Monday, 28 April 2014
Tuesday, 22 April 2014
गहरी नींद के आसान उपाय
* रात्रि भोजन करने के बाद पन्द्रह से बीस मिनट धीमी चाल से सैर कर लेने के बाद ही बिस्तर पर जाने की आदत बना लेनी चाहिए। इससे अच्छी नींद के अलावा पाचन क्रिया भी दुरुस्त रहती है।
* अगर तनाव की वजह से नींद नहीं आ रही हो या फिर मन में घबराहट सी हो तब अपना मन पसंद संगीत सुनें या फिर अच्छा साहित्य या स्वास्थ्य से संबंधित पुस्तकें पढ़ें, ऐसा करने से मन में शांति का भाव आएगा, जो गहरी नींद में काफी सहायक होता है।
* अनिद्रा के रोगी को अपने हाथ-पैर मुँह स्वच्छ जल से धोकर बिस्तर पर जाना जाहिए। इससे नींद आने में कठिनाई नहीं होगी। एक खास बात यह कि बाजार में मिलने वाले सुगंधित तेलों का प्रयोग नींद लाने के लिए नहीं करें, नहीं तो यह आपकी आदत में शामिल हो जाएगा।
* सोते समय दिनभर का घटनाक्रम भूल जाएँ। अगले दिन के कार्यक्रम के बारे में भी कुछ न सोचें। सारी बातें सुबह तक के लिए छोड़ दें। दिनचर्या के बारे में सोचने से मस्तिष्क में तनाव भर जाता है, जिस कारण नींद नहीं आती।
* अपना पलंग मन-मुताबिक ही चुनें और जिस मुद्रा में आपको सोने में आराम महसूस होता हो, उसी मुद्रा में पहले सोने की कोशिश करें। अनचाही मुद्रा में सोने से शरीर की थकावट बनी रहती है, जो नींद में बाधा उत्पन्न करती है।
* अगर अनिद्रा की समस्या पुरानी और गंभीर है, नींद की गोलियाँ खाने की आदत बनी हुई है तो किसी योग चिकित्सक की सलाह लेकर शवासन का अभ्यास करें और रात को सोते वक्त शवासन करें। इससे पूरे शरीर की माँसपेशियों का तनाव निकल जाता है और मस्तिष्क को आराम मिलता है, जिस कारण आसानी से नींद आ जाती है।
* अच्छी नींद के लिए कमरे का हवादार होना भी जरूरी है। अगर मौसम बाहर सोने के अनुकूल है तो छत पर या बाहर सोने को प्राथमिकता दें। कमरे में कूलर-पँखा या फिर एयर कंडीशनर का शोर ज्यादा रहता है, तो इनकी भी मरम्मत करवा लेनी चाहिए, क्योंकि शोर से मस्तिष्क उत्तेजित रहता है, जिस कारण निद्रा में बाधा पड़ जाती है।
* सोने से पहले चाय-कॉफी या अन्य तामसिक पदार्थों का सेवन नहीं करें। इससे मस्तिष्क की शिराएँ उत्तेजित हो जाती हैं, जो कि गहरी नींद आने में बाधक होती हैं।
Friday, 18 April 2014
Saturday, 12 April 2014
Butter vs Margarine - Which one is Better?
Butter and margarine serve the same purpose. They are used for cooking, baking and as spreads.
Butter has been a dietary stable for centuries.
It is made by churning the fatty portion of cow’s milk until it turns into the final product… butter. That’s it.
Margarine is totally different. It is a highly processed food that was invented to replace butter. The primary ingredient is vegetable oil along with emulsifiers, colorants and various artificial ingredients.
Vegetable oil is liquid at room temperature. This is why margarine is often hydrogenated, which gives it a harder consistency and extends shelf life. Hydrogenation also turns some of the vegetable oils into trans fats.
Butter has been demonized by the media and nutrition professionals because it contains large amounts of both saturated fat and cholesterol.
They found absolutely no association between saturated fat and cardiovascular disease. Other studies lead to the same conclusion.
Eating saturated fat actually improves the blood lipid profile. It raises HDL (the “good”) cholesterol and changes the LDL from small, dense LDL (very bad) to Large LDL. Eating cholesterol rich foods like eggs leads to the same improvements in blood lipid profiles. The LDL pattern improves and HDL goes up.
