Glossary

Many of these definitions originate from Apple's online glossary, however some of the terms may have been changed slightly to be more specific to MacPractice, and non-relevant terms have been removed. You may visit Apple's site for a complete list. Each term will list any associated ability in parenthesis. You can quickly search the glossary by using the command+F function.

0-9270 (n.) An EDI Health Care Eligibility/Benefit Inquiry that is used to inquire about the health care benefits and eligibility associated with a subscriber or dependent. See also eligibility.

271 (n.) An EDI Health Care Eligibility/Benefit Response that is used to respond to a request inquiry about the health care benefits and eligibility associated with a subscriber or dependent.

276 (n.) An EDI Health Care Claim Status Request. This transaction set can be used by a provider, recipient of health care products or services, or their authorized agent to request the status of a health care claim. See also Claim Status Inquiry.

277 (n.) An EDI Health Care Claim Status Notification. This transaction set can be used by a health care payer or authorized agent to notify a provider, recipient or authorized agent regarding the status of a health care claim or encounter, or to request additional information from the provider regarding a health care claim or encounter.

835 (n.) An EDI Health Care Claim Payment/Advice Transaction Set that can be used to make a payment, send an Explanation of Benefits (EOB) remittance advice, or make a payment and send an EOB remittance advice only from a health insurer to a health care provider either directly or via a financial institution. See also ERA.

837 (n.) EDI Health Care Claim Transaction Set that is used to submit healthcare claim billing information, encounter information, or both, except for retail pharmacy claims. It can be sent from providers of health care services to payers, either directly or via intermediary billers and claims clearinghouses. See also eClaim.

4010 (n.) EDI Health Care Claim Transaction version. See also eClaim.

5010 (n.) EDI Health Care Claim Transaction version that started being used as of January 1, 2012. Currently some payers require the new format, and some do not. See also eClaim.

AAbility (n.) An ability in MacPractice performs a specific function, contains a specific group of records or is a stand-alone tool for the management of data. An ability allows the user to create new records or manipulate existing records in the database, depending on its function. Users can switch to different abilities using keyboard shortcuts, the toolbar, or the View menu. Each ability typically performs a very specific task. Examples of abilities include the Patients ability, the Schedule ability, the Notes ability, and so on. See also Toolbar.

Abnormal (n., adj., EMR/EDR, Labs) (1) In the EMR/EDR ability, an abnormal value is a user-defined pop-up menu value that can be a specified color. (2) In Orders, laboratory results can be flagged as either normal or abnormal.

Abrasion (n., Restorative Charting) The loss of tooth structure by mechanical forces from a foreign element.

Abscess (ABSC) An abscess is a localized collection of suppuration or purulent exudate (pus). An Abscess is noted as True or False (1 or 0) with a Keyboard Shortcut. It is a Tooth Notation Point.

Accepted (adj., claims) A claim status indicating the payer has accepted the claim for processing. Claim statuses can be viewed in the ledger under the Status column. Typically only eClaims will have an accepted status, however a paper claim can also be manually marked as accepted. eClaims that have an accepted status will appear in the Accepted eClaims bin.

Accepts Assignment (trans. v., claims) Accepts assignment shows that you are not "in network" but you accept an insurance company's allowed amount. For Medicare, accepts assignment means that the provider agrees to Medicare's allowed amount for the procedure and cannot charge the patient more than the contracted allowed amount. The provider needs to either use Medicare's fee schedule or needs to write off the difference between the office charge for the fee and Medicare's allowed amount. If a claim has accepts assignment checked when a user creates a claim, MacPractice will assume the provider is expecting payment for services and the balance will be in the insurance portion. Compare to Participate.

Access (trans. v.) The action or process of obtaining or retrieving information stored in a computer's memory.

Access Point (n., networking) A hardware device or software used in conjunction with a computer that serves as a communication hub to wireless clients and provides the same infrastructure as a network bridge to a wired LAN. Also called a wireless access point. Access points that use Wi-Fi are also called base stations. See also AirPort.

Account (n.) (1) A record or statement of financial expenditure or receipts relating to a particular period or purpose. An account in MacPractice is a single patient's total financial information or a group of patients who share financial information. Compare to Patient. (2) The Account tab on an account in MacPractice.

Account Alert (n.) A user-defined alert that can be associated to an account. Account alerts are added from the Account tab in the Patient ability, and are displayed with a green icon when the account is selected. Account alerts are typically financial in nature, as they apply to the entire account. Compare to Patient Alert.

Account Balance (n., accounting) The current total balance of an entire account. An account balance may differ from an incident balance if there are multiple incidents or patients in the account, or if there are account-level transactions, such as finance charges.

Account Ledger (n., Ledger) A node in the ledger sidebar that contains a summary of all transactions in an account. The account ledger can be referenced to view account-level transactions, such as finance charges. See also Ledger. Compare to Incident.

Account-Level (adj.) Used to describe transactions that are not associated to an individual patient or incident, but rather to the account as a whole, such as a finance charge.

Accounts Receivable (n., Reports) A report that displays all outstanding accounts and their aging information in MacPractice and contains an all-time cumulative calculation of the total accounts receivable since the software has been used in the office. Sometimes abbreviated AR or A/R, the report can be found in the Reports ability, under the Accounting/Financial node. MacPractice's Accounts Receivable is real-time, meaning no additional action is needed to "close out" or finalize the report.

Account Statement (n.) A statement for services for the entire account. Account statements will always display the total balance owed for all patients on the account. The Statement Manager prints account statements.

ACH (n., accounting) Abbreviation for Automated Clearinghouse. The clearing and settlement system used by U.S. commercial banks and other institutions. Most electronic funds transfers, such as automatic deposits by a payer or patient, are handled by an ACH.

Activate (trans. v.) To make a nonactive window active by clicking anywhere inside it.

Active (adj.) Currently being used. Active items are usually on top of other items and may appear in a different color. Compare to Inactive.

Active Window (n.) The frontmost window on the screen; the window where the next action will take place. The active window's title bar is highlighted.

Activity (n.) The combined actions of database entries of a particular user or users including additions, updates and deletions.

Activity Monitor (n.) A utility for observing and managing computer process in Mac OS X. Activity Monitor allows a user to view memory statistics for different applications and programs, and also allows users to manage, quit and sample processes from them.

ADA (n.) Abbreviation for the American Dental Association. www.ada.org

ADA 2006 (n., claims) The 2006 version of the American dental paper insurance claim form.

ADA 2012 (n., claims) The 2012 version of the American dental paper insurance claim form.

