What Is Medical Technology?
Medical is a broad term that describes the study of human biology and health. This includes many sub-fields of medicine such as anatomy, physiology, pathology, epidemiology, genetics and neuroscience. It also encompasses a wide range of medical practices and procedures including diagnostic testing, treatment and rehabilitation. Medical technologies are used to help restore, maintain and improve the health and well-being of humans. From plasters and bandages to ultrasound scans, X-ray machines and surgical equipment, medical technologies are with us from birth.
Medical terminology is a complex lexicon that medical professionals use to communicate with each other and patients about the health status of an individual. It is a key skill for healthcare professionals to have, as it is an important part of the communication process during patient encounters. It is also a required prerequisite to most healthcare education programs and certifications.
While the vast majority of medical terms have recognizable roots, some are not intuitive. For example, the term gastrectomy is an abbreviation of “gastrointestinal tract,” but it is not intuitive to the average person that the suffix -ectomy implies that this root word is comprised of two distinct words with identifiable meanings. It is also not intuitive that combining vowels are often omitted when the suffix begins with a vowel. This practice is often seen in the medical word enterocentesis, which refers to a procedure that involves puncturing the intestines with a needle.
The concept of serious and complex medical condition is complex, but there are some basic elements that can be considered: severity, degree of impairment or disability, and the need for comprehensive care management. These criteria could be incorporated into the medical coding system, such as the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth and Tenth Editions (ICD-9 and ICD-10), to enable healthcare providers to make determinations about whether an individual’s diagnosis was serious and complex or not.
A serious and complex medical condition is one that substantially limits a major life activity and is not easily treatable, reversible or curable, or when it requires intensive ongoing care management. However, it is important to note that even when a diagnosis is identified as serious and complex, some individuals may not meet these criteria at all times during the course of their illness.
Various medical and social services are needed to provide for the complex needs of individuals with serious and complex conditions. These include care and support to promote recovery and a high quality of life, as well as services to facilitate transitions between different levels of care. The development of appropriate systems and interventions for people with serious and complex medical conditions will require a clear, practical definition of this concept. This chapter presents some conceptual categories of conditions that might be deemed serious and complex, examines possible alternative operational definitions to screen for the presence of these conditions, and discusses some of the implications of these definitions for the regulatory or accreditation process. It is hoped that this chapter will stimulate dialogue about how to best define serious and complex conditions, particularly in the context of healthcare delivery.
Medical is a broad term that describes the study of human biology and health. This includes many sub-fields of medicine such as anatomy, physiology, pathology, epidemiology, genetics and neuroscience. It also encompasses a wide range of medical practices and procedures including diagnostic testing, treatment and rehabilitation. Medical technologies are used to help restore, maintain and improve the health and well-being of humans. From plasters and bandages to ultrasound scans, X-ray machines and surgical equipment, medical technologies are with us from birth. Medical terminology is a complex lexicon that medical professionals use to communicate with each other and patients about the health status of an individual. It is a key skill for healthcare professionals to have, as it is an important part of the communication process during patient encounters. It is also a required prerequisite to most healthcare education programs and certifications. While the vast majority of medical terms have recognizable roots, some are not intuitive. For example, the term gastrectomy is an abbreviation of “gastrointestinal tract,” but it is not intuitive to the average person that the suffix -ectomy implies that this root word is comprised of two distinct words with identifiable meanings. It is also not intuitive that combining vowels are often omitted when the suffix begins with a vowel. This practice is often seen in the medical word enterocentesis, which refers to a procedure that involves puncturing the intestines with a needle. The concept of serious and complex medical condition is complex, but there are some basic elements that can be considered: severity, degree of impairment or disability, and the need for comprehensive care management. These criteria could be incorporated into the medical coding system, such as the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth and Tenth Editions (ICD-9 and ICD-10), to enable healthcare providers to make determinations about whether an individual’s diagnosis was serious and complex or not. A serious and complex medical condition is one that substantially limits a major life activity and is not easily treatable, reversible or curable, or when it requires intensive ongoing care management. However, it is important to note that even when a diagnosis is identified as serious and complex, some individuals may not meet these criteria at all times during the course of their illness. Various medical and social services are needed to provide for the complex needs of individuals with serious and complex conditions. These include care and support to promote recovery and a high quality of life, as well as services to facilitate transitions between different levels of care. The development of appropriate systems and interventions for people with serious and complex medical conditions will require a clear, practical definition of this concept. This chapter presents some conceptual categories of conditions that might be deemed serious and complex, examines possible alternative operational definitions to screen for the presence of these conditions, and discusses some of the implications of these definitions for the regulatory or accreditation process. It is hoped that this chapter will stimulate dialogue about how to best define serious and complex conditions, particularly in the context of healthcare delivery.