Neither saturated fat nor dietary cholesterol harm the blood lipid profile. They raise the good (HDL) cholesterol and change the LDL cholesterol to a benign subtype that is not associated with heart disease.
Margarine is loaded with vegetable oils and (sometimes) trans fats. Excess consumption of these fats is associated with many serious diseases, including heart disease. It is true that margarine lowers total and LDL cholesterol in the short term. However, it also lowers HDL (the good) cholesterol. Reducing cholesterol doesn’t necessarily reduce the risk of heart disease.
Both Margarine and butter contain the same amount of calories present in them. On the contrary butter contains natural fats, which are essential for the strengthening the bones and has many nutritional benefits.
Excess intake of margarine can worsen illnesses such as colitis and arthritis. The hardening agents used in the production of margarine include nickel and cadmium. Nickel is a toxic metal that when consumed in excess, causes lung and kidney problems. Cadmium is among the most toxic of the heavy metals. It may contribute to serious diseases such as arteriosclerosis, high blood pressure and malignancy.
Solution
The best way to control the rising cholesterol levels, is by eating everything in moderation and not anything in excess. All products such as eggs, full cream milk, etc. contain minerals and proteins which are essential for the bones and cutting out these products will only lead to further health hazards.
Butter has been a dietary stable for centuries.
It is made by churning the fatty portion of cow’s milk until it turns into the final product… butter. That’s it.
Margarine is totally different. It is a highly processed food that was invented to replace butter. The primary ingredient is vegetable oil along with emulsifiers, colorants and various artificial ingredients.
Vegetable oil is liquid at room temperature. This is why margarine is often hydrogenated, which gives it a harder consistency and extends shelf life. Hydrogenation also turns some of the vegetable oils into trans fats.
Butter has been demonized by the media and nutrition professionals because it contains large amounts of both saturated fat and cholesterol.
They found absolutely no association between saturated fat and cardiovascular disease. Other studies lead to the same conclusion.
Eating saturated fat actually improves the blood lipid profile. It raises HDL (the “good”) cholesterol and changes the LDL from small, dense LDL (very bad) to Large LDL. Eating cholesterol rich foods like eggs leads to the same improvements in blood lipid profiles. The LDL pattern improves and HDL goes up.
Neither saturated fat nor dietary cholesterol harm the blood lipid profile. They raise the good (HDL) cholesterol and change the LDL cholesterol to a benign subtype that is not associated with heart disease.
Margarine is loaded with vegetable oils and (sometimes) trans fats. Excess consumption of these fats is associated with many serious diseases, including heart disease. It is true that margarine lowers total and LDL cholesterol in the short term. However, it also lowers HDL (the good) cholesterol. Reducing cholesterol doesn’t necessarily reduce the risk of heart disease.
Both Margarine and butter contain the same amount of calories present in them. On the contrary butter contains natural fats, which are essential for the strengthening the bones and has many nutritional benefits.
Excess intake of margarine can worsen illnesses such as colitis and arthritis. The hardening agents used in the production of margarine include nickel and cadmium. Nickel is a toxic metal that when consumed in excess, causes lung and kidney problems. Cadmium is among the most toxic of the heavy metals. It may contribute to serious diseases such as arteriosclerosis, high blood pressure and malignancy.
Solution
The best way to control the rising cholesterol levels, is by eating everything in moderation and not anything in excess. All products such as eggs, full cream milk, etc. contain minerals and proteins which are essential for the bones and cutting out these products will only lead to further health hazards.
Wednesday, 10 April 2013
85% of private sector employees- a laggard in healthcare: ASSOCHAM Survey
Friday, April 05, 2013
For details:
http://www.assocham.org/prels/shownews.php?id=3957
Due to
demanding schedules, high stress levels and performance linked perquisites in
private sectors, nearly 85% of employees in private sectors are afflicted to
life-style, chronic diseases and acute ailment than the government employees
ranging below 8%, according to a recent survey conducted by ASSOCHAM on the
occasion of ‘World Health day’.
ASSOCHAM’S
survey reveals that 42% identified themselves are afflicted to lifestyle
disease, followed by 38% suffering from chronic disease and remaining 15% have
an acute ailment in the private sector.
While
releasing the ASSOCHAM survey on “Government vs. Private employee health
scenario”, Mr. D S Rawat, Secretary General ASSOCHAM said, there is due
compensation for increased inflation by way of dearness allowance (DA) to
government employees whereas, the private sector is by and large out of this
facility.”
