HEALTH CARE DOMAIN

The prevention, treatment, and management of illness and the preservation of mental and physical well-being through the services offered by the medical and allied health professions

Health care embraces all the goods and services designed to promote health, including “preventive, curative and palliative interventions, whether directed to individuals or to populations”.

Specialities in medicine

Anesthesia :     The branch of medicine which deals with anesthesia and anesthetics

Cardiology :  Specializes in disorders of the Heart and associated structures

Dermatology : Deals with the skin and its appendages (hair, nails, sweat glands etc).

Endocrinology : Concerned with the endocrine system (i.e. endocrine glands and hormones) and its diseases, including diabetes and thyroid diseases.

Gastroenterology : Concerned with the alimentary tract

Nephrology : Concerned with diseases of the kidneys.

Pulmonology : Concerned with diseases of the lungs and the respiratory system.

Neurology : Treating central, peripheral nervous system, and spinal column diseases

Obstetrics and gynecology : The branches of medicine which deals with female reproductive organs, pregnancy, and childbirth

Ophthalmology : Branch of medical practice dealing with the diseases and surgery of the visual pathways, including the eyes, brain etc.

Pediatrics : Deals with the medical care of infants, children, and adolescents (from newborn to age 16-21, depending on the country).   

Oncology : Devoted to the study, diagnosis, and treatment of cancer and other malignant diseases

Psychiatry : Devoted to the treatment and study of mental disorder.

Family Medicine :  This provides continuing, comprehensive health care for the individual and family.

Types of Hospitals

General

            The best-known type of hospital is the general hospital, which is set up to deal with many kinds of disease and injury.

            A general hospital is typically the major health care facility in its region, with large numbers of beds for intensive care and long-term care

Specialized

            Hospitals for dealing with specific medical needs, certain disease categories, and so forth

Teaching

            A teaching hospital (or university hospital) combines assistance to patients with teaching to medical students and is often linked to a medical school.

Clinics

            A medical facility smaller than a hospital is generally called a clinic, Clinics generally provide only outpatient services.

Kind of patients

Outpatient

            a patient who is not hospitalized overnight but who visits a hospital, clinic, or associated facility for diagnosis or treatment

Inpatient

            An inpatient on the other hand is "admitted" to the hospital and stays overnight or for an indeterminate time, usually several days or weeks.

Health Care Team

Attending Physicians

            The attending Physicians examines patients, monitors daily progress, plans care, and oversees treatment

Residents

            Residents are licensed doctors who are receiving additional specialty training. During their residency program, they provide care under the supervision of the attending doctor

Physician Assistants

            Physician assistants are health professionals certified to practice medicine with doctor supervision. They make medical decisions and provide a broad range of diagnostic and therapeutic services.

Nurses

            Many types of nurses will help care for patients. They provide care and treatment and will be a very important part of your daily experience.

Dietitians

            Dietitians help ensure that patient receive appropriate nutrition to support healing. They are available to explain special diets if needed..

Pharmacists        

            Pharmacists prepare and dispense medications. They work closely with doctors and nurses to monitor drug therapies and to prevent or correct drug interactions.

Phlebotomists

            These staff members draw blood for laboratory tests.

Physical Therapists

            Physical therapists evaluate the patient’s developmental and functional skills. They treat physical, developmental, and neurological problems, and help you learn to use your body through exercise.

Glossary

Chief complaint

             Concise statement describing the symptom, problem, condition. Or other factor that is the reason for a medical encounter.

History of the present illness

             Refers to a detailed interview prompted by the chief complaint or presenting symptom (for example, pain).

Signs versus symptoms

             A symptom is experienced and reported by the patient

             A sign is discovered by the physician during                                        examination of the patient

Review of systems

             A review of systems is a component of an encounter note covering the organ systems, with a focus upon the subjective symptoms perceived by the patient.

Physical examination

             Is the process by which a health care provider investigates the body of a patient for signs of disease.

Diagnosis

             Is the process of identifying a medical condition or disease by its signs, symptoms, and from the results of various diagnostic procedures.

ICD (International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems)

             Provides codes to classify diseases and a wide variety of signs, symptoms, abnormal findings, complaints, social circumstances, and external causes of injury or disease

Current Procedural Terminology (CPT)

             The CPT code set accurately describes medical, surgical, and diagnostic services and is designed to communicate uniform information about medical services and procedures among physicians, coders, patients, accreditation organizations, and payers for administrative, financial, and analytical purposes.

OD

             omne in die – Once-daily

BD

            bis in die – Twice-daily

TID

             ter in die – Thrice-daily

Pro re nata

            as needed

DAW

            Dispense as written

SOAP note

            The SOAP note (an acronym for subjective, objective, assessment, and plan) is a method of documentation employed by health care providers to write out notes in a patient's chart

Subjective component

            This describes the patient's current condition in narrative form recorded in the patient's own words.

Objective component

            Vital signs

            Findings from physical examinations, such as posture, bruising, and abnormalities

            Results from laboratory tests

            Measurements, such as age and weight of the patient.

Assessment

            Is a quick summary of the patient with main symptoms/diagnosis including a differential diagnosis

Plan

            This is what the health care provider will do to treat the patient's concerns. Advised with the patient as well as timings for further review or follow-up.

OUT PATIENT FLOW IN CLINIC