Assessment The ongoing process of analyzing and integrating data obtained from the patient and family, rel- evant treatment providers, caregivers, and funding sources in order to identify the present plan of care, current and anticipated needs, and problems or obstacles that may be resolved through case-management intervention. Biofeedback A process that provides sight or sound information about functions of the body, including blood pressure, muscle tension, and so on. By trial and error, one can learn to consciously control these functions. Useful for retraining muscles in some people with paralysis. Electromyographic (EMG) biofeedback is a type of therapy that teaches, or reteaches, the brain to use existing nerve pathways more efficiently. Some people with incomplete injuries may regain function by using computerized electrical stimulation to reproduce the specific motor signals of certain muscles below the point of injury. Case finding Careful, systematic observations of people to identify present or potential problems. Case management A process of coordinating a client’s health-care services to achieve optimal, quality care deliv- ered in a cost-effective manner. Causality The relationship of one factor to outcome, such that the presumed causal factor produces or contributes to the occurrence of some outcome. Chronic exposure Repeated exposure that occurs over time duration may be several months to years. Chronic toxicity Systemic damage as a result of repeated exposures, over time, to relatively small doses of the agent. Clustering A phenomenon representing a grouping in the population of cases of illness or injury. Confidentiality The implicit promise that information divulged to another will not be released or repeated. Confined space An area with limited entry and egress often without adequate ventilation, thus presenting a po- tential workplace hazard. Containment The practice of enclosing a hazardous substance inside a container to safeguard against a leak or release of a contaminant or toxin. Cost-benefit analysis A form of economic assessment in which the costs of medical care are compared with the eco- nomic benefits of the care, with both costs and benefits expressed in units of currency the ben- efits typically include reductions in future health-care costs and increased earnings because of the improved health of those receiving the care. Cost containment The control of the overall cost of health-care services within the health-care delivery system. Costs are contained when the value of the resources committed to an activity is not considered to be excessive. Cost effectiveness An economic evaluation in which alternative programs, services, or interventions are compared in terms of the cost per unit of clinical effect for example, cost per life saved, cost per mm Hg of blood pressure lowering. dBA A sound-pressure measurement derived by using an A-weighted scale that combines frequency with intensity. Detoxification Process of allowing time for the body to metabolize and/or excrete accumulations of a drug. Often called social detoxification if the withdrawal symptoms are not life threatening and do not require medication, or medical detoxification if the symptoms require medical manage- ment. Also used to describe enzymatic alteration of toxic chemical to less-toxic product. 390 Continued on next page
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