Health care literacy is necessary for making informed decisions about your health. It’s the ability to understand health information from medical visits and test results to make the best choices for yourself or a loved one. However, according to the National Assessment of Adult Literacy, only 12 percent of Americans have proficient health literacy skills.

To help bridge this gap, here are some important medical terms every patient and caregiver should know:

A condition, such as the flu, that comes on suddenly or develops rapidly and lasts a brief time (usually less than six months) is considered an acute condition. Symptoms do not have to be severe or come from a new condition, but they are serious enough to require medical attention.

An advance directive is a legal document that provides instructions for medical care and only goes into effect if you cannot communicate your own wishes. The two most common advance directives for health care are the living will and the durable power of attorney for health care. It is important for you to share your advance directive with your family members and/or next of kin.

If you have additional questions or need assistance obtaining advance directives, please click here. 

A condition, tumor or growth that is non-cancerous and does not spread to other parts of the body. It is normally not dangerous or serious.

Chronic conditions are long-lasting health issues that develop over time – typically longer than six months — and have the potential to get worse as they continue. Diabetes and high blood pressure are two examples of common chronic conditions.

The condition of having two or more disorders or diseases at the same time, such as obesity and diabetes, that can complicate health outcomes and treatments of one or the other. In some cases, treating one disease can reduce the impact of others if the disease is a result of the others. For example, losing weight may lower your blood pressure and diabetes risk.

A type of advance directive, this is a legal document that designates a specific person to make choices about your health and care if a doctor determines you no longer can make decisions for yourself.

Most commonly, this situation occurs either because you are unconscious or because your mental state is such that you do not have the ability to make your own decisions, as in dementia or Alzheimer’s.

A health care proxy can be a key part of your estate planning. 

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) is a 1996 federal law that created national standards to protect your sensitive patient health information from being disclosed without your knowledge or consent. A HIPAA disclosure consent is typically part of the paperwork you complete when you arrive for a medical appointment.

Hospice care is specialized care that provides physical comfort and emotional, social and spiritual support for people nearing the end of life. The hospice team includes doctors, nurses, social workers, spiritual counselors and home health aides who provide care centering on your comfort and dignity. Hospice care will also support your family members as they care for you during your final days.

In daily conversations, the word “impressive” typically has a positive connotation. However, in medical terms, it is quite the opposite.

If your doctor says an X-ray or other exam is impressive, they’re telling you they have a reason to be concerned about the results. As medical terms go, this is one of the most frequently misunderstood.

Doctors explain the risks, benefits and alternatives of a certain medical procedure to help you make an educated decision about proceeding.

By voluntarily agreeing to undergo the procedure and giving permission for doctors to provide the treatment, you are acting with “informed consent.”

A person who needs to stay in the hospital for medical treatment.

A medical power of attorney is a signed, witnessed legal document that appoints someone, family or otherwise, to make health care decisions if you are temporarily or permanently unable to make them for yourself.

A medical power of attorney is known as “durable,” meaning it activates when you become incapacitated but not before.

This is different from a general power of attorney or financial power of attorney. You must have a medical power of attorney to allow a specific person to make health care decisions on your behalf. If you do not, by law, your next of kin will be allowed to make the decisions.

This care calls upon doctors who specialize in different medical fields to work together to provide the most complete treatment possible.

A person who is treated without being admitted to the hospital. Outpatient care can include certain procedures such as colonoscopies, wound care, one-day emergency department and clinic visits.

This is specialized medical care for people living with a serious or life-threatening illness, such as cancer or heart failure. Patients in palliative care receive care providing symptom relief, comfort and support, along with treatment. Palliative care is not hospice care.

People at any age and stage of a serious illness can benefit from palliative care.

Preventive care is the goal of routine checkups, such as mammograms and physicals, you undergo every so often. The aim of preventive care is to catch an issue while it is still minor and easily dealt with or to head it off entirely.

It’s typically a good sign when this term turns up frequently in radiology reports, from X-rays to CTs and MRIs. In a medical setting, the term means there is nothing unusual or concerning about the body part being examined.

Your journey to better health begins with you. Access our extensive online health library for disease information, healthy recipes, interactive health risk assessments and more. Find the tools and resources you need to take charge of your health. Download the My Tidelands Health app, featuring MyChart, for health tips and more at your fingertips.

When you or someone you love is receiving care at a Tidelands Health location, please ask questions as an active partner in your health and wellness. We are dedicated to making your experience at Tidelands Health a positive one.