35+ terms · Plain language · Aligned with HHS, CMS, NIST, ONC
Healthcare IT runs on acronyms — HIPAA, EHR, FHIR, BAA, MIPS, MDR — and most explanations sound like they were written for compliance auditors. This glossary is written for practice administrators and physicians. Plain definitions, what each term actually means for your practice, and what decisions it affects.
Vendors should adapt to your vocabulary — not the other way around.
Practice administrators and physicians are expected to navigate technology decisions with major operational and compliance implications — while speaking a language designed by engineers, regulators, and lawyers. That's unfair. Good vendor conversations start with the vendor adapting to the practice's vocabulary, not the other way around.
Every definition below answers three questions: What is it? Why does the practice need to know? What practical decision does it inform? If a term is in this glossary, it's because medical practices actually have to understand it to make sound technology decisions — whether that's choosing a new EHR system, vetting a cybersecurity vendor, or scoping a managed IT engagement.
35 terms
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A
ACOAccountable Care Organization
A network of providers that share responsibility for the cost and quality of care for a defined patient population. Practices joining ACOs face new data-sharing and interoperability requirements with partner organizations.
APIApplication Programming Interface
The technical mechanism that lets two software systems exchange data. In healthcare, APIs enable EHRs to talk to patient apps, lab systems, and referral networks — typically via FHIR.
B
BAABusiness Associate Agreement
A HIPAA-required contract between a covered entity (the practice) and any vendor that creates, receives, maintains, or transmits PHI on the practice's behalf. Every cloud service, email provider, and IT vendor handling PHI needs a signed BAA. Missing BAAs are a common HHS OCR audit finding.
C
C-CDAConsolidated Clinical Document Architecture
An HL7 standard for exchanging structured clinical documents (referral summaries, discharge notes, care plans) between EHR systems. Predates FHIR but still widely used.
CMSCenters for Medicare & Medicaid Services
Federal agency that administers Medicare, Medicaid, and the MIPS quality program. CMS rules drive much of how practices configure billing, reporting, and EHR systems.
Co-Managed IT
A model where an internal IT person or team works alongside an external MSP. The internal team retains operational ownership; the external partner provides specialist depth and extended coverage. See our co-managed IT services page for the full breakdown.
D
DLPData Loss Prevention
Security technology that monitors and blocks sensitive data (like PHI) from leaving the practice's environment via email, USB drives, or cloud uploads. Increasingly expected as part of a HIPAA-aligned MDR stack.
E
EDIElectronic Data Interchange
The electronic transfer of healthcare claims, eligibility checks, and payment data between providers and payers. The X12 standard governs most EDI in U.S. healthcare.
EDREndpoint Detection and Response
Cybersecurity software that monitors workstations, laptops, and servers for malicious behavior in real time. The modern replacement for traditional antivirus. Often paired with MDR for 24/7 human-led response.
EHRElectronic Health Record
A digital patient chart designed to be shared across authorized providers and care settings. The broader term; modern systems marketed as EMR usually function as EHRs. Specialty practices often benefit from focused EHR optimization.
EMRElectronic Medical Record
Technically a digital chart used within a single practice. In practice, "EMR" and "EHR" are used interchangeably by most vendors.
e-PrescribingElectronic Prescribing (eRx)
Sending prescriptions electronically from the EHR to the pharmacy. EPCS (Electronic Prescribing of Controlled Substances) is the DEA-regulated subset for Schedule II–V medications.
F
FHIRFast Healthcare Interoperability Resources
A modern HL7 standard for exchanging healthcare data via APIs. Replacing older HL7 v2 standards for new integrations. Relevant for any practice planning an EHR migration or integration with patient apps, lab systems, or referral networks.
H
HIPAAHealth Insurance Portability and Accountability Act
Federal law requiring protection of patient health information. The Security Rule sets administrative, physical, and technical safeguards; the Privacy Rule governs use and disclosure. Full text available at HHS.gov.
HL7Health Level Seven
A set of standards for exchanging clinical and administrative data between healthcare systems. HL7 v2 is the legacy messaging standard; FHIR is the modern API-based successor.
I
ICD-10International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision
The coding system used for diagnosis documentation and billing. CMS-mandated for U.S. claims since 2015. ICD-11 adoption is in progress globally but not yet required for U.S. billing.
Interoperability
The ability of different healthcare systems to exchange and use patient data reliably. Critical for practices in referral networks, ACOs, or regional health information exchanges. Technical foundation: FHIR, C-CDA, and direct messaging.
M
MDRManaged Detection and Response
24/7 cybersecurity service combining threat detection technology with human security analysts. Detects indicators of compromise, investigates alerts, and responds to active threats. More than antivirus — an actively-staffed security operations function. Often a core component of healthcare cybersecurity programs.
MFAMulti-Factor Authentication
Login security that requires two or more verification factors (password plus phone code, biometric, or security key). Required by most cyber insurance policies and effectively expected under HIPAA's access control safeguards.
MIPSMerit-based Incentive Payment System
CMS performance program that ties Medicare reimbursement to quality measures, cost, promoting interoperability, and improvement activities. Practices earn positive or negative payment adjustments based on score. Details at qpp.cms.gov.
