Hospital software glossary
30 terms, in plain words.
The abbreviations used at the front desk, on the ward, at the pharmacy counter and by software vendors, with what each one means.
- ABDM
- Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission, India's national framework for linking health records across hospitals with the patient's consent.
- ABHA
- Ayushman Bharat Health Account. A 14-digit health ID a patient can use to link their records across hospitals under ABDM. Patients →
- ADT
- Admission, discharge and transfer: the three movements of an in-patient that a bed management system records. Wards and beds →
- Bed board
- A view of every bed in the hospital by ward, showing whether it is vacant, occupied, being cleaned, reserved or blocked. Wards and beds →
- Care context
- In ABDM, one episode of care, such as an OPD visit or an admission, that is linked to a patient's ABHA so its records can be shared with consent.
- Day close
- The nightly step that posts a bed charge to every in-patient's bill for the night just ended. Wards and beds →
- Discharge summary
- The document given to a patient on leaving hospital: diagnoses, procedures, course in hospital, medicines to continue and follow-up advice. Discharge →
- EMR
- Electronic medical record: the clinical notes, diagnoses, prescriptions and results a clinic or hospital keeps for a patient. Consult and Rx →
- Enhancement
- A request to an insurer to raise the approved amount when the cost of a stay will exceed the original pre-authorisation. Insurance desk →
- FEFO
- First expiry, first out. Stock that expires soonest is issued or sold first, regardless of when it was received. Pharmacy →
- FHIR
- Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources, a standard format for exchanging health records between systems. ABDM uses FHIR R4. Lab and imaging →
- GRN
- Goods receipt note: the record made when stock arrives from a supplier, with batch numbers, expiry dates and quantities. Pharmacy →
- HL7
- Health Level Seven version 2, the messaging standard most lab systems and analysers use for orders and results. Lab and imaging →
- HIMS
- Hospital information management system. Another name for hospital management software. Billing →
- HMIS
- Hospital management information system. Another name for hospital management software.
- HMS
- Hospital management system, or hospital management software: the software a hospital uses to run registration, out-patients, wards, pharmacy, billing and insurance on one patient record.
- Indent
- A ward's or theatre's request to the central store for stock. Stores →
- Interim bill
- A running bill given to an in-patient during the stay. It shows charges so far and is not a tax invoice. Billing →
- IPD
- In-patient department: patients who are admitted to a bed.
- LIS
- Laboratory information system: the software a lab uses to manage samples, analysers and results. Lab and imaging →
- MAR
- Medication administration record: the chart on which nurses record each dose as given, held, refused or missed. Nursing →
- OPD
- Out-patient department: patients who consult a doctor and leave the same day. OPD queue →
- Package
- A fixed price for a procedure or stay that includes a stated list of services, such as a normal delivery or cataract surgery package. Billing →
- Payer
- Whoever pays some or all of a bill other than the patient: an insurer, a TPA, a government scheme or a corporate employer. Insurance desk →
- RIS
- Radiology information system: the software an imaging department uses to manage studies and reports.
- Schedule H, H1 and X
- Classes of medicine under India's Drugs and Cosmetics Rules that may be sold only against a prescription, with stricter record-keeping for H1 and X. Pharmacy →
- TPA
- Third-party administrator: a company that processes cashless approvals and claims on behalf of insurers. Insurance desk →
- UHID
- Unique hospital identification number: the number a hospital gives a patient at first registration and uses for every later visit. Patients →
- WHO Surgical Safety Checklist
- The World Health Organization's checklist for surgery in three phases: sign-in before anaesthesia, time-out before incision and sign-out before the patient leaves the theatre. Operation theatre →
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