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Health Journalism Glossary

Health IT Glossary

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  • Agentic AI – Agentic artificial intelligence (AI) is a type of AI that can complete tasks independently. Once it is programmed with natural…
  • AI Psychosis – A type of altered mental state, characterized by paranoia and delusions, that can occur after a period of intense use of artificial intelligence-driven chatbots such as ChatGPT. 
  • Algorithm – A process or set of rules to follow in calculations or other problem solving, typically in computing.
  • Algorithmovigilance – Algorithmovigilance refers to scientific methods and activities relating to the evaluation, monitoring, understanding and prevention of adverse effects of algorithms…
  • Ambient clinical voice – Ambient clinical voice is an advanced, artificial intelligence tool built into some electronic health record systems. It uses microphones in…
  • Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) – APIs are systems of tools and resources in an operating system that enable developers to create software applications. So-called “open…
  • Artificial Intelligence (AI) – AI is the ability of a computer or robot controlled by a computer to perform tasks usually done by intelligent…
  • Augmented reality – Augmented reality (AR) is an interactive experience of an immersive, simulated real-world environment in which objects that reside in the…
  • Augmented video analysis – The application of artificial intelligence to video recordings made in hospital patient rooms to help health care staff better understand…
  • Automatic speech recognition (ASR) – Also known as voice recognition technology, ASR allows a person to converse with computers using normal speech and be reasonably…
  • Avatar therapy – Avatar therapy is a digital treatment for people who experience schizophrenia or other conditions involving psychosis.
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  • Bar code medication administration (BCMA) – Bar code medication administration (BCMA) systems are electronic scanning systems used in hospitals primarily to prevent medication errors.
  • Best practice alert (BPA) – A programmed notification in an electronic health record (EHR) that occurs at a specific point in patient charting or documentation.…
  • Big data – Big data is a massive volume of data – both structured and unstructured – that is too large to be…
  • Biometrics – Unique physical characteristics such as fingerprints, voice recognition or iris scans that can be used for automated recognition of people.…
  • Blockchain – Most commonly associated with digital currency such as Bitcoin, blockchain is a data structure that can be timed-stamped and signed…
  • Brain-computer interface (BCI) – BCI is a technology system that collects and interprets brain signals, and transmits them to a connected machine—such as a…
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  • Certified Health IT – Certified health IT includes products, programs or systems that meet standards set by the federal government on their security, privacy,…
  • Chatbot – A computer program that conducts a conversation via text or auditory program. Chatbots are often used in customer service, and…
  • Chief medical information officer (CMIO) – Also known as a chief medical informatics officer, the CMIO is an executive who manages and integrates technology in health care settings.
  • Clinical decision support (CDS) – Computer programs and tools to assist physicians and other health professionals with care decisions. CDS uses databases of signs and…
  • Clinical documentation improvement (CDI) – A specialty that involves creating and administering accurate, timely health care records to ensure improved patient outcomes, data quality and…
  • Cloud platform – Many hospitals have health IT systems, including electronic health records (EHRs), that are on the premises or client server, meaning…
  • Cognitive computing – Cognitive computing is the simulation of human thought process in a computerized model. Cognitive computing is used in artificial intelligence…
  • Comprehensive health record (CHR) – As the thinking and research around the social determinants of health evolves, some powerful people in health care think the…
  • Connected devices/smart devices – Any physical device that is embedded with sensors or network connectivity, enabling that device to “talk“ to other devices.
  • Cyberattack – A cyberattack is an attempt by hackers to gain illegal access to a computer or computer network for the purpose…
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  • Data lake – A term for storage of data information by hospitals, health systems and other organizations. Deeper dive Data lakes are distributed…
  • Data stewardship – The responsibilities of collecting, managing, viewing, storing, sharing and otherwise using patient health information. Hospitals, health systems, payers, government entities…
  • Deep learning – A subset of Artificial Intelligence (AI) where computer networks are able to learn from data that is unstructured. Deep learning…
  • Deepfake – A computer-generated image, video or audio that is made up but looks or sounds as if it came from a…
  • Digital determinants of health  – Digital determinants of health relates to how a person’s ability and preference to interact with and use certain types of health information technology could affect their health outcomes and well-being
  • Digital health equity – Using digital health tools to help make health care more accessible and affordable for everyone. Deeper dive With digital health…
  • Digital redlining – The practice of creating and perpetuating inequities between already marginalized groups, specifically through the use of digital technologies and content,…
  • Digital therapeutics – An emerging, rapidly evolving sector of the digital health market that uses data analytics, machine learning and artificial intelligence to…
  • Digital twin – A digital twin is a virtual representation of an object or system that spans its lifecycle. It is updated from…
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  • Electroceuticals – Medical devices that use electrical impulses to provide therapy such as pain control. Deeper dive Tiny electrode devices implanted into…
  • Electronic health record (EHR) – Also known as an electronic medical records (EMR), this is a digital record of a patient’s medical information and health…
  • Embodied AI – Embodied AI refers to artificial intelligence systems that can interact with and learn from their environments.
