This glossary contains words that can help people understand the medical records field.
Aaccessibility
adjective
The fact of being able to be reached or obtained easily.
Example: The mall is accessible from the highway.
fr: Accessibilité
Analysis
noun
A detailed examination of anything complex in order to understand its nature or to determine its essential features: a thorough study.
Example: The newspaper printed an analysis of each candidate's positions.
fr: Analyse
Average
noun
A single value (such as a mean, mode, or median) that summarizes or represents the general significance of a set of unequal values
Example: An average of 2,000 people attended the show each night.
fr: Moyen
Database
noun
A database is a collection of information that is organized so that it can be easily accessed, managed and updated. Computer databases typically contain aggregations of data records or files, containing information about sales transactions or interactions with specific customers.
Example: All of our customers' information was kept in a database.
fr: Base de données
Diagnosis
noun
The identification of the nature of an illness or other problem by examination of the symptoms.
Example: The unusual combination of symptoms made accurate diagnosis difficult.
fr: Diagnostic
File
noun
A device (such as a folder, case, or cabinet) by means of which papers are kept in order.
Example: The simplest form of record identification is alphabetic, using the patient’s name to identify and file the patient’s health record.
fr: Un dossier
Healthcare
noun
Efforts made to maintain or restore physical, mental, or emotional well-being especially by trained and licensed professionals —usually hyphenated when used attributively.
Example: One of the advantages of a national health care system is the ability to send information through the entire medical community quickly.
fr: Soins de santé
Insurance
noun
Coverage by contract whereby one party undertakes to indemnify or guarantee another against loss by a specified contingency or peril.
Example: I work for an insurance company.
fr: Assurance
International Classification of Diseases
Phrase
The International Classification of Diseases (ICD) is the world’s standard tool to capture mortality and
morbidity data. It organizes and codes health information that is used for statistics and epidemiology,
health care management, allocation of resources, monitoring and evaluation, research, primary care,
prevention and treatment. It helps to provide a picture of the general health situation of countries and
populations.
Example: The International Classification of Diseases is important because it provides a common language for reporting and monitoring diseases.
fr: Classification internationale des maladies
Medical terminologies
phrase
Medical terminology is the language used to describe components and processes of the human body, medical procedures, diseases, disorders, and pharmacology.
Example: A medical records technician has to be an expert in medical terminologies.
fr: Terminologies médicales
Pathology
noun
The science of the causes and effects of diseases, especially the branch of medicine that deals with the laboratory examination of samples of body tissue for diagnostic or forensic purposes.
Example: Preliminary reports indicated that the animal died during birth or shortly after, according to Powell, but scientists are waiting for pathology results to confirm the cause of death.
fr: Pathologie
Private
adjective
Something that belongs to or is used by only a limited few, or information available only to a limited number of people and not publicly shared.
Example: At work he was always very serious, but in his private life, he was actually very funny and relaxed.
fr: Privé
Record
noun
Something that records: such as
a: something that recalls or relates past events
b: an official document that records the acts of a public body or officer
c: an authentic official copy of a document deposited with a legally designated officer
d: the official copy of the papers used in a law case.
Example: There are similar events all throughout recorded history.
fr: Enregistrement
Record-keeping
noun
The act or process of creating and maintaining records; archiving
This simplifies tedious record-keeping and updates inventories.
Example: Sundays are devoted to paperwork and record-keeping
fr: Archivage
Statistics
noun
A branch of mathematics dealing with the collection, analysis, interpretation, and presentation of masses of numerical data.
Example: Coronavirus statistics on weekends often lag due to reporting delays.