ADA Code, ADA Codes (n., claims) See CDT.

Adjustment (n., Ledger, Digital Radiography/Imaging) (1) In a patient's ledger, an adjustment allows a user to impact a balance without affecting deposits or production. (2) In Digital Radiography/Imaging, an adjustment is a modification that can be applied to a digital image. Image adjustments may affect the quality of the image, change its size or orientation, or they may add graphical annotations to the image.

Administrator (n.) A person who has administrative authority for networks, servers, databases, or other information technology assets. Administrators may include but are not limited to office managers, IT professionals and providers.

Administrator Account (n.) In regards to Mac OS X, an administrator is a user that can create other users, including other administrators, install software in the Applications and Library folders, and change computer settings.

Admitted Date, Admission Date (n., claims) The date a patient was admitted to a hospital or clinic for treatment. A claim with a facility may require an admission date, depending on the place of service and the requirements of the payer. See also Facility, POS. Compare to Discharge Date.

Advanced View (n., Schedule) In the Appointment Detail window, users can access all information in the selected patient's record by opening the Advanced View. The Advanced View can be accessed by expanding the arrow underneath the patient photo area in the Appointment Detail window.

AFP (n., networking) Abbreviation for Apple Filing Protocol. A client/server protocol used by Apple file service on Macintosh-compatible computers to share files and network services. AFP uses TCP/IP and other protocols to communicate between computers on a network.

Aging (n., adj., accounting) The process by which balances age, expire, or become overdue. Aging analyses give a snapshot of how long a balance has been outstanding. Aging information can be accessed from each account, from the Statement Manager, or from the Accounts Receivable report.

AirPort (n., networking) The name for Apple's wireless networking technology devices and software. See also Wi-Fi.

Alert (n., adj.) Refers generically to a signal, either visual (a dialog) or auditory (a beep), that calls the user's attention to an unusual situation. Visual alerts provide messages about error conditions or warn users about potentially hazardous situations or actions. Compare to Patient Alert andAccount Alert.

Alias (n.) An alternative name or label that refers to a file, command, address, or other item, and can be used to locate or access it. In MacPractice aliases can be entered for fees in the fee schedule, giving additional criteria in which to search for a procedure code, or another word that can be entered instead of the procedure code.

Allergy (n.) A damaging immune response by the body to a substance. Allergies can be associated to patients in MacPractice, giving the user an alert when the patient is selected. An allergy alert will also appear in the Rx and eRx abilities.

Allergy Element (n., EMR/EDR) An interactive EMR/EDR element that can be placed on a form that allows users to update and add allergy information to a patient.

Allowed (n., claims) The amount a payer deems appropriate to charge for a particular service or product. Participating providers are required to write off the difference between the office fee and the payer's allowed amount.

Allscripts (n.) A free web-based electronic prescribing service. MacPractice no longer supports or integrates with Allscripts or eRx in any capacity, however we can export patient demographic information out of MacPractice using an export preset. MacPractice will only support the creation of the export file. www.allscripts.com

Alphanumeric (adj.) Consisting of or using both letters and numerals.

AMA (n.) Abbreviation for the American Medical Association. www.ama-assn.org

aMac (n.) A Mac-based digital imaging software. MacPractice can bridge to aMac using a Digital Radiography bridge.www.amac-usa.com

Amalgam (n., charting) A silver-colored dental filling made of a mixture of silver, tin, mercury, and some other trace elements like copper.

American Solutions for Business (n.) A company that provides commercial printing services, forms, labels and envelopes. Users can purchase claim and statement forms from American Solutions for Business, among other supplies. https://home.americanbus.com

Analog (adj.) Relating to or using signals or information represented by a continuously variable physical quantity such as spatial position or voltage. Typically anything that is not digital is considered analog. Compare to Digital.

ANC (n., eClaims) A type of ancillary eClaims report that contains non-claim-specific information. ANC reports need to be carefully checked, as they are the only type of eClaim report that will not move a claim to either the Rejected or Accepted bin. ANC reports do not give information on single claims, but rather for a group of claims. Compare to INS and REC.

Ancillary (adj.) Providing additional or subsidiary information.

Annotate, Annotation (n., trans. v., Digital Radiography/Imaging, Restorative Charting) To add text or graphics to an image.

Annual Coverage (n., Insurance Estimating) The maximum amount of insurance benefits that can be used by a plan subscriber per year. Annual coverage is set per insurance plan in MacPractice. Compare to Remaining Coverage.

Anterior (adj., charting) Referring to the front of the body, specifically the mouth in dental anatomy. Usually refers to the first six teeth in a dental arch and their corresponding tissues. Compare to Posterior.

ANSI (n.) Abbreviation for the American National Standards Institute. ANSI's primary goal is to enhance the global competitiveness of U.S. businesses and to improve the American quality of life by promoting and facilitating voluntary consensus standards and conformity assessment systems. ANSI does not itself develop standards or conduct tests, rather it facilitates this work by "accrediting" qualified groups with appropriate expertise. The Institute is the official U.S. representative to the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC). Many forms of electronic communication must be formatted in an ANSI format, including but not limited to electronic claims.

ANSI 4010 (n., EDI) A version of ANSI X12, the EDI standard used primarily in North America. Version 4010 is just one of the versions of the ANSI X12 standard that is currently used. ANSI 4010 will eventually be completely replaced by ANSI 5010.

ANSI 5010 (n., EDI) A version of ANSI X12, the EDI standard used primarily in North America. Version 5010 is just one of the versions of the ANSI X12 standard. ANSI 4010 will eventually be completely replaced by ANSI 5010.

Apache (n.) A web server application used with MacPractice and many other applications. Apache is required for MacPractice iPad Interface and iPhone Interface.

API (n.) Abbreviation for application programming interface. A set of routines used by an application to direct the performance of procedures by the computer's operating system. The API allows programmers to use predefined functions to interact with the operating system, instead of writing them from scratch.

Appeal (n., trans. v., claims) A petition to an insurance company to re-open a claim for review. An appeal needs to be handled directly between the payer and the office, however MacPractice can assist in tracking appeals using the Insurance Appeal Manager. See also Insurance Appeal Manager.

Append (trans. v.) To add something as an attachment or supplement.

Apple () Menu (n.) The menu at the upper-left corner of the screen, used to open System Preferences, set Dock preferences, select a network location, open recent documents and applications, shut down and restart the computer, and log out.

Apple Remote Desktop (n.) An application that allows users to remotely control or monitor other computers over a network.

