APPENDIX B

Healthcare/IT Terms Used In Case

ADT (Admission/Discharge/Transfer): The most basic type of data passed between healthcare applications. Contains information about patient admissions, discharges and transfers to other units/departments.

Community Healthcare Information Network (CHIN): A collection of computers, applications and communications facilities that enable healthcare providers to exchange information across a local to regional scope.

Electronic Medical Record: An electronic representation of current and historical patient clinical information. Data in an EMR is normally maintained for the lifespan of the patient and may contain textual data, as well as diagnostic images.

Generally Available (GA): Applications or hardware that have passed beta testing and have been deemed acceptable for release to the market.

Healthcare Financing Administration (HCFA) (now known as the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services): Federal agency responsible for administering Medicare, Medicaid and the Healthcare Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA).

Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA): Legislation established to protect insurance coverage for workers when they change or lose jobs. The second portion of the Act, known as Administrative Simplification, deals with mandating standards for electronic transmission and storage of healthcare specific information.

TCP/IP: Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol. The primary communications protocol for the Internet. TCP/IP is quickly supplanting other protocols for use in local area networks (LANs).