Shared decision-making in medicineShared decision-making in medicine (SDM) is a process in which both the patient and health care provider contribute to the medical decision-making process and agree on health care decisions. Health care providers explain pros and cons of options to patients and help them choose the one that best aligns with their preferences as well as their unique cultural and personal beliefs. SDM has also been described as a method of care.
Clinical researchClinical research is a branch of medical research that involves people and aims to determine the effectiveness (efficacy) and safety of medications, devices, diagnostic products, and treatment regimens intended for improving human health. These research procedures are designed for the prevention, treatment, diagnosis or understanding of disease symptoms.
Informed consentInformed consent is an applied ethics principle that a person must have sufficient information and understanding before making decisions about accepting risk. Pertinent information may include risks and benefits of treatments, alternative treatments, the patient's role in treatment, and their right to refuse treatment. In most systems, healthcare providers have a legal and ethical responsibility to ensure that a patient's consent is informed.Health care qualityHealth care quality is a level of value provided by any health care resource, as determined by some measurement. As with quality in other fields, it is an assessment of whether something is good enough and whether it is suitable for its purpose.
Health careHealth care, or healthcare, is the improvement or maintenance of health via the prevention, diagnosis, treatment, or cure of disease, illness, injury, and other physical and mental impairments in people. Health care is delivered by health professionals and allied health fields. Medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, midwifery, nursing, optometry, audiology, psychology, occupational therapy, physical therapy, athletic training, and other health professions all constitute health care.
Cost-effectiveness analysisCost-effectiveness analysis (CEA) is a form of economic analysis that compares the relative costs and outcomes (effects) of different courses of action. Cost-effectiveness analysis is distinct from cost–benefit analysis, which assigns a monetary value to the measure of effect. Cost-effectiveness analysis is often used in the field of health services, where it may be inappropriate to monetize health effect.
Randomized controlled trialA randomized controlled trial (RCT) is a type of statistical experiment designed to evaluate the efficacy or safety of an intervention by minimizing bias through the random allocation of participants to one or more comparison groups. In this approach, at least one group receives the intervention or process under study (such as a drug, surgical procedure, medical device or diet), while the other groups receive an alternative treatment, a placebo, or standard care.
Quality-adjusted life yearThe quality-adjusted life year (QALY) is a generic measure of disease burden, including both the quality and the quantity of life lived. It is used in economic evaluation to assess the value of medical interventions. One QALY equates to one year in perfect health. QALY scores range from 1 (perfect health) to 0 (dead). QALYs can be used to inform health insurance coverage determinations, treatment decisions, to evaluate programs, and to set priorities for future programs.Unwarranted variationUnwarranted variation (or geographic variation) in health care service delivery is medical practice pattern variation that cannot be explained by illness, medical need, or the dictates of evidence-based medicine. It is one of the causes of low-value care often ignored by health systems.Incremental cost-effectiveness ratioThe incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) is a statistic used in cost-effectiveness analysis to summarize the cost-effectiveness of a health care intervention. It is defined by the difference in cost between two possible interventions, divided by the difference in their effect. It represents the average incremental cost associated with 1 additional unit of the measure of effect.
MedicineDiagnosis, treatment, and prevention of illnessThe Doctor by Sir Luke Fildes (1891)Medicine is the science and practice of caring for patients, managing the diagnosis, prognosis, prevention, treatment and palliation of their injury or disease, while promoting their health. Medicine encompasses a variety of health care practices which evolved to maintain and restore health through the prevention and treatment of illness and infection.National Academy of MedicineThe National Academy of Medicine (NAM), known as the Institute of Medicine until 2015, is an American nonprofit, non-governmental organization (though created by and mostly funded by the US government). The National Academy of Medicine is a part of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, along with the National Academy of Sciences (NAS), National Academy of Engineering (NAE), and the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM).*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.