general practice
clinics that treat common medical conditions for patients of all ages, "one-stop-shop"
medical assistant
unlicensed caregiver in doctors' offices and clinics, assists medical director
nurse
licensed health-care professional who promotes and maintains health
medical technician
uses sophisticated equipment and works with patients (phlebotomists) or in lab (histotechnician)
patient liaison
intermediary between patients, families, and hospital administration
non-physician practitioner
health care provider who works with or under a physician (e.g. nurse practitioners, clinical nurse specialists, physician assistants)
primary care physician
specialist trained to work on front line of healthcare system
pediatrician
medical care for infants, children, and adolescents
genetic counselors
risk of genetic diseases (inherit or pass down)
specialist physicians
psychiatrists, cardiologists
patient liaison
works with patients to collect contact and insurance info, answers questions, "middle-man" (sends medical history to new doctors in practice swaps)
medical history
record of info about a patient’s past and current health (e.g. habits, lifestyle, family health)
chief complaint
patient’s description of main health problem
physical signs
pieces of evidence that indicate externally observable illness
symptoms
any subjective evidence of a disease a patient perceives, helps narrow down conditions
diagnosis
identification of a patient’s disease or injury, must interpret patient words and physical cues
How long does a typical doctor's visit last?
15 to 20 minutes
current history
patient’s chief complaint, symptoms, treatments / tests the patient has had or is scheduled to have (nutrition, allergies, medication, health habits)
previous history
past health issues, procedures, medications, vaccinations, previous hospital stays
social history
patient’s life (living situation, occupation, school, travel)
family history
close relatives medical information (higher risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke, cancers, diabetes)
Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN)
offer basic care: patient interviews, monitor, vitals, medications, immunizations, draw blood
LPN qualifications
high school diploma / GED, pass NCLEX-PN exam
Register Nurse (RN)
provide, assess, coordinate patient care; record histories; exam prep; treatment administration; care plans; wound care; educate patients
RN qualifications
Associate Degree/Bachelor of Science in Nursing (ADN and BSN), BG check, NCLEX exam
Nurse Practitioner (NP)
exam, diagnose, treat, prescribe meds, provide health education
NP qualifications
Bachelor of Science in Nursing, registered RN and complete nP focused graduate / doctoral nursing program, national NP Board certification exam
direct to consumer test (DTC)
comes in a kit, determines predisposition for diseases or genealogy (uses cheek cells that company extracts DNA from)
plan of care
customized strategies to help with treatment of ongoing conditions