The medical profession has a robust jargon all its own. With the advent of handheld medical computing there are some new terms with which you may not be familiar. Here is a selection. Click on the term and you will be taken to its definition.

ADT
Admission, Discharge, Transfer: usually the master patient management system.

Account Number
One focused number, such as medical record number or social security number. A patient usually has one account number, against which a clinician can list multiple encounters.

ASP
Application service provider: a means to outsource data management tasks such as data storage, system/application updates for both backend and front office products.

Back-office
In inpatient settings, back-office is an informal term that refers to the work that is done "behind the clinical scenes" to support patient care, such as charge capture and insurance payments.

CDR
Clinical Data Repository

CPT
Common Procedural Terminology (is a procedure code for billing purposes)

Cradle
A cradle holds a handheld computing device, sometimes known as a PDA, in order to synchronize the information on the device with the institution's main information system.

Dx
The abbreviation for diagnosis on a handheld computer screen

Encounter
Refers to an episode of care.

Encryption
The transformation of bits into other bits such that it's easy for a designated user to read and manipulate the data but hard for anyone else. It is important to recognize that encryption is a tool to help make a system secure but in itself does not imply a secure system.

Handheld
Another word for personal digital assistant, or PDA; a device such as a Palm ™ onto which you can load PatientKeeper software.

HCFA
Health Care Financing Administration (www.hcfa.gov)

HCPCS
The HCFA Common Procedure Coding System

HEL
Handheld Encounter List - a list of all encounters available on the handheld

HIPAA
Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act

HL7
Program and messaging standards for healthcare information

HPL
Handheld Patient List - a list of all patients on the handheld

HUPL
Handheld User Patient List: The list of patients with relationships to active encounters for the user.

ICD-9
International Classification of Diagnosis codes version 9

IT
Information technology

MPI
Master Patient Index - the list of all patients for a customer / organization. This list is contained in a back end system's database, usually a practice management system (PMS) or ADT (admission, discharge, transfer) system.

Password
Used to log on to the Intranet. It is one method in maintaining confidentiality of the information.

Patient Census
Database of all patients listed in an institution or practice's information system as other last time a handheld device was synced.

Patient Manager
The roster of a practitioner's patients. It is used as a gateway to the screens where detailed information is recorded.

PDA
Personal digital assistant, or PDA; a device such as a Palm ™ onto which you can load PatientKeeper software. Also known as a "handheld."

Personnel List
List of all handheld or PDA users.

PIN Number
Used with the handheld device as a means to maintain confidentiality of the information.

PM
Patient Manager

PMS
Practice Management System

PPR
Patient-Provider Relationship (used in Cerner to designate a relationship in PowerChart system)

Security
A broad term, running the gamut from using secure devices to allow entry into a machine room door to the particulars of password distribution and administration. Security includes the areas of authentication (are you who you say you are?), authorization (can you look at what you want to see?) and transport (how can I get that information to you without showing it to anyone else?). Tools to accomplish system security include such measures as biometrics, password requirements, system timeouts, audit trails, physical lock downs, and more. As one can see, security needs to be considered for every component of the system

Summary
Refers to a recapitulation of all charge information that has been entered for a single service.

Syncing or Synchronizing
Synchronizing, known as "syncing," is the process through which the handheld device communicates with PatientKeeper Mobilizer. Communication occurs when the handheld device is placed in a cradle and auto sync is activated.