Acronyms CMS, CHIP, HIX, PPACA, HMO, MCO, HIPAA, HMO, PPO, LOB, ACO, VBC, APM ..

Acronyms
CMS, CHIP, HIX, PPACA, HMO, MCO, HIPAA, HMO, PPO, LOB, ACO, VBC, APM … let’s face it, the language of health care is filled with acronyms, and terms that we might hear often but not necessarily understand (what exactly is the difference between a for-profit and a not-for-profit hospital?). As the next generation of healthcare professionals, you will be expected to be familiar with the definitions and meanings of a lot of these terms. For some of them, you will go into detail about their meaning in some of your other classes, or you may be familiar with them from hearing about them in the news or from working in healthcare yourself. As you move forward into your careers, you should have working knowledge of some of the basics so you can talk fluently to colleagues, classmates, professors, and prospective employers.

For this assignment, you will choose an acronym (any you wish) that you will encounter in reading, speaking, and learning about the health care system in the United States. Write a 2-3 paragraph explanation and/or definition of what the term or phrase means in a healthcare context. For some of you, this will be easy. For others, your term may have a broad overall meaning, but you need to craft your definition so that it is specific to the field of healthcare. Be specific in your definition so that anybody could understand it. If your term refers to a person, what do they do? What credentials do they have? Where might they work? If your term is an organization, what is their goal? How and where do they function? Etc. Some of you may have two terms because they are very closely related. Be sure to address both equally (a paragraph for each is fine), and point out the similarities and differences between them.

The criteria of your post:
Must relate the term specifically to health care.
Must be 2-3 paragraphs.
Must use a minimum of 2 sources, neither of which can be Wikipedia (sources must be cited in APA format at the end of your post).
Must be completely in your own words — do not copy and paste or use direct quotes in your definition.

Criteria for your peer response posts:
Must be at least 1 paragraph.
Critique 2 people’s definitions. Did you think they defined the term really well? Do you think their explanation was too broad or did not really help you understand the term? Did they relate the term to healthcare enough? You must offer a specific, meaningful critique- not just “You defined the term well” or “Your definition was too vague.”
I want everyone to get some critique — so try to respond to posts that you see don’t have any or many responses yet.

Make sure your definitions are specific, detailed, and high quality. Peer response posts must be at least 1 paragraph, with thoughtful and specific feedback.