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HIM Midterm
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| adaptive skills | behavior and daily living skills that demonstrate the job seeker’s ability to fit into the organization’s culture |
| AHIMA Foundation | the charitable affiliate of the American Health Information Management Association that provides funding and resources for research, education, and career development |
| American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) | the professional membership organization for individuals interested in or involved in the field of health information management |
| AHIMA | American Health Information Management Associaiton |
| body language | nonverbal communication that sends a visual message to another person |
| cancer registrar/tumor registrar | a specialist who reviews patient records for diagnoses and treatments related to cancer and then abstracts the cancer-related data into a database |
| clinical documentation improvement (CDI) specialist | a specialist who works with physicians in an acute care setting to ensure that the documentation in the medical record supports all of the diagnoses and procedures provided to a patient |
| CDI | clinical documentation improvement |
| Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management Education (CAHIIM) | an independent accrediting organization that promotes and enforces accreditation standards for health information and health informatics education programs |
| CAHIIM | Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management Education |
| continuing education (CE) | educational requirements that a health information management professional must meet to maintain professional certification |
| CE | continuing education |
| critical thinking | the intellectually disciplined process of thinking that is clear, rational, open-minded, and supported by evidence |
| EHR implementation coordinator and trainer | an individual who assists in the selection and implementation of the electronic health record system, develops training materials, and trains users |
| ethics | standards of behavior based on moral values |
| file/scanning and retrieval clerk | an entry-level clerical position that involves preparing documents for final storage (filing paper records or scanning documents into the electronic health record system) and may include pulling paper records from storage or responding to customers |
| health information management (HIM) | a broad concept that encompasses an array of technologies to store, share, and analyze health information |
| HIM | health information management |
| health record | a medical record into which the healthcare provider records the patient’s medical information every time the provider assesses or treats the patient |
| HIM technician | a general clerical staff position in the HIM department; responsibilities may include record assembly and analysis, transcription processing and routing, physician completion activities, and release of information |
| hospital medical coder | a coding specialist who reviews documentation in the medical record and assigns each reportable diagnosis and procedure an alphanumeric code |
| job skills | skills gained through paid or volunteer work—including those skills developed and sharpened at home or in school |
| medical biller and coder | a clerical staff position in a physician office or physician billing company that involves entering pre-coded information from a physician’s charge ticker |
| medical scribe | an unlicensed person who enters patient information into an electronic health record or the paper chart at the direction of a physician |
| medical transcriptionist | a healthcare documentation specialist or medical editor who transcribes physician dictation |
| performance improvement coordinator | an individual who coordinates technical and analytical support for quality and performance improvement (PI) initiatives and medical peer-review activities |
| physician office manager | the position responsible for the overall operations of the medical office, including hiring, assessing and training staff, negotiating insurance contracts, preparing and monitoring budgets, paying invoices, and monitoring billing and accounts receivable |
| privacy officer | a person who establishes policies and procedures to protect the confidentiality of protected health information (PHI), educate all facility personnel on the HIPAA Privacy Rule, audit PHI access, handle complaints related to privacy, and security. |
| professionalism | the conduct, aims (aspirations and intentions), and qualities that characterize or mark a professional person |
| résumé | a marketing tool that a job seeker uses to promote his or her skills and value to an organization |
| supervisor/manager | the position responsible for human resource activities such as hiring, counseling, firing, and training staff |
| transferable skills | skills that can be transferred from one occupation to another |
| vital statistics clerk | a clerical position that involves preparing birth and death certificates and submitting the information to the appropriate state agency |
| accountable care organization (ACO) | a group of healthcare providers (primary care physicians, specialists, hospitals, and other healthcare facilities) working together to coordinate care of Medicare patients across care settings |
| ACO | accountable care organization |
