Appendix A: Definitions

Any words or phrases used in this document are intended to promote understanding and may not include the full legal definition of the term as defined in the Trilateral Master Agreement, Government Acts, Master Services Agreement or other legal documents.

Alberta Health		The ministry of the Alberta Government responsible for administering the Alberta healthcare system.
Alberta Health Services	AHS	The provincial health authority responsible for overseeing the planning and delivery of health supports and services to Albertans.
Alberta Medical Association	AMA	A professional association of physicians in Alberta.
Application Service Provider	ASP	Hosting electronic medical record system from an approved central data centre. Data and EMR application software is hosted offsite and not within the clinic.
Change Management Advisor	CMA	Staff/contractors hired by the Physician Office System Program to provide support services to physicians who are implementing or using electronic medical records.
Choose Phase		The process of selecting an EMR solution from one of POSP's two qualified service providers (EMR vendors), resulting in a signed contract for an EMR solution.
Clinic		A building, facility or physical or virtual space where a clinic organization provides health services to patients.
Clinic Organization		A medical practice involving one or more physicians or allied health professionals practising as a sole proprietorship, partnership, limited partnership, general partnership, corporation, professional corporation, joint venture or other legal entity and where the context requires, includes employees or contractors of the clinic organization.
Data Migration		The process of moving a significant volume of data elements from one physician office system to another, often in an effort to maintain the continuity of care.
Electronic Medical Record	EMR	An electronic information record of clinical encounters maintained by a healthcare provider in an electronic information system.
Electronic Medical Record Solution	EMR Solution	All components provided by a qualified service provider to implement and operate a primary care information system providing billing, scheduling and electronic medical record functionality including interoperability within Netcare. It includes all necessary hardware, software, data centre hosting (for applications and data), connectivity, service, support and training.
Eligible Costs		Costs which may be reimburse to physicians by POSP in accordance with the program's procedures.
Health Services		A service provided by a physician to a patient intended to protect, promote or maintain physical or mental health, prevent illness, diagnose or treat illness, or rehabilitate and includes, but is not limited to, Insured Services (as defined in the Alberta Health Care Insurance Act).
Health Information Act	HIA	An act of the Alberta legislature governing an individual's right to request access to health records in the custody or under the control of the custodians, while providing custodians with a framework within which they must conduct the collection, use and disclosure of health information. The act also covers the actions of affiliates.
Invoice-Based Reimbursement		The mechanism by which the Physician Office System Program repays the physician for the program's defined portion of the contracted vendor pricing amount.
Locum tenens		A physician who substitutes temporarily for another physician, as defined in the Alberta Health Physician Resource Guide.
Master Services Agreement	MSA	The written agreement between a vendor and Her Majesty the Queen (as represented by the Alberta Minister of Health and Wellness) under which a vendor who was successful in the competitive procurement process may provide defined services and materials as a qualified service provider.
Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner	OIPC	The commissioner is an officer of the legislature, independent from government, and is responsible for monitoring the administration of the Health Information Act (HIA), as well as educating health services providers or the public about the HIA. The office also oversees other privacy legislation.
Physician		A medical doctor licensed to practise medicine in Alberta.
Physician Unit		An eligible physician and up to three full-time equivalents (FTE) plus two medical students.
Privacy Impact Assessment	PIA	A due diligence exercise, in which a custodian responsible for collecting, using and disclosing health information identifies, analyzes and addresses potential privacy risks that may occur in the course of a clinic's operations. PIAs assist custodians in reviewing the impact that new programs, systems and practices may have on individual patient privacy and ensure that changes are evaluated to be compliant with the Health Information Act.
Qualified Service Provider	QSP	A designation assigned to the three electronic medical record vendors selected through the Alberta Health and Wellness Request for Proposal - POSP EMR Pre-Qualification that have completed build out and conformance testing as defined in the Master Services Agreement, as well as business pilots.
Transition Allowance		Direct financial support, negotiated as part of the 2008-2011 term of the Trilateral Agreement, which is available to eligible physicians who were already using an electronic medical record and who are transitioning to stay current with the Physician Office System Program by moving to a VCUR 2008 EMR solution offered by a qualified service provider. It is one-time funding meant to partially recognize the temporary loss in productivity and the time investment that will accompany a transition to another EMR solution.
Vendor Compliance and Usability Requirements	VCUR	A set of functional, technical, security and privacy requirements for an electronic medical record solution developed through a process of stakeholder consultation led by the Physician Office System Program.