Employees
in private sectors are afflicted to life-style, chronic diseases, acute ailment
are:
The findings
on the government employees reveal very positive features ranging from
reasonably good health, family stability, cordial relationship etc, adds the
survey. The survey further points out there are many schemes in healthcare for
government employees in addition to pension which reflects better health
standards in government jobs.
Around 55 %of
the survey respondents fall under the age bracket of 20-29 years, followed by
30-39 years (26 per cent), 40-49 years (16 per cent), 50-59 years (2 per cent)
and 60-69 years (approximately 1 per cent).
The report
included the major cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Ahmedabad,
Hyderabd, Pune, Chandigarh, Dehradun etc. A little over 200 employee were
selected from each city on an average. Mumbai ranks first afflicted to high
levels of stress in private sector followed by Delhi (2nd), Ahemdabad (3rd)
Chandigarh (4th), Hyderabad (5th ), Kolkata (6th ) and Chennai (7th) etc.
The survey
was able to target private employees from 18 broad sectors, with maximum share
contributed by employees from IT/ITes sector (17 per cent).
*Others
include employees from those sectors that have contributed >= 1 %share in
the survey (consumer durable, construction, energy, healthcare, steel, HR and
Misc)
Employees
working in engineering and telecom sector contributed 9% and 8% respectively in
the questionnaire. Nearly 6% of the employees belonged from market research/KPO
and media background each. Management, FMCG and Infrastructure sector employees
share is 5% each, in the total survey. Respondents from power and real estate
sector contributed 4% each. Employees from education and food& beverages
sector provided a share of 3% each. Advertising, manufacturing and textiles
employees offered a share of 2% each in the survey results.
“Rising cases
of marital disputes and aberrated relationship contributing to high level of
stress as reflected in increased serious health problems”, adds Dr. B K Rao,
Chairman of Sir Ganga Ram Hospital and ASSOCHAM Health Committee.
The
increasingly demanding schedules and high stress levels are leading to sleep
disorders in private sector. Loss of sleep has wide ranging effects including
daytime fatigue, physical discomfort, psychological stress, performance
deterioration, low pain threshold and increase absenteeism. The survey further
points out that nearly 45% of the corporate employees in private sector sleep
less than 6 hours on a daily basis due to work related pressure.
Around 58% of
corporate employees in private sector are deeply concerned about their future
health, 38% are most of the time fearful regarding their future health
conditions and rest 4% are not at all fearful about their future health, adds
the ASSOCHAM Survey.
Chronic
condition that forced them to absenteeism from workplace are:
{April-March
2013}
|
||
Health
condition
|
Private
Employee (in %)
|
Government
Employee (in %)
|
High
B.P
|
65%
|
13%
|
Stress
|
45%
|
7%
|
Spondolysis
|
25%
|
5%
|
Heart
ailment
|
45%
|
12%
|
Asthma
|
55%
|
6%
|
Arthritis
|
65%
|
20%
|
Slip
Disk
|
45%
|
3%
|
Diabetes
|
45%
|
7%
|
Others*
|
12%
|
11%
|
*
Others include: stroke, minor paralytic attack, skin disease, chronic liver
disease, stomach disease
|
||
According to
the survey, only 10% employees in private sector have medical insurance, and
much of it is inadequate. Nearly all private health service providers require
families to spend out-of-pocket at the point of service. This leaves people,
highly vulnerable. “Without adequate financial support from the private
organization, health remains a major cause of financial insecurity”, adds Mr.
Rawat.
In terms of
the physical fitness, it was found that around 57% of the employees in the
private organization said they ‘do not exercise at all’, 23% do physical
workout devoting less than 1 hour/week, 12 %of the employees exercise for 1-3
hours/week, 8% of employees exercise for 3-6 hours/week and merely 7% stay fit
by exercising for more than 6 hours/week. The majority of the government
employee said that they ‘do exercise’ and physical workout to stay fit by
exercising for more than 8 hours/week.
Work
related stress can be defined as any level of mental or physical strain that is
gained due to pressures in the profession. Work stress is given much impetus
since it directly affects the private sectors, adds Mr. Rawat.For details:
http://www.assocham.org/prels/shownews.php?id=3957
Tuesday, 2 April 2013
Acidity & Ayurveda
Due to depressed mental condition, there is continuous secretion of digestive juices (which contains a greater quantity of Hydrochloric Acid). The capacity to digest food gets weaker. Therefore undigested food in the stomach starts to get toxicant. This is the reason why the parson suffering from this problem feels heaviness in the stomach immediately after taking meal.
