Copy of `East London NHS - NHS medical terms`

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East London NHS - NHS medical terms Category: Health and Medicine > nhs terms Date & country: 28/01/2011, UK Words: 245

Randomised controlled trial
A type of research or experiment used to comapare the effectiveness of different treatments. Patients are randomly assigned to groups. The groups either receive the trement being assessed or are a control group. The control group receive dummy (placebo) medication. RCTs offer the most reliable form of evidence for effectiveness.

Rapid cycling
When a person with bipolar disorder experiences four or more mood episodes (mania, hypomania or depression) within a year.

Reflexiology
This is a type of alternative or complementary therapy that uses pressure points on the feet to promote health and well-being.

Rehabilitation
Improving a person`s skills through treatment and/or training to enable them to live a more fulfilling life in the community.

Reliability
The ability of data gathering tool to obtain consistent results.

Responsible Medical Officer
The consultant psychiatrist with medical responsibility for a service user.

Restriction order
Restriction orders can be added to some sections. The person must have been convicted of an offence for which imprisonment is a possible penalty. This order means that only the Home Secretary can allow discharge or time away from the hospital.

Risk assesment
Identifying aspects of a service which could lead to injury to a patient or staff member and/or to financial loss for an individual or Trust.

Risk management
Changing aspects of a service that could lead to injury to a patient or staff member and/or to financial loss for an individual or Trust.

Royal College of Nursing
This is a professional body that represents the interests of nurses, and provide support in professional matters.

Royal College of Psychiatrists
(RCPsych) This is the professional body for psychiatrists as well as the body that sets exams for those wishing to become psychiatrists.

Royal Pharmaceutical Society
The Society provides guidance for pharmacists (see definition and pharmacy staff.

Schizoaffective Disorder
This condition displays symptoms of both schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.

Schizophrenia
This is a psychotic disorder marked by delusions, hallucinations, disordered thinking and speech inappropriate emotions and/or lack of emotions. It is characterised by serious disturbances of thought and perception which cannot be attributed to brain damage.

Schizotypy
Schizotypy is a psychological concept which describes a continuum of personality characteristics and experiences related to psychosis, where psychosis is considered to be a particular (usually pathological) state, that someone either has, or has not.

Seasonal affective disorder
SAD is a form of depression linked to the seasons. Sufferers become depressed during autumn and winter.

Secondary care
Secondary care is specialist care, usually provided in hospital, after a referral from a GP or health professional. Mental Health Services are included in secondary care (see also tertiary care).

Section
This is used to refer to one of the sections of any Act of Parliament. A person who is detained in hospital under the Mental Health Act (1983) is commonly referred to as 'sectioned@.

Section 12 Approved
Doctors who are approved by the Secretary of State having special knowledge of mental health and who are required to be involved in assesments under the Mental Health Act 1983

Section 136
This section of the Mental Health Act (1983) enables a police officer to remove a person from a public place and take them to a designated place of safety, which may be a police station, a hospital or other suitable place.

Section 17
Doctors who are approved by the Secretary of State, having special knowledge of mental health and who are required to be involved in assessments under the Mental Health Act 1983.

Senior House Officer
This is the position gained by doctors after they are registered as a doctor by the General Medical Council. It is the second tier of trainee doctor (after preregistration house officer) in a hospital.

SEPIA
SEPIA is a computer package that is used to keep information about CPA (see definition)

Serious Untoward Incidents
This is a term used by many health organisations to describe a serious incident or event which led, or may have led, to the harm of patients or staff. Members of staff who were not involved in the incident investigate these and the lessons learned from each incident are used to improve care in the future.

Service user
This is someone who uses health services. Other common terms are patient, service survivor and client. Different people prefer different terms.

SHO
(see Senior House Officer)

Single Assessment Process
The Single Assessment Process (SAP) for older people was introduced in the National Service Framework for Older People. The purpose of the single assessment process is to ensure that older people receive appropriate, effective and timely responses to their health and social care needs, and that professional resources are used effectively.

Specialist Registrar
(SpR) SpR grade is a recognised training grade in the progression of medical staff to Consultant status. It was formally known as Senior Registrar. On completion of the Senior House Officer (SHO) rotation, and passing the MRCPysch, the Specialist Registrar continues training in their chosen area of psychiatry.

SSRI
(see Selective Seratonin Reuptake Inhibitor)

Stakeholders
A range of people and organisations that are affected by or have an interest in, the services offered by an organisation. In the case of hospital trusts, it includes patients, carers, staff, unions, voluntary organisations, social services, health authority, GPs, primary care groups and trusts in England, local health groups in Wales.

Standard
A measure, specification or object to which objects should conform or against which others are judged. A required degree of excellence.

Substance Abuse
This refers to the abuse or misuse of non-medical or 'recreational' drugs and/or alcohol. As well as physical problems, some substance abouse can lead to psychological problems, such as depression, anxiety and in some cases, psychosis.

SUI
(see Serious Untoward Incidents)

Suicide
Taking one's own life.

Support Workers
Support Workers provide support for clients and their carers under the supervision of a care coordinator which has been negotiated under the care programme approach. They can help people regain lost skills and develop new interests to help regain confidence and self esteem.

Talking treatments
These are psychological treatments in which improvement in a person's symptoms or wellbeing is achieved by talking with a therapist or counsellor rather than, or as well as, taking medication.

Tertiary Care
When a hospital consultant decides that more specialist care is needed. Mental Health Services are included in this (see also Secondary care)

Titration
This is a method of determining what substances are in a person`s system by testing bodily fluids. It can detect substances such as prescribed medication and also illegal substances such as drugs or alcohol. Dose titration means to slowly increase the dose of a drug to a level that can be maintained.

To-take-aways
TTAs are medicines supplied by pharmacy for service users going on leave from the hospital.

Tolerance
Tolerance refers the body's capacity to endure levels of medication over periods of time. It can also be used to refer to an addict's capacity to consume levels of either alcohol or illegal drugs due to repeated use or exposure.

TTAs
(see To-take-aways)

User involvement
User involvement refers to a variety of ways in which people who use health services can be involved in the development, maintenance and improvement of services.This includes patient satisfaction questionnaires, focus groups, representation on committees, involvement in training and user-led presentations and projects.

Validity
A data collection instrument`s ability to actually measure or test what it is intended to measure or test.

Vascular Dementia
(see Dementia)

Whistleblowing
This is the act of informing a relevant person in an organisation of instances or services in which patients are at risk.