AppleScript (n.) A scripting language with English-like syntax, used to write script files that can control the computer. AppleScript is part of the Mac operating system and is included on every Macintosh. 

Applet (n.) Can be any small application, but usually refers to a piece of code that can be embedded in a web page. 

AppleTalk (n., networking) A comprehensive network system developed by Apple that runs on a variety of cable systems and protocols. It facilitates communication between network devices, such as computers, file servers, and printers, which may be a mixture of Apple and non-Apple products.

Application (n.) A computer program that performs a specific task, such as word processing, database management, and so on. Applications are typically programs that have a graphical user interface. The word application is used because each program has a specific application for the user. Compare to Program.

Application Menu (n.) The application menu is the menu to the right of the Apple menu. It shows the application name in boldface and is used to access the application's preference settings and to quit the application, among other options.

Apply, Applied (trans. v., adj., Ledger) The act of associating a payment to charges. Payments do not affect an account balance until the payment has been applied.

Appointment (n., Schedule) A designated time interval during which a patient is expected to see a resource. See also Resource.

Appointment Detail Window (n., Schedule) A pop-up window that gives supplemental information about an appointment. The appointment detail window is typically used to create the initial appointment, and may also be used to access the patient's advanced view. See also advanced view.

A/R, AR (n., accounting) Abbreviation for Accounts Receivable. See Accounts Receivable.

ARD (n.) Abbreviation for Apple Remote Desktop. See Apple Remote Desktop.

Architecture (n.) The conceptual structure and logical organization of a computer.

Archive (trans. v.) (1) To transfer data to a less frequently used storage area. Compare to Delete. (2) In Mac OS X, to either compress a file to reduce its size, or reinstall system software while keeping files and user settings intact.

Arrow Keys (n.) The keys in the lower-right corner of the keyboard that can be pressed in most applications to move the cursor insertion point in the direction indicated.

Assigned (trans. v., claims) To transfer legal rights or liabilities. On an insurance claim, if benefits have been assigned to the provider, the provider will receive payment for services from the insurance instead of receiving compensation from the patient.

Associate (trans. v.) To connect or tie something to something else in a database.

Assumed (trans. v., claims) To take or begin to have responsibility over a patient. Typically, care relinquished by one provider is assumed by a different provider. Compare to Relinquished.

ASTM (n.) Abbreviation for American Society for Testing and Materials. An international standards organization that develops and publishes voluntary consensus technical standards for a wide range of materials, products, systems and services.

Attach (trans. v.) Add a document or file to a database.

Attached Gingiva (AG): Attached Gingiva is the amount of gingiva that is bound to the underlying tooth or bone. Attached Gingiva is noted by A=Adequate, M=Minimal, I=Inadequate with Keyboard Shortcut. It is a Surface (Arch) Notation Point.

Attachment (n. Attachments, Perio) (1) A file or document that has been associated or added to a database. (2) In a Perio chart, the distance from the cemento-enamel juntion to the tip of a periodontal probe during periodontal diagnostic probing.

Attachments (n.) A purchased ability in MacPractice that allows users to attach files, images and documents to patients in the MacPractice database. The Attachments ability also supports an auto-import feature. Compare to Images.

Attachments by Filename (n.) An ability in MacPractice purchased in addition to the Attachments ability that allows users to attach multiple files or images to multiple patients at a time.

Attachment Control Number (n., EDI) An identifier used for tracking attachment information with an electronic claim.

Attachment Transmission Code (n., EDI) A code on an electronic claim that classifies how an attachment was transmitted.

Attachment Type Code (n., EDI) A code on an electronic claim that classifies what type of an attachment was transmitted.

Attorney (n., References) A person appointed to act for another person in business or legal matters. Attorney references in MacPractice DC allow chiropractors to keep track of workman's comp and accident information.

Audit (n., accounting) A systematic review or assessment of financial data.

Audits (n., Inventory) Audits compare physical stock of retail items to expected quantities. Audits are created within the Audits node of the Inventory ability.

Audit Trail (n., Managers) An ability in MacPractice that allows users to track all ledger history information. Sometimes also referred to as the Ledger Audit Trail.

Automatic (adj.) Used to describe something that works by itself with little or no direct human control. Compare to Manual.

Auto-Import (trans. v., adj., Attachments, Digital Radiography/Imaging) A process by which files and images are automatically imported and attached to patients in the MacPractice Attachments or Digital Radiography/Imaging ability.

Auto Levels (n., Digital Radiography/Imaging) An adjustment in Digital Radiography/Imaging that analyzes an image by its histogram and automatically adjusts the levels to maximize the dynamic range. The Cut Off slider allows you to adjust your grayscale midpoint.

AutoRemind (n.) A patient appointment reminder system that integrates with MacPractice. www.autoremind.us

Auto-Repeat (intrans. v.) To happen again and again. The keys on the keyboard are auto-repeat keys; if one is held down, the computer will keep generating that character automatically.

Auto Reports (n.) A Manager in MacPractice that allows users to create and export multiple reports at the same time.

Auto Snap (trans. v.) A process by which intra-oral cameras can automatically trigger a photo to be taken in the MacPractice patient photo area.

Available, Availability (adj, n., Schedule) A time frame in which a resource is able to be scheduled.

Avery (n.) A type of label manufactured by Avery Dennison. www.avery.com
BBackground (n., EMR/EDR, Notes) (1) An aspect of multitasking capability. A program can run and perform tasks in the background while another program is being used in the foreground. (2) In EMR/EDR and the Notes ability, the background is the area behind the main composition.

Backslash (n.) A backward-sloping diagonal line (), used to separate file and folder names in a path statement. Compare to Slash.

Backspace Key (n.) A key on the keyboard that moves the cursor one position backwards, deletes the preceding character, and shifts back the text after it by one. The Backspace key typically appears on Microsoft keyboards and is synonymous with the Delete key on an Apple keyboard. See also Delete Key.

Backup (n., adj.) A copy of one or more files created as an alternate in case the original data is lost or becomes unusable. See also .mpbak.

Back IP (trans. v.) The act of creating a backup.

Balance (n., accounting) A figure representing the difference between credits and debits in an account, or the current amount owed by an account.

Balance Forward (n., accounting) A balance entered into an empty MacPractice account ledger as non-production. Usually done to indicate a balance has been transferred from a different practice management system.

Bandwidth (n., networking) The capacity of a network connection, measured in bits or bytes per second, for carrying data. Bandwidth refers to how much data can be sent through a network or modem.

Base (n., charting) The cement placed under a dental restoration to insulate a nerve chamber of the tooth.