Sometimes, he also feels pain in the stomach. Burning sensation is felt in the stomach and throat. It may cause vomiting which is a way to release the toxicant stuffs out of the body otherwise it would lead to ulcer in the stomach which can be very dangerous. In case of ulcer, there happens unbearable pain in the middle part of the stomach but after vomiting, the patient feels relaxed. But some patients feel pain after taking meal. If dark brown clots of blood is released in vomiting, the patient should such ice which will give cooling experience to him. Perform Kunjar Kriya in case of hyper acidity which will give relaxation to the patient. Give evening and morning clay on
the stomach, also give anima. Then according to the condition of the patient, let the patient bath till his or her waist. Regularly massage backbone for 15-20 days. In case of hyper acidity, don’t give acidic chemicals like soda as it is harmful. Anima of baking powder gives relaxation to the patient. Also perform steam wash for the patient twice a week. The patient should perform light asanas in airy space.
May laboratory tests and experiments in different countries of the world, following fruits juices and vegetables have been found very useful in ulcer:
1. Cabbage juice added with water
2. Cucumber juice
3. Carrot juice
4. Bottle gourd
5. Coconut water
6. Milk
7. Very ripe banana
8. Bael (stone apple or wood apple) juice added with water.
When the patient shows the signs of recuperating, then he or she can be given fresh curd, orange, vegetable juices, Papaya, watermelon, raisin, Munakka (Blackcurrant), boiled fruits and vegetables. If acid formation is low, then give lemon and honey. If it is required to lower the level of acid, give one spoon pure olive oil after 15 minutes of meal. Never take heavy meal and maintain a gap of three hours in taking meal.
Sometimes, he also feels pain in the stomach. Burning sensation is felt in the stomach and throat. It may cause vomiting which is a way to release the toxicant stuffs out of the body otherwise it would lead to ulcer in the stomach which can be very dangerous. In case of ulcer, there happens unbearable pain in the middle part of the stomach but after vomiting, the patient feels relaxed. But some patients feel pain after taking meal. If dark brown clots of blood is released in vomiting, the patient should such ice which will give cooling experience to him. Perform Kunjar Kriya in case of hyper acidity which will give relaxation to the patient. Give evening and morning clay on
the stomach, also give anima. Then according to the condition of the patient, let the patient bath till his or her waist. Regularly massage backbone for 15-20 days. In case of hyper acidity, don’t give acidic chemicals like soda as it is harmful. Anima of baking powder gives relaxation to the patient. Also perform steam wash for the patient twice a week. The patient should perform light asanas in airy space.
May laboratory tests and experiments in different countries of the world, following fruits juices and vegetables have been found very useful in ulcer:
1. Cabbage juice added with water
2. Cucumber juice
3. Carrot juice
4. Bottle gourd
5. Coconut water
6. Milk
7. Very ripe banana
8. Bael (stone apple or wood apple) juice added with water.
When the patient shows the signs of recuperating, then he or she can be given fresh curd, orange, vegetable juices, Papaya, watermelon, raisin, Munakka (Blackcurrant), boiled fruits and vegetables. If acid formation is low, then give lemon and honey. If it is required to lower the level of acid, give one spoon pure olive oil after 15 minutes of meal. Never take heavy meal and maintain a gap of three hours in taking meal.
Tuesday, 12 March 2013
Popular Healthcare Buzzwords
ACO
An acronym for "Accountable Care Organization", an ACO is a model of healthcare delivery in which a group of healthcare providers agree to accept payment for their services based on the aggregated health outcomes of the patients they see, as opposed to the total number of services performed. ACOs reward providers in a "fee for health" model, as opposed to a traditional "fee for service" model. Although the term ACO can apply to a variety of types of organizations, regulations for establishing ACOs to participate in the Medicare Shared Savings Program specifically were included in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010.
Big Data
"Big Data" is a blanket term used to describe the tremendous amount of raw data that we create as part of our everyday lives. As we become more proficient in capturing, storing, and analyzing these massive data sets - and the increasingly complex tools needed to do so - there is tremendous hope in the ability for industries to glean insights from the mountain of data they already have. Healthcare, with the tremendous amount of data that is already collected and stored in the form of medical records, is considered one of the areas with the most to gain from advances in "Big Data" tools.