| accreditation | certification granted to an organization that has met a set of predetermined standards following a peer review process conducted by an impartial, external accrediting organization |
| activities of daily living (ADLs) | activities an individual could normally do in the course of daily living, such as eating, bathing, dressing, toileting, transferring (walking), and continence (the ability to control bladder and bowel functions) |
| ADLs | activities of daily living |
| acute care hospital | a hospital that treats patients in the acute phase of an illness or a condition |
| acute illness | an illness or injury with a rapid onset that is severe in nature but of short duration |
| adult day care | an organized program of services for elderly or disabled individuals that provides social, physical, and emotional support and respite for the primary in-home caregiver |
| ambulatory care | outpatient care delivered during a single day with no overnight stay |
| American College of Surgeons (ACS) | an association founded in 1913 to improve the quality of care for surgical patients through improved education and training |
| ACS | American College of Surgeons |
| American Hospital Association (AHA) | a national professional organization that represents hospitals and healthcare networks, advocating for its members on issues of healthcare policy and regulation |
| AHA | American Hospital Association |
| American Medical Association (AMA) | a professional association for physicians |
| AMA | American Medical Association |
| behavioral health care | mental health care and substance abuse treatment |
| bereavement | grief |
| Blue Cross (BC) | created in 1929 as one of the first health insurance programs in the United States; was created to address a patient’s inability to pay his or her hospital bills |
| BC | Blue Cross |
| Blue Sheild (BS) | created in 1930 as a health insurance program that provided reimbursements for physicians’ services |
| BS | Blue Sheild |
| Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) | the federal agency that administers Medicare and Medicaid |
| CMS | Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services |
| certificaiton | confirmation that a healthcare entity has demonstrated its compliance with the health and safety standards spelled out by the Centers for Medicare Services (CMS) |
| Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) | a Medicaid program specifically for children whose families earn too much to qualify for Medicaid but not enough to afford private insurance |
| CHIP | Children's Health Insurance Program |
| chronic illness | a long-developing, persistent illness that may have residual effects |
| coinsurance | a type of insurance in which the insured is required to pay a share of the cost of care, usually a percentage, after services are provided |
| Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF) | an accrediting organization that evaluates the quality of care provided at facilities offering rehabilitative care for mental and behavioral health and aging services |
| CARF | Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities |
| community hospital | a facility equipped and staffed to provide basic diagnostic services and treatment for injured or ill patients |
| comprehensive outpatient rehabilitation facility (CORF) | facilities that provide diagnostic, therapeutic, and restorative services for the rehabilitation of an injury, disability, or sickness |
| Conditions for Coverage (CfCs) | health and safety standards established by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) with which healthcare entities must demonstrate compliance |
| CfCs | Conditions for Coverage |
| Conditions of Participation (CoPs) | health and safety standards established by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) with which healthcare entities must demonstrate compliance |
| CoPs | Conditions of Participation |
| copay | a flat fee paid by the insured at the time services are provided |
| critical access hospital (CAH) | small hospitals that are most often located in rural areas that provide limited outpatient and inpatient hospital services |
| CAH | critical access hospital |
| deductible | the amount of out-of-pocket costs the insured is responsible for each year, usually a percentage of the cost of care to be paid in full before the insurance company will provide payment for care |
| emergency department (ED) | a department within a hospital that provides emergency medical care |
| ED | emergency department |
| fee-for-service | an insurance plan in which individuals pay a predetermined percentage of the cost of services provided, commonly from 15 to 20 percent, and the insurer pays the remaining cost |
| for-profit/investor-owned hospital | a facility owned by private investors or public shareholders |
| formulary | a list of medications for which the insurance plan will cover the cost |
| gatekeeper | a person whose role is to authorize access to medical care on behalf of a health insurance company; often a primary care physician (PCP) |
| health insurance | a type of insurance coverage that pays for all or a portion of an individual’s medical and surgical expenses |
| health insurance exchange | the standardized process of data exchange that involves the sharing of health information electronically across state, regional, and local areas |
| health maintenance organization (HMO) | a health insurance organization that provides health care to its members through its own network of physicians and hospitals |
