished by their practicability, uniformity, and frequently their rapidity, rather than by complete accuracy.

The interaction of two or more persons or organizations directed toward a common goal which is mutually beneficial. An act or instance of working or acting together for a common purpose or benefit, i.e., joint action. (From Random House Dictionary Unabridged, 2d ed)

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

Health care services related to human REPRODUCTION and diseases of the reproductive system. Services are provided to both sexes and usually by physicians in the medical or the surgical specialties such as REPRODUCTIVE MEDICINE; ANDROLOGY; GYNECOLOGY; OBSTETRICS; and PERINATOLOGY.

Diseases due to or propagated by sexual contact.

Instructional programs in the care and development of the body, often in schools. The concept does not include prescribed exercises, which is EXERCISE THERAPY.

A geographic location which has insufficient health resources (manpower and/or facilities) to meet the medical needs of the resident population.

Persons functioning as natural, adoptive, or substitute parents. The heading includes the concept of parenthood as well as preparation for becoming a parent.

Female parents, human or animal.

A self-learning technique, usually online, involving interaction of the student with programmed instructional materials.

The giving of advice and assistance to individuals with educational or personal problems.

Persons who donate their services.

A collective expression for all behavior patterns acquired and socially transmitted through symbols. Culture includes customs, traditions, and language.

Studies in which variables relating to an individual or group of individuals are assessed over a period of time.

Educational programs designed to inform graduate pharmacists of recent advances in their particular field.

Epidemiologic investigations designed to test a hypothesized cause-effect relation by modifying the supposed causal factor(s) in the study population.

A composition in prose or verse presenting in dialogue or pantomime a story involving various characters, usually intended to be acted on a stage and to be regarded as a form of entertainment. (From Random House Unabridged Dictionary, 2d ed)

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.

Federal, state, or local government organized methods of financial assistance.

Collections of systematically acquired and organized information resources, and usually providing assistance to users. (ERIC Thesaurus, http://www.eric.ed.gov/ accessed 2/1/2008)

The interactions between representatives of institutions, agencies, or organizations.

Application of marketing principles and techniques to maximize the use of health care resources.

The physical condition of human reproductive systems.

The health status of the family as a unit including the impact of the health of one member of the family on the family as a unit and on individual family members; also, the impact of family organization or disorganization on the health status of its members.

The expected function of a member of a particular profession.

Those aspects or characteristics which identify a culture.

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.

Elements of residence that characterize a population. They are applicable in determining need for and utilization of health services.

A medical specialty concerned with the provision of continuing, comprehensive primary health care for the entire family.

Individuals enrolled in a school of medicine or a formal educational program in medicine.

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.

Support systems that provide assistance and encouragement to individuals with physical or emotional disabilities in order that they may better cope. Informal social support is usually provided by friends, relatives, or peers, while formal assistance is provided by churches, groups, etc.

The interactions between members of a community and representatives of the institutions within that community.

Customer satisfaction or dissatisfaction with a benefit or service received.

The smallest continent and an independent country, comprising six states and two territories. Its capital is Canberra.

Media that facilitate transportability of pertinent information concerning patient's illness across varied providers and geographic locations. Some versions include direct linkages to online consumer health information that is relevant to the health conditions and treatments related to a specific patient.

The interaction of persons or groups of persons representing various nations in the pursuit of a common goal or interest.

Statistical interpretation and description of a population with reference to distribution, composition, or structure.

The state of being engaged in an activity or service for wages or salary.

Instruments or technological means of communication that reach large numbers of people with a common message: press, radio, television, etc.

The exchange or transmission of ideas, attitudes, or beliefs between individuals or groups.

The practice of personal hygiene of the mouth. It includes the maintenance of oral cleanliness, tissue tone, and general preservation of oral health.

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.

Occupations of medical personnel who are not physicians, and are qualified by special training and, frequently, by licensure to work in supporting roles in the health care field. These occupations include, but are not limited to, medical technology, physical therapy, physician assistant, etc.

Formal instruction, learning, or training in the preparation, dispensing, and proper utilization of drugs in the field of medicine.

A dental specialty concerned with the prevention of disease and the maintenance of oral health through promoting organized dental health programs at a community, state, or federal level.

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

Organized services to provide information on any questions an individual might have using databases and other sources. (From Random House Unabridged Dictionary, 2d ed)

Social process whereby the values, attitudes, or institutions of society, such as education, family, religion, and industry become modified. It includes both the natural process and action programs initiated by members of the community.

Cognitive mechanism based on expectations or beliefs about one's ability to perform actions necessary to produce a given effect. It is also a theoretical component of behavior change in various therapeutic treatments. (APA, Thesaurus of Psychological Index Terms, 1994)

A medical specialty primarily concerned with prevention of disease (PRIMARY PREVENTION) and the promotion and preservation of health in the individual.

Health insurance plans for employees, and generally including their dependents, usually on a cost-sharing basis with the employer paying a percentage of the premium.

An enduring, learned predisposition to behave in a consistent way toward a given class of objects, or a persistent mental and/or neural state of readiness to react to a certain class of objects, not as they are but as they are conceived to be.

A group of people with a common cultural heritage that sets them apart from others in a variety of social relationships.

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.

Critical and exhaustive investigation or experimentation, having for its aim the discovery of new facts and their correct interpretation, the revision of accepted conclusions, theories, or laws in the light of newly discovered facts, or the practical application of such new or revised conclusions, theories, or laws. (Webster, 3d ed)

Cultural and linguistic competence is a set of congruent behaviors, attitudes, and policies that come together in a system, agency, or among professionals that enables effective work in cross-cultural situations. Competence implies the capacity to function effectively as an individual and an organization within the context of the cultural beliefs, behaviors, and needs presented by consumers and their communities.

Sexual activities of humans.

Organizations composed of members with common interests and whose professions may be similar.