Healthcare Glossary

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 Defibrillation

An implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) is a device designed to detect a life-threatening, rapid heartbeat coming from the bottom chamber of the heart. It tries to convert an abnormal rhythm back to normal by delivering an electrical shock to the heart, called defibrillation. An ICD can prevent sudden cardiac death. Ideal patients for an ICD have survived a cardiac arrest due to ventricular fibrillation; life-threatening episodes of ventricular tachycardia; survived a heart attack, but whose heart remains weak; problems with the heart muscle, including dilated cardiomyopathy and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, especially when unexplained fainting episodes have occurred; and reduced pumping function of the heart

 Degenerative Joint Disease

Also called osteoarthritis, degenerative joint disease is the most common joint disorder. It is a chronic disease that causes the cartilage between the bone joints to wear away, causing pain and stiffness at the joint. It may also cause bone spurs to grow out of the joint. Symptoms include gradual and subtle onset of deep aching joint pain that is worse after exercise and often relieved by rest; joint swelling; limited movement; morning stiffness; grafting of the joint with motion; and joint pain in rainy weather. Diagnostic tests and exams for osteoarthritis are as simply as a physical examination and X-Rays of the affected joints. Treatment options vary on the severity and location of the joint pain, but include medications such as steroids, supplements and NSAIDs; lifestyle changes including proper nutrition, exercise and weight control; physical therapy; braces; and in some cases, surgery.

 Denial

Refusal by a health insurance company to honor a request by an individual (or his or her provider) to pay for health care services obtained from a health care professional.

 Dentistry

The branch of medicine concerned with the teeth, gums and related structures of the mouth. Dentistry involves the evaluation, diagnosis and/or treatment of diseases, disorders or conditions of the oral cavity and maxillofacial area.

 Department of Labor

The DOL fosters and promotes the welfare of job seekers, wage earner and retirees of the United States by improving their working conditions, advancing their opportunities for profitable employment, helping employers find workers, strengthening free collective bargaining, and tracking changes in employment, prices and other national economic measurements.

 Dermabrasion

Skin smoothing surgery that may be offered to patients with facial scars from acne, accidents and previous surgery; fine facial wrinkles; or precancerous growths. The procedure is done while the patient is asleep and pain free. A surgical instrument is used to gently and carefully “sand” the scar tissue off down to normal, health skin.

 Dermatology

The branch of medicine concerned with the anatomy, physiology and pathology of the skin and the diagnosis and treatment of skin diseases.

 Developmental Delay

A childhood disorder that occurs when children fail to reach developmental milestones by the normal, expected time range. It can occur in all five areas of development, or may just happen in one or more of those areas. Developmental delay is diagnosed through two types of play-based assessments: developmental screening and developmental evaluation. Intervention services are vast and chosen to meet a child's specific needs. Services include assistive technologies, audiology, counseling, educational programs, medical services, nursing services, nutrition services, occupational therapy, physical therapy, psychological services, respites services and speech or language therapy.

 Developmental Disability

A severe, chronic disability that is attributable to a mental or physical impairment or combination of mental and physical impairments; is manifested before the person attains age 22; is likely to continue indefinitely; results in substantial functional limitations in three or more of the following areas of major life activity: self-care, receptive and expressive language, learning, mobility, self-direction, capacity of independent living, economic self-sufficiency; and reflects the person’s needs for a combination and sequence of special, interdisciplinary, or generic care treatments of services which are of lifelong or extended duration and are individually planned and coordinated.

 Deviated Septum

A common physical disorder of the nose, involving a displacement of the nasal septum. The septum is usually straight but a shifted one is called a deviated septum. A deviation can cause narrowing of the nasal passage, lessening the amount of secretions that can drain, causing infection. In most cases, a deviated septum can be corrected with a septoplasty.

 Diabetes

A life-long disease marked by high levels of sugar in the blood. Diabetes can be caused by too little insulin, resistance to insulin or both. Three types of diabetes include Type 1, Type 2 and Gestational diabetes. Type 1 diabetes occurs when the pancreas produces too little insulin to regulate blood sugar levels appropriately. Type 2 diabetes occurs when the pancreas does not make enough insulin to keep blood glucose levels normal. Gestational diabetes is high blood glucose that develops at any time during pregnancy in a person who does not have diabetes. The symptoms for diabetes vary, depending on the type. Diagnostic tests and exams include a urine analysis, glucose tests, hemoglobin measures, and ketone testing.

 Diabetes Medications

More pills and types of insulin are available to control diabetes than ever before. There is also a broad range of drugs available to take care of problems, such as high blood pressure or high cholesterol, which tend to occur with diabetes. New research is pointing the way toward new drugs and better ways to use the drugs already available. Commonly used medications include metformin and byetta.

 Diagnosis-Related Groups

An inpatient or hospital classification system used to pay a hospital or other provider for their services and to categorize illness by diagnosis and treatment. Groupings of diagnostic categories are drawn from the International Classification of Diseases and are modified by the presence of a surgical procedure, patient age, presence or absence of significant comorbidities or complications, and other relevant criteria.

 Diagnostic Radiology

The branch of radiology concerned with medical imaging. Medical imaging modalities include radiography, CT scanning, sonography, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and nuclear medicine.

 Dialysis

A method of removing toxic substances, such as impurities or wastes, from the blood when the kidneys are unable to do so. Dialysis is most frequently used for patients who have kidney failure, but may also be used to quickly remove drugs or poisons in acute situations.

 Director of Operations

The manager who oversees the programs and services that support the organization as a whole, such as enrollment, claims, member services, office management, human resources and other “back room” functions. The Director of Operations is also referred to as the Chief Operations Manager.

 Disability

Any limitation of physical, mental or social activity of an individual as compared with other individuals of similar age, sex and occupation. Disability frequently refers to limitation of a person’s usual activities, most commonly vocational. There are varying types (functional, vocational, learning), degrees (partial, total) and durations (temporary, permanent) of disability. Public programs often provide benefits for specific disabilities, such as total and permanent.

 Disability Determination

The Division for Disability Determination Services reviews all applications for disability. The decision is made by a state agency team which includes a disability examiner and a medical consultant. The state agency team will determine the facts of a case including severity of the condition, how long the condition has lasted and how the condition affects one's work.

 Disability Insurance

Includes paid sick leave, short-term disability benefits and long-term disability benefits as determined by a state agency team.

 Disease

May be defined as a failure of the adaptive mechanisms of an organism to counteract adequately, normally or appropriately to stimuli and stresses to which it is subjected, resulting in a disturbance in the function or structure of some part of the organism. This definition emphasizes that disease is multi-factorial and may be prevented or treated by changing any or a combination of factors. However, disease is an elusive and difficult concept to define, being largely socially defined.

 Disease Management

A multidisciplinary, continuum-based approach to health care delivery that proactively identifies populations with, or at risk for, established medical conditions. It is a coordinated system of preventive, diagnostic and therapeutic measures intended to provide cost-effective, quality healthcare for a patient population who have or are at risk for a specific chronic illness of medical condition.

 Drug List

A list of drugs covered by a plan, also called a formulary.

 Drug Utilization Review

Review of an insured population’s drug utilization with the goal of determining how to reduce the cost of utilization. Reviews often result in recommendations to practitioners, including generic substitution, use of formularies, use of co-payments for prescriptions and education. In some cases, practitioners are now penalized or rewarded, depending on their drug prescription related costs and utilization.