MSPManaged Service Provider
A company that remotely manages IT infrastructure and end-user systems for client organizations. Healthcare MSPs (like Qventive) specialize in EHR-aware support, HIPAA-aligned operations, and clinical workflow understanding.
N
NISTNational Institute of Standards and Technology
Federal agency that publishes cybersecurity frameworks widely used in healthcare. The NIST Cybersecurity Framework is referenced in HIPAA risk analyses and cyber insurance applications.
O
ONCOffice of the National Coordinator for Health IT
HHS office responsible for EHR certification, interoperability rules, and the federal health IT roadmap. ONC's certification standards drive what EHR vendors must support.
P
PACSPicture Archiving and Communication System
A system for storing, retrieving, and viewing medical imaging (X-rays, MRIs, CT scans, ultrasounds). Typically integrates with the EHR via DICOM.
PHIProtected Health Information
Any individually identifiable health information held or transmitted by a covered entity. The 18 HIPAA identifiers (name, dates, MRN, etc.) define what counts. Any system touching PHI requires a BAA and HIPAA-aligned safeguards.
PMPractice Management
Software handling scheduling, billing, claims submission, and administrative operations. Often bundled with the EHR; sometimes a separate system that integrates via HL7 or API.
A scoring category within MIPS covering certified EHR use, patient portal engagement, electronic prescribing, and health information exchange. Drives specific EHR configuration requirements.
R
Ransomware
Malware that encrypts a practice's files and demands payment for decryption. Healthcare is one of the most-targeted sectors because operational urgency creates pressure to pay. Defense requires layered controls — email security, EDR, user training, network segmentation, and tested backups.
RCMRevenue Cycle Management
The end-to-end financial process from patient registration through final payment. Includes eligibility verification, coding, claims submission, denials management, and patient collections.
RMMRemote Monitoring and Management
The software stack MSPs use to remotely monitor, patch, and manage client systems. The technical backbone of most managed IT services.
S
SIEMSecurity Information and Event Management
Centralized logging and threat-correlation platform. Aggregates security events from across the practice's systems and surfaces patterns that indicate compromise. Often pairs with MDR.
SLAService Level Agreement
Contractual commitment to specific performance metrics — response time, resolution time, uptime. A well-written SLA defines what counts, how it's measured, and what happens if the vendor misses.
SOC 2Service Organization Control 2
A voluntary auditing framework for technology vendors covering security, availability, processing integrity, confidentiality, and privacy. HIPAA remains the required framework for practices; SOC 2 is typically only relevant if the practice itself provides technology services to other organizations.
T
TLSTransport Layer Security
The encryption protocol securing data in transit (web traffic, email, API calls). TLS 1.2 or higher is the current HIPAA-aligned standard. Older versions (TLS 1.0, SSL) are deprecated.
Telehealth
Delivery of clinical services via secure video, phone, or messaging. Post-2020 expansion drove permanent CMS coverage changes for many specialties. Platforms must support HIPAA-aligned encryption and BAA execution.
V
VPNVirtual Private Network
Encrypted tunnel for secure remote access to practice systems. Increasingly being replaced by Zero Trust models for distributed practices and remote providers.
Z
Zero TrustZero Trust Architecture
A security model that verifies every access request regardless of network location, replacing the older "trust the internal network" approach. Important for practices with remote providers, multi-location operations, or cloud-based EHRs. Anchored in NIST SP 800-207.
Healthcare IT is dense with acronyms — MIPS, HL7, FHIR, BAA, SOC 2, EDR, MDR, RMM, SIEM, DLP. Practice administrators encounter these in vendor proposals and regulatory documents without clear definitions. This glossary is the plain-language reference, written so that the meaning lands on first read.
Two ways. First, look up specific terms with the search bar or A-Z nav when they appear in a proposal or regulatory document. Second, pre-read a category before a vendor meeting — knowing what MDR actually means before a security pitch changes the quality of the conversation.
Industry-standard. Definitions reflect how terms are used across the healthcare IT industry and are anchored to primary sources (HHS, CMS, NIST, ONC, HL7) where applicable. Qventive-specific products and services live on dedicated pages, not in this glossary.
Yes — email info@qventive.com with term requests. If a term comes up repeatedly across practice conversations, it gets added in the next quarterly review.
Quarterly review. Definitions are checked against current CMS, HHS, and ONC guidance; new terms added when they appear in practice vendor conversations; deprecated terms removed or marked as legacy.
SG
Editorial Lead
Steve Gerbino
CEO & Founder, Qventive Healthcare
30+ years in healthcare-specific IT. Editorial direction for all published content; ensures definitions match how practices actually use these terms.
Technical Reviewer
John Dritsas
Chief Technology Officer, Qventive Healthcare
Reviews definitions for technical accuracy against current HL7, NIST, and ONC standards. Final sign-off on cybersecurity and interoperability entries.
Definitions are general references — not legal, compliance, or clinical advice. HIPAA, MIPS, and similar regulatory requirements have specific applications that depend on practice context. Consult qualified counsel or a HIPAA Security Officer for compliance decisions affecting your practice.
Last Updated: May 2026 · Editorial review by: Steve Gerbino, CEO · Technical review by: John Dritsas, CTO
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