CCHIT
An acronym for "Certification Commission for Healthcare Information Technology", CCHIT is one organization authorized by the Office of the National Coordinator of the Department of Health and Human Services to certify Electronic Health Record products for quality, security and interoperability. This certification is necessary for providers to receive "stimulus" funds from Medicare or Medicaid as reimbursement for achieving "Meaningful Use" of the EHR. Other organizations providing certifications include Drummond Group, ICSA Laboratories, Inc. and InfoGuard Laboratories, Inc.
Cloud vs. Closet
The "Cloud" versus the "Closet" is a way of defining the two most common ways of managing and sharing software products in a medical practice. The "Closet" is the traditional model where a server is installed, often into an extra closet where the phone system is also kept that runs the Practice Management and/or Electronic Medical Record software on the desktops in the practice. Generally, the practice owns their own software and hardware, and pays for it upfront as a capital expense. In the "Cloud" model, which is rapidly gaining favor, a constant Internet connection allows the server hardware to be kept offsite in the vendor's data center. The software is paid for on a monthly, operational expense basis, and security, upgrades and maintenance are all outsourced to the vendor.
EMR/EHR
Acronyms for "Electronic Medical Record" and "Electronic Health Record." The two terms are generally used interchangeably to describe any software that that documents medical services delivered between providers and patients. There is however a general distinction between the two, highlighted in this blog post from the ONC. An Electronic Medical Record generally refers to the digitized version of a paper record that is kept in an office as a record of the patient's services from that provider. In other words, only the patient's interactions with the providers of that office. An Electronic Health Record on the other hand generally refers to the complete history of a patient's life and conditions as they visit different providers in different health settings. With the EHR's focus on health as opposed to medicine, and portability with the patient as opposed to static and office-based, EHR tends to be the "official" term used by the ONC.
eRx
"eRx" is an abbreviation for "e-prescribe", or the ability to transmit information from a provider to a pharmacy and back to facilitate filling prescriptions with a completely electronic process. By eliminating the paper scripts and the patients having to take them to their pharmacy, eRx facilitates more accurate, timely information between prescriber and pharmacy, and ensures that the information is accurately logged into the patient's EHR. The ability to e-prescribe is a component of achieving Meaningful Use for providers to receive stimulus funds.
HDHP
An acronym for "High Deductible Health Plan", an HDHP is a type of insurance coverage where more of the initial cost of care is shifted to the responsibility of the patient. Using higher deductibles, as well as co-pays or co-insurance, high-deductible health plans are often combined with Health Savings Accounts to provide heath coverage at lower premiums for patients and/or employers. As health insurance costs continue to rise, HDHPs are becoming more popular as a coverage model.
HIE #1 (Health Information Exchange)
A Health Information Exchange is a central hub where different health providers and locations can "exchange" electronic medical information so that a patient's medical history is available to any provider or care setting in which the patient receives treatment. The exchange allows for the health data to be shared across different types of software in different places, so access to the exchange insures access to the most accurate patient data available. Health Information Exchanges are being set up in regional, state and national settings, and were a key part of Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA or ACA) of 2010.
HIE #2 (Health Insurance Exchange)
A Health Insurance Exchange is a controlled marketplace where consumers can compare and purchase health insurance, as well as find out about any subsidies or tax benefits they can take advantage of to offset the cost of coverage. Each state has the option of setting up their own state-level exchange, or participating in the federally-run exchange. The exchange also sets minimum coverage levels for each state, and mandates that insurance companies disclose actuarial percentages and coverage levels of similar plans so that consumers can make informed decisions about coverage.
HIM
Health Information Management is the field of study that deals with overseeing and maintaining health care information for a patient population. Although HIM refers to the management of both paper-based and electronic health records, the field increasingly focuses on the storing, securing, and disclosing of electronic data. Issues like ethics, health informatics, and health information policy are changing the way Health Information Management is viewed in the larger context of the healthcare system.
HIPAA
An acronym for the "Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996", HIPAA is a federal statute that was designed to regulate health insurance to make it easier to "carry" coverage with you after leaving a job, as well as to set standards for the protection and transmission of protected health information. HIPAA was appended by the HITECH Act of 2009 to set disclosure reporting requirements in the case of a breach as well as define business associates as entities covered under HIPAA. Generally, when people refer to "HIPAA Requirements" they are talking about the privacy restrictions of the two bills.
HSA
An acronym for "Health Savings Account", an HSA is a specialized bank account that allows its holder to defer federal tax liability in order to save for future medical expenses. Money deposited in an HSA is not subject to Federal Income Tax. HSAs, like a flexible spending account, or a health reimbursement account are combined with a high deductible health plan to replace traditional health insurance with money from the HSA covering short term costs and helping with patient responsibilities while the HDHP covers catastrophic injuries or illness.
ICD-10
ICD-10 is an abbreviation for "International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Health Related Problems, 10th revision". The ICD system is the set of alphanumeric codes that are used to classify diseases and bill medical payers for services. The United States currently uses the ICD-9 system, but is set to switch to the new standard on October 14, 2014. ICD-10 is much more complex than ICD-9, with almost five times as many available codes, and a much more specific hierarchy. ICD-10 is also referred to as "I-10."
Interoperability
Interoperability is the concept that information stored in EHR software should be able to be usable by any other software package. Interoperability is key to coordinating and improving care, because the health information is worthless without the software compatibility to share it between providers. This "breaking down of barriers" between different EHR software packages is crucial not only to sharing health information, but to creating a thriving and innovative healthcare information technology marketplace. Examples are a hospital system EMR's interoperability with a private practice EMR, and both system's EMR interoperability with a reference laboratory's Information System.
IPA
An acronym for "Independent Practice Association", an IPA is a group of independent physicians, or groups representing independent physicians to contract their services to managed care organizations and payers. IPAs can be formed to collaborate on care in a region, promote the political effectiveness of the independent physician, as well as to negotiate professional fees for their members, although it is important to note that the IPA does not negotiate on behalf of its members for services delivered outside managed care agreements because of federal trade laws.
An acronym for "Accountable Care Organization", an ACO is a model of healthcare delivery in which a group of healthcare providers agree to accept payment for their services based on the aggregated health outcomes of the patients they see, as opposed to the total number of services performed. ACOs reward providers in a "fee for health" model, as opposed to a traditional "fee for service" model. Although the term ACO can apply to a variety of types of organizations, regulations for establishing ACOs to participate in the Medicare Shared Savings Program specifically were included in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010.
Big Data
"Big Data" is a blanket term used to describe the tremendous amount of raw data that we create as part of our everyday lives. As we become more proficient in capturing, storing, and analyzing these massive data sets - and the increasingly complex tools needed to do so - there is tremendous hope in the ability for industries to glean insights from the mountain of data they already have. Healthcare, with the tremendous amount of data that is already collected and stored in the form of medical records, is considered one of the areas with the most to gain from advances in "Big Data" tools.
CCHIT
An acronym for "Certification Commission for Healthcare Information Technology", CCHIT is one organization authorized by the Office of the National Coordinator of the Department of Health and Human Services to certify Electronic Health Record products for quality, security and interoperability. This certification is necessary for providers to receive "stimulus" funds from Medicare or Medicaid as reimbursement for achieving "Meaningful Use" of the EHR. Other organizations providing certifications include Drummond Group, ICSA Laboratories, Inc. and InfoGuard Laboratories, Inc.
Cloud vs. Closet
The "Cloud" versus the "Closet" is a way of defining the two most common ways of managing and sharing software products in a medical practice. The "Closet" is the traditional model where a server is installed, often into an extra closet where the phone system is also kept that runs the Practice Management and/or Electronic Medical Record software on the desktops in the practice. Generally, the practice owns their own software and hardware, and pays for it upfront as a capital expense. In the "Cloud" model, which is rapidly gaining favor, a constant Internet connection allows the server hardware to be kept offsite in the vendor's data center. The software is paid for on a monthly, operational expense basis, and security, upgrades and maintenance are all outsourced to the vendor.
EMR/EHR
Acronyms for "Electronic Medical Record" and "Electronic Health Record." The two terms are generally used interchangeably to describe any software that that documents medical services delivered between providers and patients. There is however a general distinction between the two, highlighted in this blog post from the ONC. An Electronic Medical Record generally refers to the digitized version of a paper record that is kept in an office as a record of the patient's services from that provider. In other words, only the patient's interactions with the providers of that office. An Electronic Health Record on the other hand generally refers to the complete history of a patient's life and conditions as they visit different providers in different health settings. With the EHR's focus on health as opposed to medicine, and portability with the patient as opposed to static and office-based, EHR tends to be the "official" term used by the ONC.
eRx
"eRx" is an abbreviation for "e-prescribe", or the ability to transmit information from a provider to a pharmacy and back to facilitate filling prescriptions with a completely electronic process. By eliminating the paper scripts and the patients having to take them to their pharmacy, eRx facilitates more accurate, timely information between prescriber and pharmacy, and ensures that the information is accurately logged into the patient's EHR. The ability to e-prescribe is a component of achieving Meaningful Use for providers to receive stimulus funds.