| HMO | health maintenance organization |
| home health care | healthcare services provided to a patient in the home or other place of residence |
| hospice | symptom and pain control provided to patients in the terminal phase of an illness, commonly defined as someone with a life expectancy of less than six months |
| indemnity plan | a plan that reimburses either the patient or the provider for healthcare expenses when they are incurred; also referred to as fee-for-service plans |
| intermediate care facility | a facility that provides care to disabled and elderly individuals with nonacute chronic illness |
| Joint Commission | an independent, nonprofit organization that sets standards and evaluates the safety of thousands of healthcare organizations across the country through its voluntary accreditation process |
| level one trauma center | a hospital that has an emergency room equipped and staffed to care for the most severely injured or ill patients |
| license | a permit that grants a healthcare facility the authority to operate or grants a healthcare provider the authority to practice within his or her scope of care |
| long-term acute care hospital (LTAC) | a hospital that provides acute care to patients who require care long term; stays average more than 25 days, rather than the two- to four-day average stay for patients in an acute care facility |
| LTAC | long-term acute care hospital |
| managed care | a general term used to define insurance plans that require participants to use a specific network of physicians, providers, and hospitals in exchange for lower premium costs |
| Medicaid | a federal health insurance program for low-income Americans |
| Medicare | a federal health insurance program, administered by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) that primarily serves elderly Americans age 65 and older |
| Medicare Part A | Medicare hospital insurance plan that covers inpatient care provided in a skilled nursing facility, a critical access hospital, or another type of hospital |
| Medicare Part B | Medicare coverage of outpatient care, physician services, physical and occupational therapy, and home health care |
| Medicare Part C/Medicare Advantage Plan | Medicare coverage provided by a federallyapproved private insurance company, including both Parts A and B |
| Medicare Part D | a menu of prescription drug plans |
| Medigap policy | a supplemental insurance plan that individuals can choose to purchase from a private insurer to help cover out-of-pocket expenses that are not covered under Medicare |
| military hospital | a hospital that is designated for use by active duty and retired military personnel, military dependents and survivors, and other groups under special circumstances |
| nonprofit hospital | a partially or fully tax-exempt organization that provides care to patients regardless of their ability to pay and provides community benefits in accordance with state and federal guidelines |
| Original Medicare Plan | original Medicare fee-for-service plan that includes deductible, copay or coinsurance and consists of Medicare Parts A and B (hospital and medical insurance, respectively) with option of adding a stand- alone Part D plan to cover prescription medications |
| osteopathic hospital | a hospital in which doctors of osteopathic medicine (DOs) provide the majority of care, emphasizing the whole person, rather than the treatment of specific symptoms or conditions, and the relationship of one body system to another |
| outpatient surgery | day surgery, ambulatory surgery, or same-day surgery |
| Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act/Affordable Care Act (ACA) | a federal law enacted in 2010 that is intended to improve the quality of health care and lower the cost of care, to improve consumer protections, and to expand consumer access to health plans |
| ACA | Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act/Affordable Care Act |
| point of service (POS) plan | a health insurance plan in which members are required to select a network physician as their primary care physician (PCP) as their “point of service” |
| POS | point of service |
| preferred provider organization (PPO) | a type of insurance plan that contract directly with specific healthcare providers, called preferred providers |
| PPO | preferred provider organization |
| premium | a set amount paid monthly or annually to cover the cost of insurance |
| primary care physician (PCP) | a medical professional who is usually licensed in family practice, internal medicine, or pediatrics and often provides preventive and sick care |
| PCP | primary care physician |
| private health insurance | insurance purchased from for-profit entities or nonprofit organizations |
| provider | an individual or an institution that provides direct patient care |
| public health insurance | health insurance offered by state and federal government to individuals who meet specific criteria, such as age or income |
| rehabilitation | the process of restoring an individual’s health and/or quality of life through therapy and education |
| residential care/assisted living facility | facilities that provide support services to adults who cannot live alone but do not require skilled or intermediate care |
| respite care | temporary institutional care of a dependent elderly, ill, or handicapped person to provide relief for their usual caregivers |
| rural hospital | a hospital that typically offers basic health care; usually located in a small city or rural area at some distance from critical access hospitals |
| skilled care facility | a facility that provides nursing or rehabilitation care for patients in need of speech, physical, respiratory, psychological, or other therapy |
| teaching hospital | a healthcare facility that provides medical students, interns, and residents with opportunities to observe and acquire hands-on training through interaction with patient populations having a wide variety of illnesses, injuries, and conditions |
| urban hospital | a hospital located in a large or midsized city equipped with sophisticated diagnostic equipment and a highly trained workforce |
| workers' compensation | insurance that covers employees injured on the job |
| World Health Organization (WHO) | an organization that provides leadership on global public health issues and initiatives and works within the United Nations to coordinate and direct public health program |
| WHO | World Health Organization |
| board of directors | the group responsible for overseeing hospital management and appointing the hospital’s chief executive officer (CEO) |
| chief executive officer (CEO) | the hospital president; responsible for the overall success of the organization, its strategic vision, as well as ongoing and future hospital operations; reports to the board of directors |
| CEO | chief executive officer |
| chief financial officer (CFO) | the person responsible for the organization’s financial stability and integrity |
| CFO | chief financial officer |
| chief human resources officer (CHRO) | the vice president of human resources who oversees recruitment, benefits, compensation, employee relations, and workers’ compensation |
| CHRO | chief human resources officer |
| chief information officer (CIO) | a member of the executive leadership team who is responsible for overseeing the hospital’s information technology and network infrastructure |
| CIO | chief information officer |
| chief medical officer (CMO) | a licensed practicing physician who is responsible for the medical staff services department, medical staff education, quality management, and all of the medical directors employed by the organization |
| CMO | chief medical officer |
| chief nursing officer (COO) | the person responsible for all hospital operations |
| COO | chief nursing officer |
| clinical services | departments (such as laboratory, radiology, and pharmacy) that have direct patient contact and impact patient health |
| hospital privileges | privileges granted by a hospital to a physician indicating the physician is allowed to provide care in that hospital |
| hospitalist | a physician who provides general medical care to patients in the hospital |
| medical referral | a recommendation made by the primary care physician (PCP) that a patient see a physician specialist |
| medical staff bylaws | organizational rules that dictate the governance and structure of the hospital medical staff |
| medical staff rules and regulations | policies and procedures that govern the hospital medical staff practices |
| organizational flowchart | a diagram illustrating the departments, personnel, and lines of authority of a business or an organization |
| patient care services | the largest department in a hospital (also called the department of nursing) which includes nurses, technicians, therapists, and other employees who provide direct patient care |
| physician assistant (PA) | a medical professional who is licensed by the state and works under the direction of a licensed physician, performing duties similar to a nurse practitioner |
| PA | physician assitant |
| specialist | a physician who has advanced education and clinical training in a particular area of medicine |
| specialty clinic | a facility that provides outpatient treatment of specific diseases and conditions |
| specialty unit | an inpatient unit, such as psychiatry or neonatology, that is designated for the treatment of specific illnesses or conditions |
| advance directive | a legal document prepared by the patient with instructions regarding medical care in the event that the patient is unable to make such decisions |
| aggregate data | data abstracted from a group of patient records for statistical reporting purposes in which no individual patient can be identified |
| authenticated | a signature attesting to the validity of a document or report; for example, a handwritten signature is required to authenticate a paper record |
| clinical documentation | the capture and recording of clinical information |
| clinical documentation improvement (CDI) | a program to improve the quality of patient-care documentation to ensure that it is complete, legible, timely, concise, clear, patient-centered, and accurate |
| CDI | clinical documentation improvement |
| clinical information | information used in making patient care decisions that includes the patient’s medical history and physical exam, labs, and X-rays along with evaluations by the practitioner(s) |
| complete record | a record in which all required reports, signatures, and dates have been entered |
| compliant | conforming to the rules |
| consent for surgery | a form the patient signs before a surgical procedure to indicate that he or she understands the specifics of the procedure and has been informed of the associated risks and of other treatment options |
| copy and paste function | an electronic function that allows providers to copy information from one section of a patient record to another, much like copy and paste in a word processing document |
| de-identified information | data from which all identifying information has been removed |
| delinquent record | a record that is incomplete after 30 days |
| diagnostic findings | the results of testing conducted to aid in the diagnosis and treatment of a medical condition |
| discharge summary | a summary of the patient’s stay from admission to discharge |
| electronic signature | a digital facsimile of the provider’s handwritten signature or a code consisting of letters, numbers, characters, and/ or symbols that is executed as the individual’s signature and used to authenticate an electronic record |
| incomplete record | a medical record that is lacking some required documentation or signatures |
| information governance (IG) | the structures, the principles, and practices needed to standardize, manage, protect, access, and communicate data in a business environment |
| IG | information governance |
| log sheets and flow sheets | documentation that provides a graphic summary of changes in the patient’s vital signs, health status, or treatment, such as changes in weight, blood pressure, treatment, or medications administered |
| medication record | a record that documents the administration of each drug each time it is given to the patient, including the date and the time of administration and the initials of the nurse who administered the medication |
| National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) | an independent nonprofit organization focused on improving the quality of patient care |
| NCQA | National Committee for Quality Assurance |
| nosocomial infection | a hospital-acquired infection |
| operative report | day surgery,ambulatory surgery,or same-day surgery |
| pathology report | a detailed report of the findings from the analysis of specimens removed during surgery |
| patient record | a medical record or health record that documents a patient’s medical history and all care and services provided to the patient during one episode of care |
| physicians orders | written orders that communicate a physician’s instructions for the care of a patient |
| problem list | a list of conditions or problems for which the patient is seeking treatment or for which treatment should be considered |
| problem-oriented medical record | a record or process developed by Dr. Lawrence L. Weed in the 1960s that could be used to input data electronically |
| Recovery Audit Contractor (RAC) | a federal external auditor who may use patient information to identify and recover improper Medicare payments |
| RAC | Recovery Audit Contractor |
| recovery room report | a report that documents a patient’s condition during recovery from anesthesia |
| restraint log | a log maintained to document the use of restraints on a patient and monitoring of the patient by the staff |
| SOAP note | a format for organizing information documented in the patient record |
| source-oriented medical record | documentation that has information organized by source (where the information came from) or by category |
| transcribed | dictation typed into a medical record or document |
| transfer record | a record of patient information provided when a patient is transferred within the facility, or to or from another facility |
| vital signs | temperature, pulse, respiration, and blood pressure |
| chart analysis | review of the paper record for completeness |
| creation | the first stage in the record retention cycle; it includes all documentation entered into the record during a single inpatient stay or outpatient visit, from the time of admission through the course of treatment |
| destruction | the final stage in the record retention cycle, which occurs when the time frame for keeping the record has been met and the information is no longer needed |
| digital imaging | the capture (scanning) and digital storage of information from text |
| disaster | an event that occurs suddenly and that may cause great loss of life, damage, or hardship |
| disaster recovery plan | a business continuity plan to protect and provide access to patient information during and after a natural disaster or other disruptive event |
| go-live date | the date the electronic health record system becomes operational in a healthcare facility |
| Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act | a federal law enacted to stimulate the adoption of electronic health records and supporting technology |
| (HITECH) | Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act |
| hybrid health records | a patient medical record that combines both electronic and paper records |
| late or loose documentation | reports that have not yet been incorporated into the patient record |
| maintenance | the third stage in the record retention cycle, which refers to handling the record as it becomes inactive over time |
| meaningful use | the use of certified EHR technology to meet identified goals for improving patient and public health |
| microfiche | a flat film on which images are mounted in a matrix format |
| microfilm | film strips onto which paper images are copied in miniature form order to reduce the amount of space needed for file storage |
| middle digit filing | a filing system for paper medical records in which the middle two digits identify the primary location of the file (i.e., the section); the first two digits identify the subsection; and the last two digits identify the tertiary number |