  • Encryption – The process of converting information or data into a code, particularly to prevent unauthorized access. Deeper dive Encryption is an…
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  • Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources (FHIR) – Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources, or FHIR (pronounced “fire”), is a widely used programming interface used to represent and exchange health information.
  • Femtech – Software, diagnostics or products and services that use technology to support women’s health. This could include mobile applications for tracking…
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  • Gerontechnology – An interdisciplinary field of scientific research combining gerontology (the study of aging) with technology. Gerontechnologists create technology to transform the…
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  • Health Information Exchange (HIE) – Health information exchange is the action of sharing relevant health information electronically among trusted clinical partners regardless of physical location.…
  • HIPAA – The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) is a law intended to make it easier for people…
  • Hospital at home – Hospital at home is a program operated by a hospital or health system that provides acute-level care for a patient in their home instead of a hospital setting.
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  • ICD-10 – ICD, the International Classification of Diseases, 10th revision, is a set of codes used by providers in clinical settings to…
  • Inboxologist – An inboxologist is a dedicated clinician whose role is dedicated to reviewing and triaging patient messages.
  • Informatics – Health informatics is the interdisciplinary study of the design, development, adoption and application of information technology-based innovations in health care…
  • Information blocking – Information blocking is a practice by a health provider or IT vendor, for example, willingly or knowingly interferes or “blocks”…
  • Internet of Things (IoT) – The internetworking of physical devices, including household appliances, cars and buildings that are embedded with sensors and network connectivity. These…
  • Interoperability – Interoperability describes the extent to which systems and devices can exchange data, and interpret that shared data. For systems to…
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  • LiDAR – LLiDAR (light detection and ranging) is a technology that uses pulsed lasers to measure distances and generate detailed 3-D maps…
  • LOINC (Logical Observation Identifiers Names and Codes) – LOINC (Logical Observation Identifiers Names and Codes) is a worldwide standard for identifying health measurements, observations and documents. This system,…
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  • Machine learning – The science of teaching computers to learn on their own without being programmed to perform specific tasks. Machine learning incorporates…
  • Metaverse – The metaverse is a shared virtual environment that people can access through the Internet. It combines aspects of social media,…
  • Mobile health (mhealth) – This refers to health services supported by mobile devices. The emergence of low-cost smartphones and tablets and the proliferation of…
  • Multifactor authentication – A security feature that requires multiple pieces of information to confirm the identity of someone requesting access to an online…
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  • Natural language processing (NLP) – Natural language processing is the capability of computers to understand human language. If you’ve ever gotten into an automated phone…
  • Net neutrality – Net neutrality protects equal treatment of all data that travels over internet networks fairly, with no discrimination and no blocking…
  • Note bloat – Patient progress notes have become long and overwrought due to cut-and-paste functions and expandable templates in electronic health records (EHRs),…
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  • OpenNotes – OpenNotes is an international movement that advocates for transparent communication in health care and studies the effects of shared notes…
  • Organ on a chip – Organ on a chip is an emerging technology in which engineered or miniature tissues representing human organs are grown inside microchips outfitted with tiny etched channels through which fluids can flow.