Base Station (n., networking) A device that transmits and receives data in a wireless network; also called an access point, a wireless access point, or a wireless router. See also Access Point.

Base Unit (n., billing) In regards to anesthesia billing, base units are the initial amount of anesthesia units used to induce the patient's anesthetic state.

Batch (n., trans. v.) A group of records processed as a single unit.

Beep (n., intrans. v.) A short alert sound emitted by a computer to call the user's attention to something.

Bill as Individual (v., claims) Allows a user to specify that a specific insurance company requires only individual billing information on a claim. Having Bill as Individual checked on an insurance reference strips all group information from a claim.

Billing (n., trans. v., adj., accounting, claims) (1) The process of creating, sending and managing insurance claims, patient statements, charges and payments on behalf of an office. Synonymous with accounting. (2) Used to refer to the billing entity on a claim, the entity responsible for payment and reconciliation for a claim, such as a billing provider. Compare to Rendering.

Billing Service (n., accounting) An entity who creates claims and enters payments for a provider. Billing services may also send statements or handle any other aspect of medical billing for a provider.

Billing Office (n., EDI) A number assigned by iTrans to identify the billing entity on a CDA eClaim. See also CDA.

Bin (n., eClaims) A tab in the eClaims ability that sorts transactions, both claims and lab results, of a similar status. Bins can be considered holding areas for an item whose status may change.

Bit (n.) Contraction of the words binary and digit. The smallest item of useful information a computer can handle. Usually represented as a 1 or a 0. Eight bits equal one byte.

Bitewing (n., Digital Radiography/Imaging) A radiography view taken to visualize the crowns of the upper and lower posterior teeth.

Bitmap (n.) A pixel-by-pixel representation of an object. Some bitmap images may have the .bmpfile extension.

Bit Rate (n., networking) The speed at which bits are transmitted on a network, usually expressed in bits per second or bps.

Bleeding (BLD) Bleeding on probing or gingival bleeding is the presence of probing induced bleeding. The number of bleeding sites is used to calculated the gingival bleeding score (see Notation Point Percentages). Bleeding is noted by (1 or 0) or 0 - 4 with Keyboard Shortcut. It is a Surface (Arch) Notation Point.

Block (n., Schedule, Digital Radiography/Imaging) (1) In the Schedule, a transparency block is used to indicate informational messages or to prevent users from scheduling appointments in a specific time frame. (2) In Digital Radiography/Imaging, a block is another term for a layout item.

Blog (n., intrans. v.) Short for weblog. A website on which an individual or group of users produces an ongoing narrative. The MacPractice Help page contains many blog entries intended to keep users up-to-date on new and upcoming events.

Bluetooth (n., networking) Wireless technology that enables communication between Bluetooth-compatible devices. It is used for short-range connections between desktop and laptop computers, PDAs, digital cameras, scanners, cellular phones, and printers. Since Bluetooth technology is based on radio waves, there can be objects or even walls placed between the communicating devices and the connection won't be disrupted.

BMI (n.) Abbreviation for body mass index. See body mass index.

BMP, .bmp (n.) See bitmap.

Body Mass Index (n.) A weight-to-height ratio, calculated by dividing one's weight in kilograms by the square of one's height in meters and used as an indicator of obesity and underweight.

Bone Loss (BL) Bone Loss describes teeth bone loss (the loss of bone around teeth) or dental bone loss (the loss of bone not directly associated with teeth.) Bone loss is noted as True or False (1 or 0) with a Keyboard Shortcut. It is a Tooth Notation Point.

Boot (trans. v.) To start up a computer.

Box (n.) See Block.

BP (n.) Abbreviation for blood pressure.

BPS (n., networking) Abbreviation for bits per second. A measurement of the speed at which data travels from one place to another; sometimes expressed as Kbps (thousands of bits per second) or Mbps (millions of bits per second).

Bridge (n., charting) (1) A link from one application to another. A bridge in MacPractice may do any number of things, however the most common usage of the bridge involves selecting a patient in MacPractice and clicking the bridge icon, which will launch the bridged application with the current patient selected. (2) A dental restoration that spans an area that has no teeth, and is connected to natural teeth at each end.

Bridge/FPD (n., charting) An option in the Restorative Charting menu that allows a user to chart bridges and fixed partial dentures.

BridgeShare (n., networking) A folder in the MacPractice data folder that allows information to be transmitted between MacPractice and a bridged application.

Brightness (n., Digital Radiography/Imaging) An aspect of image color control that controls the dimension of a color that represents its similarity to one of a series of achromatic color ranging from very dim (dark) to very bight (dazzling). See also color control.

Browse (trans. v.) The act of reading or surveying data files, sometimes across a network.

Browser (n.) A program with a graphical user interface for displaying HTML files, used to navigate the World Wide Web. Safari, Firefox, Internet Explorer, and Google Chrome are all examples of browsers.

Bubble (n.) A clickable icon in MacPractice that allows a user to submit information to the MacPractice Support department electronically.

Buccal (adj., charting) Pertaining to or around the cheek, as in the buccal surface of a posterior tooth.

Bulk (adj.) Large in quantity or amount. A bulk insurance check is one that includes payments for multiple patients and dates of service.

Bundling, Bundled (trans. v., adj., claims) Procedure code bundling or unbundling occurs when a payer believes that the actual services performed and reported for a claim payment can be represented by a different group of procedure codes. Grouping usually results in a lower payment from the payer. Bundling occurs when two or more reported procedures are going to be paid under only one procedure code. Unbundling occurs when one submitted procedure code is to be paid and reported back as two or more procedure codes.

Burn (trans. v.) The process of writing data to a disc. The reason the term "burn" is used is because the CD-writer, or burner, literally burns the data onto a writable CD.

Button (n.) (1) An area on top of the mouse that can be pressed to perform an action. (2) In mouse-based applications, a rectangle with rounded corners and a word inside that can be clicked to designate, confirm, or cancel an action.

Byte (n.) A sequence of eight bits that represents an instruction, a letter, a number, or a punctuation mark.
CCache (n., trans. v.) Auxiliary memory which stores recently used information in a place where it can be accessed quickly. In MacPractice, attachments can be cached on the terminal for quick access, though the original file is saved on the server.

CADI (n., Digital Radiography/Imaging) A Windows-based digital radiography application that MacPractice can bridge to. www.cadi.net

Calculus (n., charting) A hard deposit that forms when plaque hardens. Calculus is also known as tartar.

Canceled (adj., Schedule) A status that indicates the patient has called to cancel an appointment. The appointment will be removed from the calendar so new appointments can be created in its place. Compare to Missed.