| off-site storage | a storage facility for patient records located away from the main care facility |
| patient portal | a secure website that provides patients with convenient, 24-hour access to physician notes, diagnostic results, physical examination results, medications, and other information |
| purging | the removal of pages from a patient health record that are no longer actively needed for the provision of patient care |
| record retention cycle | health record life cycle begins at the time the patient checks in for an outpatient visit or is admitted to an inpatient facility until the record is destroyed; the four major stages include creation, utilization, maintenance, and destruction |
| record retrieval | pulling a record from storage in response to a request |
| serial numbering | a file numbering system that requires that a patient file be renumbered each time the patient visits; files are shelved in chronological order so that individual records for a single patient are stored in multiple locations in the facility’s file room |
| serial unit numbering | a numbering system requiring that patient files receive a new number at every visit and records from previous visits be brought forward and filed with the current record |
| statute of limitations | a statute established by federal or state law that sets a time limit within which legal proceedings may be brought forward |
| terminal digit filing | a filing system for paper medical records in which the last two digits identify the primary location of the file (i.e., the section); the second two digits identify the subsection; and the first two digits identify the tertiary number. |
| unit numbering | a file numbering system in which the patient is assigned a patient/record number at the first visit, and all of the records related to that patient going forward are given the same number and maintained in a single file |
| utilization | second stage in record retention cycle; the record is available to authorized personnel for internal and external uses during the patient stay and after when access to the record is needed for billing, committee review, and reporting to outside agencies |
| access speed | the speed at which a request for data from a computer system is completed; RAM is rated by access speed |
| aggregate data | data abstracted from a group of patient records for statistical reporting purposes in which no individual patient can be identified |
| American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) | a federal law enacted in 2009 that provided financial incentives to encourage healthcare organizations to adopt and use certified electronic health records to improve the quality of patient care and the exchange of health information |
| ARRA | American Recovery and Reinvestment Act |
| application software | a program or a group of programs designed to perform specific tasks |
| bit | the smallest unit of information on a machine; shorthand for binary digit |
| central processing unit (CPU) | the part of a computer where all calculations and processes take place |
| CPU | central processing unit |
| cloud computing | storing and accessing data and programs over the Internet |
| computer port | a physical or virtual connection that provides a communication link between other computers or peripheral devices |
| cookie | a small file that attaches to an individual’s computer when the user visits certain websites and tracks the user’s information and activities, usually without his or her knowledge |
| core health data elements | a list of 42 data elements developed by the National Committee on Vital and Health Statistics (NCVHS) to facilitate data sharing among providers and healthcare agencies |
| data | a single fact, number, letter, statistic, code, or item that can be collected and stored in a database and, when processed by a computer, becomes information |
| data element | units of data that may be recorded in an independent system and downloaded to the EHR or typed directly into the EHR, such as date of birth, sex, weight, and height |
| data loss prevention (DLP) software | software used to defend against computer threats |
| DLP | data loss prevention |
| data mining | searching through and analyzing large amounts of data |
| dataset | data elements with uniform definitions that are grouped together for a particular use |
| database | a collection of related data stored on a computer system that is organized so that its contents can easily be accessed, managed, updated, and extracted |
| database management system (DBMS) | a group of programs that manages the access and retrieval of information from a database |
| DBMS | database management system |
| digital certificate | a public key certificate attached to an electronic message that provides identifying information about the sender, allowing companies and organizations to exchange information securely over the Internet while protecting data and computer systems |
| domain name | a unique website identifier that often indicates the type of organization that purchased and owns the domain |
| Ethernet | a system of wires and ports used to connect one computer to another or to a local network |
| external hard drive | a large-capacity, portable storage device that can be used to store an exact copy of a computer’s hard drive |
| data field | the physical unit of storage in a computer record |
| firewall | a program that protects computer networks and individual computers from viruses and security threats by blocking or limiting outside users’ access to data and systems |
| flash drive | a small, rewritable, lightweight, high- capacity device that can store up to 1 terabyte of data; also called a thumb drive or jump drive |
| gigahertz (GHz) | access speed of at least 1 billion cycles per second |
| GHz | gigahertz |
| hard drive | a storage device where information is saved, usually the C drive of a desktop or laptop computer; sometimes called a hard disk drive (HDD) |
| hardware | the physical components of a computer system: the computer processor and all of its parts, input devices (e.g., mouse and keyboard), monitor, printer, and storage devices (e.g., hard drive, flash drive, and disc) |
| health information technology (HIT) | a broad concept that encompasses an array of technologies to store, share, and analyze health information |
| HIT | health information technology |
| information | data that is processed into a group of like items, such as text documents, images, audio clips, and software programs |
| information technology (IT) | the study, design, development, application, implementation, support, or management of computer-based information systems |
| IT | information technology |
| infrastructure | hardware used to connect computers |
| interface | 1. a software program that facilitates the exchange of data between the two systems; 2. a two-way communication exchange by which medical systems that communicate with EHR |
| Internet | an open-access, global network of computer networks |
| interoperable | unrelated computer systems and software programs from multiple vendors exchanging data |
| intranet | a private communications network that is password protected and accessible only to employees or other authorized users |
| IT director | the head of the IT department who oversees all hospital computer systems and infrastructure |
| local area network (LAN) | a network type that connects computers located in a limited geographical area, such as in a home, office building, or hospital |
| LAN | local area network |
| malware | a malicious software program that is installed on a computer or a system without authorization and is designed to gain access to the user’s system to damage or disrupt data or programs or to steal sensitive information |
| megahertz (MHz) | access speed of at least 1 million cycles per second |
| MHz | megahertz |
| memory chip | a computer chip that stores data and information |
| microcomputer | a small computer |
| microprocessor | the area that contains the CPU and controls the logic of most digital devices |
| motherboard | the main circuit board of a microcomputer |
| networking | the practice of linking two or more computing devices together to share data |
| password | a secret code assigned to or chosen by an individual user to limit access to information stored on a computer or computer system |
| password aging | a procedure that requires users to change passwords frequently and on a regular basis, such as every 90 days |
| phishing | sending fake emails designed to appear as if they are coming from a legitimate source with the purpose of deceiving users into surrendering private information, such as user names, passwords, and credit card information |
| random access memory (RAM) | computer memory used to run programs and store data |
| RAM | random access memory |
| server | many computers connected together |
| software | the programs and the instructions that run the hardware, manage computer resources, process data, and communicate or network with other computers |
| strategic plan | a plan that documents an organization’s goals, identifies the resources needed, and recommends the steps to take to achieve those goals |
| strong password | a password that cannot be easily broken |
| system software | software that controls the basic functions of a computer |
| Trojan horse | malicious software that masquerades as a useful program |
| uniform resource locator (URL) | a web address; each web page has a unique URL |
| URL | uniform resource locator |
| virtual private network (VPN) | a secure computer network used by businesses to share data between users in remote locations, for example, between different branches of a bank or between different clinics in a health system |
| VPN | virtual private network |
| virus | a computer program that is designed to spread from one file to another on a single computer to damage data and destroy files |
| web browser | a software application that is used to locate, retrieve, and display content on the web |
| wide area network (WAN) | a network that uses telephone lines, fiber optic cables, and satellite links to connect computers and LANs located over a large geographical area, including across a country or around the world |
| WAN | wide area network |
| Wi-Fi | any wireless local area network (WLAN) technology that connects computers and other electronic devices to each other or to the Internet |
| wireless access point (WAP) | allows computers to connect to a network or a device wirelessly |
| WAP | wireless access point |
| wireless local area network (WLAN) | a technology that connects computers and other electronic devices to each other or to the Internet |
| WLAN | wireless local area network |
| worm | a computer program designed to self-replicate and spread from one computer to another to damage data and destroy files |
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