HDHP
An acronym for "High Deductible Health Plan", an HDHP is a type of insurance coverage where more of the initial cost of care is shifted to the responsibility of the patient. Using higher deductibles, as well as co-pays or co-insurance, high-deductible health plans are often combined with Health Savings Accounts to provide heath coverage at lower premiums for patients and/or employers. As health insurance costs continue to rise, HDHPs are becoming more popular as a coverage model.
HIE #1 (Health Information Exchange)
A Health Information Exchange is a central hub where different health providers and locations can "exchange" electronic medical information so that a patient's medical history is available to any provider or care setting in which the patient receives treatment. The exchange allows for the health data to be shared across different types of software in different places, so access to the exchange insures access to the most accurate patient data available. Health Information Exchanges are being set up in regional, state and national settings, and were a key part of Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA or ACA) of 2010.
HIE #2 (Health Insurance Exchange)
A Health Insurance Exchange is a controlled marketplace where consumers can compare and purchase health insurance, as well as find out about any subsidies or tax benefits they can take advantage of to offset the cost of coverage. Each state has the option of setting up their own state-level exchange, or participating in the federally-run exchange. The exchange also sets minimum coverage levels for each state, and mandates that insurance companies disclose actuarial percentages and coverage levels of similar plans so that consumers can make informed decisions about coverage.
HIM
Health Information Management is the field of study that deals with overseeing and maintaining health care information for a patient population. Although HIM refers to the management of both paper-based and electronic health records, the field increasingly focuses on the storing, securing, and disclosing of electronic data. Issues like ethics, health informatics, and health information policy are changing the way Health Information Management is viewed in the larger context of the healthcare system.
HIPAA
An acronym for the "Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996", HIPAA is a federal statute that was designed to regulate health insurance to make it easier to "carry" coverage with you after leaving a job, as well as to set standards for the protection and transmission of protected health information. HIPAA was appended by the HITECH Act of 2009 to set disclosure reporting requirements in the case of a breach as well as define business associates as entities covered under HIPAA. Generally, when people refer to "HIPAA Requirements" they are talking about the privacy restrictions of the two bills.
HSA
An acronym for "Health Savings Account", an HSA is a specialized bank account that allows its holder to defer federal tax liability in order to save for future medical expenses. Money deposited in an HSA is not subject to Federal Income Tax. HSAs, like a flexible spending account, or a health reimbursement account are combined with a high deductible health plan to replace traditional health insurance with money from the HSA covering short term costs and helping with patient responsibilities while the HDHP covers catastrophic injuries or illness.
ICD-10
ICD-10 is an abbreviation for "International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Health Related Problems, 10th revision". The ICD system is the set of alphanumeric codes that are used to classify diseases and bill medical payers for services. The United States currently uses the ICD-9 system, but is set to switch to the new standard on October 14, 2014. ICD-10 is much more complex than ICD-9, with almost five times as many available codes, and a much more specific hierarchy. ICD-10 is also referred to as "I-10."
Interoperability
Interoperability is the concept that information stored in EHR software should be able to be usable by any other software package. Interoperability is key to coordinating and improving care, because the health information is worthless without the software compatibility to share it between providers. This "breaking down of barriers" between different EHR software packages is crucial not only to sharing health information, but to creating a thriving and innovative healthcare information technology marketplace. Examples are a hospital system EMR's interoperability with a private practice EMR, and both system's EMR interoperability with a reference laboratory's Information System.
IPA
An acronym for "Independent Practice Association", an IPA is a group of independent physicians, or groups representing independent physicians to contract their services to managed care organizations and payers. IPAs can be formed to collaborate on care in a region, promote the political effectiveness of the independent physician, as well as to negotiate professional fees for their members, although it is important to note that the IPA does not negotiate on behalf of its members for services delivered outside managed care agreements because of federal trade laws.
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