Glossary of Medical Acronyms

This glossary of medical and health care acronyms is based on the Acronyms section of the e-Health Resource Centre, of the Office of Health and Information Highway, Health Canada. The Web site also offers Glossaries, a Thesaurus and online publications

Terms Web Addresses and descriptions
AAMI Association For The Advancement Of Medical Instrumentation (USA)
ACHDHR Advisory Committee On Health Delivery And Human Resources
ACHI Advisory Council on Health Infostructure.
ACHI (F/P/T) Federal/Provincial/Territorial Advisory Committee on Health Infostructure
ACHHR Advisory Committee on Health Human Resources
ACHS Advisory Committee on Health Services
ACPH Advisory Committee on Population Health
ACPHHS Advisory Committee on Population Health and Health Security
AIPSO Association of the International Physicians and Surgeons in Ontario
BCHIMPS British Columbia Health Information Management Professionals’ Society
CAC Consumer Association of Canada
CAN Canadian Nurses Association
CANAIRE Canada Network for the Advancement of Research Industry and Education
CCOHTA Canadian Coordinating Office for Health Technology Assessment
CDA Canadian Dental Association
CFPC College of Family Physicians of Canada
CHA Canadian Healthcare Association
CHA Canada Health Act
CHE Centers for Health Evidence
CHI Canada Health Infoway
CHIN Community Health Information Networks (Canada)
CHIPP Canadian Health Infostructure Partnership Program
CHITTA Canadian Healthcare Information Technology Trade Association
CHM Child Health Network
CHMIS Community Health Management Information System (Canada)
CHN Canadian Health Network
CHRA Canadian Health Record Association
CIHI Canadian Institute for Health Information
CIPHS Canadian Integrated Public Health Surveillance Program
CIS Clinical Information System
CMA Canadian Medical Association
CNA Canadian Nurses Association
CPHA Canadian Pharmacists Association
CPR Computer-based Patient Record
CPU Central Processing Unit
CST Canadian Association of Telehealth
EDI Electronic Data Interchange
EPR Electronic Patient Record
FNIHIS First Nations and Inuit Health Information System
GEHR Good Electronic Health Record (International)
HC Health Canada
HCA Health Care Aide
HCCI Health Care Coordination Initiative
HCERC Home and Community Care Evaluation and Research Center
HER(s) Electronic Health Record(s)
HIN Health Information Network
HIS Hospital Information System
HISP Health Infostructure Support Program
HTF Health Transition Fund
ICT Information and Communication Technologies
ITCH Information Technology in Community Health
LIS Laboratory Information System
MEDLINE Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System On-Line
MRI / IRM Magnetic Resonance Imaging
NFOH National Forum on Health
NHII National Health Information Infrastructure
NHSC Network of Health Surveillance in Canada
NHSI National Health Surveillance Infostructure
OHIH Office of Health and the Information Highway
PETs Privacy Enhancing Technologies
PIS Pharmacy Information System
PSW Personal Support Worker
RCPSC Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada
RPN Registered Practical Nurse
RN Registered Nurse
RIS Radiology Information System
SNOMED Systematized Nomenclature of Human and Veterinary Medicine
TAO Telehealth Association of Ontario
UPI Unique Personal Identifier