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  • Patient matching – An umbrella term used to describe the processes involved in correctly identifying a patient and linking that patient’s electronic medical…
  • Patient registry – A computer database of confidential patient information, usually on a specific disease or condition, used to conduct population health management.…
  • Phishing – A “lure” that entices an unwitting user to grant a thief remote access to proprietary data. For instance, a victim…
  • Population health management – This is the aggregation of patient data across multiple health IT resources, analyzing that data, and using that data to…
  • Portal/patient portal – An access point to an online system. The word “portal“ is frequently used by hospitals and insurers as shorthand for…
  • Predictive analytics – Predictive analytics is the branch of advanced analytics, and is used to make predictions about future events. Predictive analytics applies…
  • Prescription drug monitoring program (PDMP) – A state-run electronic database used to track patient prescriptions of controlled substances, especially opioids. Physicians and pharmacists (and sometimes law…
  • Protected Health Information (PHI) – This term, first mentioned in the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) of 1996, refers to any identifiable information…
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  • Radio frequency identification (RFID) – RFID is a technology, like an electronic bar tag, that uses electromagnetic fields to automatically identify and track tags attached…
  • Ransomware – A type of malware (malicious software) that attempts to deny access to a user’s own data by encrypting the data…
  • Ransomware as a Service (RaaS) – RaaS is a cybercrime business model in which a ransomware group gives or sells its code or malware to other hackers, who then use it to carry out their own ransomware attacks.
  • Regional Health Information Organization (RHIO) – A Regional Health Information Organization (RHIO) (pronounced “Rio“) is an entity that provides health information exchange services to participating stakeholders…
  • Remote patient monitoring – Remote patient monitoring is the use of technology to monitor the health of patients outside of conventional clinical settings. This…
  • Retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) – RAG is a term used to describe a technique to enhance the accuracy and reliability of generative artificial intelligence (AI) programs with facts fetched from external sources, according to an article on Nvidia.
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  • Scanxiety – Scanxiety describes the worry that some patients, including people with cancer, experience while waiting to get results of medical tests. 
  • Shadow AI – Shadow AI is the use of any artificial intelligence tools or applications by employees or end users without formal approval or oversight of a company or health system’s information technology or security department.
  • Skinny label – Skinny label refers to a process whereby a generic or follow-on drug company tries to gain regulatory approval to market a drug product for one or more — but not all — of the uses for which an already-patented drug has been approved.
  • Smart mouthguard – Smart mouthguards are outfitted with sensors to detect head injury or possible concussion. In early 2024, World Rugby became the…
  • Smishing and vishing – By now, most of us are familiar with phishing, the practice of sending emails that appear as if they are…
  • Snooping – Incidents where staff at hospitals access someone’s medical records without authorization or being directly involved in the patient’s care. In…
  • SOAP note  – A SOAP ( subjective, objective, assessment and plan) note is a type of documentation physicians and other health care providers…
  • Software bill of materials (SBOM) – A list of ingredients that make up software components. This is emerging as a key building block in software security.…
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  • Techquity – Techquity refers to the use of technology as a tool to make health and health care more equitable. Techquity as…
  • Telehealth/telemedicine – Although they are sometimes used interchangeably, the terms telehealth and telemedicine have slightly different meanings. Telehealth is a broad term…
  • Telestroke – Telestroke is a form of telemedicine that allows providers to consult with on-call neurologists in other physical locations to better…
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  • Unique device identification (UDI) – A unique device identification system established by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to adequately identify medical devices sold…
  • Unstructured data – This is information that is not easily organized and located often in disperse locations. Examples include information collected from physician…
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  • Virtual foodcare – Virtual foodcare is a concept that includes making expert nutritional advice and support widely accessible through tech like telehealth.
  • Virtual nursing – A workforce model in which a hospital or health system hires or contracts with experienced nurses to work remotely to…
  • Virtual reality (VR) – A computer-generated simulation of a three-dimensional image or environment. People can interact with these images using electronic equipment such as…
  • Virtual visit – An aspect of telehealth or telemedicine (insert hyperlink), a virtual visit is a medical appointment that takes place via video…
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  • Wayfinding – Wayfinding is the process of using spatial and environmental information to navigate to a destination. Think of it as knowing…
  • Wearables – The terms “wearables,” “wearable technology,” and “wearable devices” refer to electronic technologies that are worn on the body or clothing…
  • Webside manner – The way in which a health care professional interacts with patients remotely during telehealth or virtual visits.
  • White hat/black hat hacker – A white hat hacker is a computer security specialist who tests the security of computer systems and exposes their vulnerabilities…
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  • Zero-day attack – A zero-day attack a cyberattack that takes advantage of an unknown or unaddressed security flaw in computer software, hardware or firmware.

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