alternative medicine
approaches to health and illness that fall outside the medical model and treatments that occur outside of traditional institutions such as clinics, doctors' offices, and hospitals
assisted dying
actions that help a terminally ill person die without prolonged suffering
chargemaster
comprehensive list of medical services and their costs, used for negotiating with HMOs
complementary medicine
treatments and therapies that fall outside the evidence-based, medical model
cultural competence
possessing skills, knowledge, and attitudes that facilitate communication with people from other cultures
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM)
manual published by the American Psychiatric Association that lists and classifies all conditions considered to be mental disorders
health maintenance organization (HMO)
organization that delivers medicine through prepaid contracts and negotiated fees
hospice care
supportive end-of-life care for terminally ill patients, with the goal of keeping patients comfortable and free of pain
Kübler-Ross stages of grief
five stages individuals go through when they understand that they or a loved one has a terminal illness
living will
legal document expressing a person's desires regarding end-of-life decisions
managed care
health insurance system that creates contracts with networks of health care providers and approves or denies care
medical model
scientific, evidence-based approach to medical treatment
medicalization
increasing tendency to define more conditions and behaviors as illnesses
Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA)
legislation seeking to extend health insurance coverage to more Americans, including numerous provisions such as prohibiting denial of coverage based on preexisting health conditions, as well as subsidies (funding) to help some people pay for coverage
physician-assisted suicide
process by which a doctor knowingly helps a patient die
power of attorney
legal authority to make important decisions on another person's behalf
right to die
right to choose to end one's life because of incurable illness and suffering
sick role
social role people play when they are ill, entailing rights and responsibilities society gives to those who are sick
social construct
idea that has been created and accepted by a society
social role
socially defined expectation of an individual in a given status or social position
socioeconomic status (SES)
combined measure of economic and social ranking based on a person's income, education, and occupation
theory of fundamental causes of disease
idea that disadvantages associated with lower social status lead to poor health