Change Healthcare/Capario (n., EDI) A medical claims clearinghouse supported by MacPractice. Change Healthcare may also be known by its former names, Capario, MedAvant or ProxyMed. www.capario.com

Change Healthcare Portal (n., EDI) A web based tool that allows users to track and manage electronic claim information sent through Change Healthcare.

Capitation (n., accounting) A system of payment to medical service providers determined by the number of patients seen. Under a capitation system, healthcare service providers are paid a set amount for each enrolled person assigned to that physician or group of physicians, whether or not that person seeks care, per period of time.

Caps Lock key (n.) A key that can be locked into place so that subsequent letters that are typed will come out capitalized. Caps Lock doesn't affect non-alphabet keys.

CARC (n., claims) Abbreviation for Claims Adjustment Reason Code. See Reason Code.

Care Slip (n.) A set of codes that can be printed on a patient's encounter form or placed in an EMR/EDR form for the purposes of identifying the applicable diagnoses and procedure codes for the patient's visit.

Care Slip Element (n., EMR/EDR) An element that can be placed on an EMR/EDR form that allows the user to choose applicable diagnoses and procedure codes for the patient's visit.

Carrier (n.) Another name for an insurance company.

Carrier Always Pays Provider (n., claims) A checkbox in the Insurance Company reference that allows the user to designate that payments will be made to the office without affecting claims. If carrier always pays provider is checked, the balance will move to the insurance portion when claims are created, regardless of the Accepts Assignment status on the claim.

Carrier Code (n., claims) A code used on secondary claims to Medicaid to identify the primary payer.

Caries (n., charting) Decay and crumbling of a tooth or bone, sometimes also referred to as a cavity.

Case-Sensitive (adj.) Treated differently depending on whether it is in capitals or lowercase text. Fields that are case-sensitive require the user to pay careful attention to whether characters that are entered are in capitals or lower-case.

CASS (n., eStatements) Abbreviation for Coding Accuracy Support System. A system used by USPS that provides address-matching services and reporting. See also NCOA.

Cast (n., charting) Plastic model of a tooth or teeth and adjoining tissue, also referred to as a study model.

Cast High Noble (n., charting) See Noble Metal.

Cast Noble (n., charting) A mold of gold, palladium, and/or platinum.

Catalog (n.) A list of all the files on a disk, also called a directory.

Category (n., Notes) A classification of parts in the Notes ability. A category needs to be created before any parts can be created. See also Part.

CCD (n.) Abbreviation for Continuity of Care Document. See Continuity of Care Document.

CCR (n.) Abbreviation for Continuity of Care Record. See Continuity of Care Record.

CD (n.) Abbreviation for compact disc.

CDA (n., claims) Abbreviation for the Canadian Dental Association. In MacPractice, the term CDA typically refers to CDA eClaims. www.cda-adc.ca

CD-R (n.) Abbreviation for compact disc recordable.

CD-ROM (n.) Abbreviation for compact disc read-only memory.

CD-RW (n.) Abbreviation for compact disc re-writeable. A type of CD that can be written to in multiple sessions. MacPractice does not recommend using CD-RWs for maintaining backups.

CDT (n., claims) Abbreviation for Current Dental Terminology. Also known as dental codes or ADA Codes. The CDT is a uniform coding system maintained by the American Dental Association (ADA) which provides the dental profession with a standardized coding system to document and to communicate accurate information about dental treatment procedures and services to agencies involved in adjudicating insurance claims. Compare to CPT and HCPCS.

Cell (n.) The intersection of a row and a column in a spreadsheet. A cell can hold a number, label, function, or formula.

Cementum (n., charting) A bony substance covering the root of a tooth.

Ceph (n., Digital Radiography/Imaging) Short for cephalometric radiograph. A radiograph of the head made with precise reproducible relationships between radiograph source, subject, and film.

Charge (n., trans. v., accounting) (1) A price asked for goods or services. (2) To record the cost of something as an amount payable on an account.

Chart (n., trans. v.) A record of information about a patient.

Checkbox (n.) A graphical user interface element that permits the user to make multiple selections from a number of options. Normally, check boxes are shown on the screen as a square box that can contain white space for false or a tick mark for true.

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Check File Type (trans. v., Digital Radiography/Imaging) A process by which MacPractice checks a file's extension for the proper file format before importing an image.

ChiroMac (n.) A practice management software for chiropractors that runs on the classic (OS 9) operating system.

Choose (trans. v.) To pick a command from a menu.

Claim (n., claims) An application for compensation under the terms of an insurance policy.

Claim Manager (n.) A Manager in MacPractice that allows the user to create, manage and reprint claims in bulk.

Claim Office (n., EDI) A number required by some payers when billing as a group. Sometimes also referred to as a Contract Code.

Claim Status Inquiry (n., EDI) A real-time transaction that allows users to request claim status information directly from the payer. Often abbreviated CSI.

Clasp (n., charting) A device that holds a removable partial denture to stationary teeth.

Class V (n., charting) Caries near the gingiva on the facial or lingual surfaces.

Clear (trans. v.) To remove unwanted characters from a text field.

Clearinghouse (n., EDI) A central institution or agency for the collection, maintenance, and distribution of electronic data. Clearinghouses will transmit and convert electronic data for a payer. Some clearinghouses will even process claims.

CLIA (n., claims) Abbreviation for Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments. Might also be referred to as a Lab code and is required for billing laboratory charges to Medicare. The objective of the CLIA program is to ensure quality laboratory testing.

Click (intrans. v.) To position the pointer over something, then press and quickly release the mouse button. May also be known as a single click.

Client Computer (n., networking) A computer on a network that receives network services from a server.

Clinical (n.) A tab in the Patient ability that allows the user to view a summary of all of the patient's clinical information, including exportable documents in either the HL7 CCD (HITSP/C32) format or the ASTM CCR v1.0 format. See also Continuity of Care Document and Continuity of Care Record.

Clinical Attachment Loss (CAL) Clinical Attachment Loss is calculated by adding the Probing Depth to the Gingival Margin. Thus, Clinical Attachment Loss can be measured with a positive value when the gum line is below the CEJ and a negative value when the gum line is below the CEJ. Higher Clinical Attachment Loss measurements are associated with greater risk of losing a tooth. It is a Surface (Arch) Notation Point.

Clinical Decision Rule (n.) A reference in MacPractice that allows users to create and customize clinical alerts based on the information currently entered in a patient's record.

Clinical Ledger (n., EMR/EDR, Ledger) (1) A table below the EMR/EDR form compose area that gives the user additional information about a specific patient's history in MacPractice, including prescription history, appointment history, attachments, charge history, among others. (2) A view in the patient's ledger in addition to the that gives additional information about the patient's history in MacPractice, including prescription history, appointment history, attachments, charge history, among others.

Clinical Note (n., charting) A note that can be added to a patient's chart in charting, that gives additional information about a specific charge, tooth, or the patient's visit.

Clinical Note Table The Clinical Note Table in the Perio Ability displays the Clinical Notes.

Clipboard Application (n.) An application available through the App Store that can be installed on the iPad and iPad mini that allows patients to view and update their information. The MacPractice Clipboard Application for the iPad can link with the MacPractice application to update demographic information and store patient forms.

Clipboard (n.) A section of memory (RAM) that stores copied data, most commonly items cut and pasted. See also Cut, Copy and Paste.

Clinical Quality Measures (n.) (1) A set of statistics related to patients' care that are recorded and reported as part of the Medicare/Medicaid EHR Incentive Programs. (2) A section of the Reports ability in MacPractice that contains reporting for these statistics.

Close (trans. v.) To cause a window or palette to disappear by clicking the x button in the top left corner, which is usually red. On a Windows computer, the x is in the opposite corner. Closing is not the same thing as quitting or logging out, as the window only disappears, but the application is still running in the background. Compare to Quit. See also Minimize and Maximize.

CMS (n., claims) Abbreviation for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. A government agency that manages all Medicare and Medicaid services; previously known as HCFA, or the Health Care Financing Administration. www.cms.gov

CMS 1500 (n., claims) The most recent version of the American professional paper insurance claim form. See also Medicare Part B.

COB (n., claims) Abbreviation for coordination of benefits. Refers to the balancing of secondary claim information and primary payment amounts.

COBA (n., claims) Abbreviation for the Coordination of Benefits Agreement Program. COBA establishes a nationally standard contract between CMS and other health insurance organizations that defines the criteria for transmitting enrollee eligibility data and Medicare adjudicated claim data. CMS transferred the claims crossover functions from individual Medicare contractors to a national claims crossover contractor, the Coordination of Benefits Contractor (COBC). This consolidation allowed for the establishment of unique identifiers (COBA IDs) to be associated with each contract and create a national repository for COBA information.

Code (n.) A series of letters, numbers, or symbols assigned to something for the purposes of classification or identification. Codes in MacPractice are usually used to indicate a specific procedure, product or diagnosis.

Code Map (n., charting) A Manager that allows the user to control which code is chosen when a specific entry is made in the patient's Restorative Chart.

Coinsurance (n., claims) A splitting or spreading of risk among multiple parties. A coinsurance amount on an EOB indicates funds that are payable by the patient or a different carrier.

Collections Manager (n., Managers ability) The Collections Manager runs a report of outstanding balances from which patient accounts can be sent to TransWorld Systems, Inc. for collection agency services. See also Transworld Systems, Inc.

Color Control (n., Digital Radiography/Imaging) Color control allows a user to change the color settings of a particular image, including the color saturation, brightness and contrast. See also Adjustment, Brightness, Contrast, and Saturation.

Color Map (n., Digital Radiography/Imaging) A type of adjustment that transforms the colors of one image to the colors of another image. MacPractice allows the user to select from either Black Body or Full Saturation to quickly change the colors of an image based on its current histogram. See also Adjustment.

Column (n.) (1) A vertical arrangement of related values. Columns can be resized, rearranged and resorted in almost all Mac OS X applications. (2) In a relational database, the dimension of a table that holds values for a particular attribute.

Combo Box (n.) A combination of a pop-up menu and a single-line text box. Combo boxes allow the user to either type a value directly into it or choose from a list of existing options. Combo boxes in MacPractice will save the newly entered value to the database as a new Reference, so caution should be used to avoid spelling errors. Compare to Pop-Up.

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Command (n.) An instruction given to a computer by menu selection or keystroke.

Command-Click (trans. v.) An action that involves holding down the Command key while clicking on an item or selection. Command-clicking allows the user to select multiple items individually and is most commonly used in MacPractice to select multiple report filter criteria.

Command Key (n.) The key on the keyboard located on either side of the Space Bar. On older computers and keyboards, the Command key is the same as the Apple key (). The Command key is pressed with other keys to perform special actions and to select multiple items. Its functionality is similar to that of the Control key on a Windows PC.

Comment (n.) (1) A note that can be added to a patient's ledger to give financial information to other MacPractice users. Ledger comments can also be printed as items on a patient's statement. (2) A message that can be added to statements or post cards to give additional information or instructions to the patient receiving the item.

Common Clinical Notes (n., Charting) Clinical Notes that are used often can be added to the Common Clinical Notes Reference. Strings of characters will be recognized and autofill in the Clinical Notes table of Charting.

Compatibility (n.) The condition under which software or devices can work with each other.

Composite (n., charting) A tooth-colored material often used in place of amalgam composed primarily of polymers with filler materials composed of silica, quartz, or ceramic particle.

Compression (n.) The process of reducing the data size of a file.

Computer (n.) An electronic device for storing and processing data, typically in binary form, according to instructions given to it in a variable program.

Confirm, Confirmed (trans. v., adj.) (1) To verify an appointment time. (2) To establish the truth or correctness of something. 

Configuration (n.) The arrangement in which items of computer hardware or software are interconnected.

Connect to Public (n.) An option in the MacPractice Help menu that automatically connects the user to MacPractice's public folder as a guest to share information or files.

Console (n.) A Mac OS X application that allows users to view messages sent by applications and the operating system.

Continuity of Care Document (n.) A document in the HL7 CCD (HITSP/C32) format that can be viewed from the Clinical tab in the Patient ability. This document can also be exported to the Patient Health Information portal for a patient to view or download. See also Patient Health Information Portal.

Continuity of Care Record (n.) A document in the ASTM CCR v1.0 format that can be viewed from the Clinical tab in the Patient ability. This document can also be exported to the Patient Health Information portal for a patient to view or download. See also Patient Health Information Portal.

Contract Billing (n., accounting) A feature in the MacPractice ledger that allows users to configure payment plans for patients.

Contract Charges (n., accounting) Charges posted to a patient's accounting using the optional payment plan feature in MacPractice. Contract charges are assessed automatically.

Contrast (n., Digital Radiography/Imaging) An aspect of color control that controls the difference in brightness between the light and dark areas of an image. See also Color Control.

Control Key (n.) A modifier key on the keyboard that, when pressed in conjunction with another key, changes the behavior of that key or performs a special operation. Sometimes abbreviated Ctrl.

Control-Click (trans. v.) An action that involves holding down the Control key while clicking on an item or selection. Control-clicking on items usually opens an option menu that allows users to modify or get information about an item or selection. Control-clicking performs the same action as the secondary function on a two-button mouse. See also Right-Click.

Convert, Converted (trans. v., adj.) To change the format of data so that it can be used by a different application than it was originally created for.

Conversion (n.) A service that can be purchased by new users that will convert data so that it can be used by MacPractice.

Coordination of Benefits (n., claims) See COB.

Coordination With Other Carriers (n., Insurance Estimating) A radio button in References > Insurance Companies > Plans > Coverage used to specify the behavior of secondary insurance plans. Coordination with other carriers can be standard or non-duplicating. See also Standard Coverage and Non-Duplicating Coverage.

Copay (n., claims) Short for copayment. A payment owed by the person insured at the time a covered service is rendered, covering part of the cost of the service.

Copy (trans. v.) (1) To temporarily duplicate information to the Clipboard where it can be retrieved later, usually by pasting. See also Clipboard, Cut and Paste. (2) To reproduce information in another location.

Corporate Training (n.) Training that can be purchased from the MacPractice Corporate Trainer. Corporate Training is offered at our National MacPractice Training Academy, located in downtown Lincoln, Nebraska.

Corrected (adj., EDI) A type of eClaim that includes fixed or updated information. Not all carriers accept corrected claims.

Coverage (n., claims) The amount of protection given by an insurance policy.

CPOE (n., Reports) Abbreviation for Computerized Provider Order Entry. Medication orders entered by any licensed healthcare professional who can enter orders into the medical record per state, local, and professional guidelines. A User is defined as CPOE in MacPractice when the Is CPOE checkbox is checked within the user reference.

CPT (n., claims) Abbreviation for Current Procedural Terminology. Also known as procedure codes. The CPT is a uniform coding system maintained by the American Medical Association (AMA) consisting of descriptive terms and identifying codes that are used primarily to identify medical services and procedures furnished by physicians and other health care professionals. These health care professionals use the CPT to identify services and procedures for which they bill public or private health insurance programs. Compare to CDT and HCPCS.

CPU (n.) Abbreviation for central processing unit. The part of a computer in which operations are controlled and executed.

CQM (n.) Abbreviation for Clinical Quality Measures. See Clinical Quality Measures.

Crash (n., intrans. v.) A situation where a program stops working and is not responding, or exits abnormally after encountering a problem. Compare to Hang and Freeze.

Credential, Credentialed (n., adj., intrans. v., iPad, claims) (1) Refers to any set of criteria used to identify an individual or an entity. Usernames and passwords are examples of one type of credential. (2) For claims, credentialing refers to having provider information on file with a payer for the purpose of sending claims. The office is responsible for all payer credentials. Many payers use the terms credentialed and enrolled interchangeably, therefore MacPractice uses the term enrollment to refer exclusively to EDI enrollment. Compare to Enrollment.

Credit (n., trans. v., accounting) An entry recording a sum received; the opposite of a debit.

Credit Balance (n., accounting) A condition in which an account has more total credits than total debits. A credit balance may occur if a patient pays in advance for service or if an overpayment was received.

Crop (trans. v., n., Digital Radiography/Imaging) (1) The act of removing unwanted areas of an image. (2) An adjustment option in Digital Radiography/Imaging that allows the user to remove unwanted areas from an image.

Cross Code (n., claims) A code that has an identical description to a code that must be used on a different insurance claim form. Providers that send both medical and dental codes often use cross codes. If using MacPractice DDS, users can enter the dental fee code in the Code field in the fee schedule, and the medical fee code in the Cross Code field. When printing on the ADA insurance claim form, the dental code will be used, and when printing on the CMS-1500 insurance claim form, the medical code will be used. In MacPractice MD, DC, and 20/20, the inverse is true.

Crosshair (n.) Intersecting lines in the shape of a cross, usually including a circular shape, used as a precision pointer. Crosshairs may appear in several areas, however it is most commonly seen when taking a screenshot in Mac OS X.

Cross-Over (intrans. v., adj., claims) Describes a process by which a payer will automatically forward claim data to a patient's secondary carrier for claims processing. When a claim is automatically crossed-over, neither the provider nor patient have to create or send a secondary claim, as the primary carrier has already done so.

Crosswalk (n., claims) A payer's internal tracking system for linking provider identifiers. As payers transition to an NPI only environment, many carriers require NPI information to be crosswalked to their internal identifiers for claims submission. Issues with crosswalk information may cause claims to be returned as un-processable or deleted from the payer's front end-edit system.

Crown (n., charting) An artificial replacement or covering for the upper part of a tooth.

CSI (n., EDI) Abbreviation for claim status inquiry. See also Claim Status Inquiry.

CSV (n.) Abbreviation for comma-separated values. A file format that separates fields of information on separate rows using commas.

Cursor (n.) An indicator used to show the position on a computer display that will respond to input from a text input or pointing device such as a keyboard or mouse.

Cusp (n., charting) The protruding portion(s) or pointed projection of a tooth's chewing/biting surface.

Custom (n.) A customizable reference in MacPractice that can be associated to a patient.

Customize (trans. v.) To modify something to suit a particular individual or task.

Cut and Paste (n., trans. v.) A process used in assembling text on a word processor or computer, in which items are removed from one part and inserted elsewhere.

Cut (trans. v.) To delete something completely so as to insert a copy of it elsewhere. See also Clipboard, Copy and Paste.

CVX Code (n.) An HL7 standardized code set used to identify immunizations, managed by the CDC's National Immunization Program (NIP).
DDaemon (n.) A constantly running program that triggers actions when it receives certain input. For example, a printer daemon spools information to a printer when a user decides to print a document. A daemon running on a mail server routes incoming mail to the appropriate mailboxes.

Daisy-Chaining (trans. v., adj.) Stringing external devices together in a series. SCSI, USB, and FireWire technologies all allow such linking of devices in most cases.

Dashboard (n.) A user-interface feature Apple introduced with the release of Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger. It allows access to all kinds of widgets that show the time, weather, stock prices, phone numbers, and other useful data.

Data (n.) Information processed or stored by a computer.

Database (n., adj.) A structured set of data held in a computer, especially one that is accessible in various ways.

Database Utility (n.) A Manager in MacPractice that allows the user to manipulate the database as a whole.

Data Entry Panel allows you to enter values in Perio view with a panel display on the screen, which is especially useful when using a hands free foot pedal peripheral, such as the Dental R.A.T.

Day Sheet (n., Reports) A type of report in MacPractice that gives information on transactions either posted that day or with a procedure date for that day. The Day Sheet also contains the deposit slip. See also Deposit Slip.

.dcm (n.) A file extension for DICOM images. See DICOM.

DB Username (n.) An additional username entered into the drawer of the MacPractice login window that gives the user access to the server. DB usernames give the administrator another login criteria which they can use as an additional security measure in the office. DB usernames can even be specific per user IP address.

DB Password (n.) The password assigned per db username. See also DB Username.

DEA (n.) Abbreviation for the Drug Enforcement Administration. The lead government agency tasked with enforcing US drug policies.

DEA Number (n.) A unique identifier assigned to providers who prescribe controlled substances and medications.

Debit (n., trans. v., accounting) An entry recording the amount owed; the opposite of a credit.

Decay (n., intrans. v. charting) Destruction of tooth structure caused by acid produced by bacteria.

Decrement (v., Inventory) To decrease retail item stock.

Decrypt (trans. v.) To make a coded or ciphered file readable. The opposite of encrypt.

Deductible (n., claims) A specified amount of money that the insured must pay before an insurance company will pay a claim.

Deductible Applies To (n., Insurance Estimating) A pop-up menu in an Insurance Company Plan reference that specifies whether the deductible applies to each patient, only one patient, the first two patients and so on. Deductibles can also be calculated accumulatively. Lifetime deductibles do not renew on the renewal date.

Default (n., adj.) A value or setting that a device or program automatically selects if a substitute is not specified. In MacPractice, the user has the option to change the default values for almost all records.

Defective (adj., charting) Damaged or defective surface restoration.

Delay (n., trans. v.) (1) The act of postponing an action. (2) The time interval between the propagation of an electrical signal and its reception.

Delete, Deletion (n., trans. v.) To permanently remove something from the database. Once data is deleted, it cannot be retrieved. In MacPractice, only deleted patients can be retrieved. Compare to Archive.

Delete Key (n.) (1) A key on the keyboard that moves the cursor one position backwards, deletes the preceding character, and shifts back the text after it by one. (2) A key, sometimes referred to as the Forward Delete key, which discards the character ahead of the cursor's position, moving all following characters one position back towards the freed place. Most deletions in MacPractice can be performed with either the Delete key or the Forward Delete key.

Delimit, Delimited, Delimiter (n., trans. v.) To specify the boundary between separate, independent regions in plain text or other data streams. Commas, tabs and pipes are all examples of delimiters. See also Export.

Demandforce (n.) A third-party marketing and communication platform that can be used for automated reminders.

Demographic (n., adj.) Data relating to the population and particular groups within it. Address and phone number information are both examples of demographics.

Demonstration Code (n., claims) A code used to identify demonstration procedures on claims.

Denied (adj., claims) Claims that have passed every computer edit but were denied by the payer's claims processing floor. Denials will come back to a provider via an EOB or ERA. Compare to Rejected and Invalid.

DentalMac (n.) A practice management software for dentists that runs on the Classic (OS 9) operating system.

Dental R.A.T. (n.) A foot-operated mouse that can be used for perio data entry. www.dentalrat.com

DentalXChange (n., EDI) A dental insurance claims clearinghouse previously supported by MacPractice. It is no longer supported. DentalXChange may also be referred to as EHG, their company name, or ClaimConnect, the name of their website.  www.dentalxchange.com

Dentin (n., charting) The calcium part of a tooth below the enamel containing the pulp chamber and root canals.

Dentition (n., charting) The arrangement of the teeth.

Denture (n., charting) A synthetic replacement for teeth.

Dependent Code (n., EDI) A number used by CDA to identify the patient on the policy. Similar to US insurance member IDs. See also CDA.

Deposit (n., trans. v., accounting) The act of placing money in a bank account.

Deposit Slip (n., Reports) A view in the day sheet that summarizes all deposit transactions for the given day, sorted either by the date posted or the procedure date of the payment. See also Day Sheet.

Deselect (trans. v.) To cancel a selection.

Desktop (n., adj.) The working area of a computer screen regarded as a representation of a notional desktop that contains icons, windows, toolbars, files, and folders that can be created, edited, moved, and deleted.

Detail (n.) The main area of the MacPractice window. The detail area contains the information associated to the selected sidebar record. The detail area is where most data-entry occurs in MacPractice.

Detect Conflicts (n., Ledger) A button on the Anesthesia tab of the New Charge window that allows users to check for conflicting anesthesia times for the charge provider on the date of service.

Device (n.) An instrument that is connected to the computer, but not a part of it, like a printer or a modem.

DEXIS (n.) Windows-based digital radiography sensor and software that MacPractice can bridge to. www.dexis.com

DHCP (n., networking) Abbreviation for Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol. A protocol used to distribute IP addresses to client computers. Each time a client computer starts up, the protocol looks for a DHCP server and then requests an IP address from the DHCP server it finds. The DHCP server checks for an available IP address and sends it to the client computer along with a lease period, the length of time the client computer may use the address.

DHHS (n., claims) Abbreviation for the Department of Health and Human Services.

Diagnosis (n.) The identification of the nature of an illness or other problem by examination of the symptoms, identified by a code on an insurance claim.

Dialog (n.) A window that requests additional information from the user and is explicitly dismissed by clicking a button within the dialog; for example, OK, Cancel, or Print.

DICOM, .dcm (n.) Abbreviation for Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine. A standard for handling, storing, printing, and transmitting information in medical imaging. It includes a file format definition and a network communications protocol. DICOM images typically have the .dcm file extension.

Dictate, Dictation (n., trans. v.) The act of speaking words for transcription by speech recognition software.

Digital (adj.) Relating to or using signals or information represented by discrete values of a physical quantity, to represent arithmetic numbers or approximations to numbers from a continuum or logical expressions and variables. Typically anything that is not analog is digital. Compare to Analog.

Digital Radiography (n.) A purchased ability for MacPractice DDS that allows users to import, manage and maintain radiograph images.

Dimmed (trans. v., adj.) Referring to shaded or grayed-out icons, menu items, buttons, or options in a dialog. Dimmed items cannot be selected.

Directory (n.) (1) A list of all the files on a disk, sometimes called a catalog. (2) Another name for a folder.

Disability (n., claims) A condition in which a patient has a legally recognized condition which prevents them from returning to work. