Glossary of acronyms

Computer Terms

AJAX

• Asynchronous Javascript and XML - Programming that allows applications to transfer data from a server to a user without having to reload the webpage (1)

ASP

• Application Service Provider - Method to provide a computer application over the internet as opposed to having on the hardware (1)

DHTML

• Dynamic HTML - see AJAX

DSL

• Digital Subscriber Line

EDI

• Electronic Data Interchange - standards that allows companies to use computers and the internet to conduct business such as billing (1)

HTML

• Hypertext Markup Language - Notation system which describes how a hypertext document should appear on a display screen(2)

HTTP

• Hypertext Transfer Protocol - Process which allows hypertext documents to be transferred between browsers and the web(2)

OCR

• Optical Character Recognition - Application which attempts to determine what character is intended on a scanned document(1)

OS

• Operating System

RIAs

• Rich Internet Applications - see AJAX

SSL

• Secure Socket Layer

URL

• Uniform Resource Locator: Unique address used to locate a document on the internet(2).

VPN

• Virtual Private Network

WLAN

• Wireless Local Area Network

XML

• Extensible Markup Language: Standardized system for representing data as text files which is human readable(1,2)

Electronic Health Record

CDR

• Clinical Data Repository

CDS

• Clinical Decision Support - see CDS

CDSS

• Clinical Decision Support System

CIS

• Clinical Information System - EHR is the preferred term

CPOE

• Computerized Physician Order Entry - see CPOE

CPR

• Computer-based Patient Record

EBM

• Evidence Based Medicine - see EBM

EHR

• Electronic Health Record - Preferred name

eMAR

• electronic Medication Administration Record

EMPI

• Enterprise Master Person (or Patient) Index - A database that lives on the network of a healthcare enterprise and keeps track of relevant information about people who are of interest to the enterprise(2)

EMR

• Electronic Health Record - EHR is the preferred term see EMR

HIE

• Health Information Exchanges

HIT

• Health Information Technology

LAB

• Laboratory Accreditation Bureau

LIS

• Laboratory Information System

MPI

• Master Patient Index

NPI

• National Provider Identifier

PHR

• Personal Health Record - see PHR

PIS

• Pharmacy Information System

RIS

• Radiology Information System

Government Organization

AHRQ

• Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
• Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) [1]

CDC

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Services
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)[2]

CMS

• Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
• M/M or M&M = Medicare & Medicaid
• CMS[3]

HHS

• U.S.Department of Health and Human Services
• [4]

NLM

• National Library of Medicine
• [5]

OIG

• Office of the Inspector General
• [6]

ONC

• Office of National Coordinator
• [7]

ONCHIT

• Office of National Coordinator Health Information Technology - See ONC
• Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC)

Legislation

ARRA

• American Recovery and Reinvestment Act
• [8]

HIPAA

• Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act
• [9]

HITECH Act

• Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act.
• [10]

PPACA

• Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act
• [11]

Organizations

AHIMA

• American Health Information Management Association
• AHIMA[12]

AMIA

• American Medical Informatics Association (Former name)
• AMIA[13]

CCHIT

• Certification Commission for Health Information Technology
• CCHIT[14]

HITSP

• Healthcare Information Technology Standards Panel
• Healthcare Information Technology Standards Panel (HITSP)[15]

HIMSS

• Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society
• HIMSS[16]

IHI

• Institute for Healthcare Improvement
• [17]

IOM

• Institute of Medicine
• [18]

JC

• Joint Commission
• [19]

NQF

• National Quality Forum
• [20]

Standards

ASTM

• American Society for Testing and Material
• [21]

CDA

• Clinical Document Architecture

CPT

• Current Procedural Terminology - See also UMLS
• CPT

CTS

• Common Terminology Services
• CTS

DICOM

• Digital Imaging and Communication in Medicine
• DICOM[22]

HL7

• Health Level 7
• HL7[23]

ICD-9

• International Classification of Diseases, 9th Revision
• ICD[24]

ICD-10

• International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision
• ICD[25]

ISO

• International Organization for Standardization

LOINC

• Logical Observation Identifiers Names and Codes
• LOINC[26]

RXNorm

• Rxnorm[27]

SNOMED CT

• Systematized Nomenclature of Medicine-Clinical Terms
• SNOMED[28]

SNOP

• Systematized Nomenclature of Pathology

UMLS

• Unified Medical Language System
• UMLS[29]

References

1. Carter JH. Electronic medical records: a guide for clinicians and administrators. 2nd ed. Philadelphia. ACP Press. pp. 491-98.
2. Brookshear JG. Computer science: an overview. 10th ed. Boston. Addison Wesley.pp 81-188.

Submitted by Jerry Stultz, MD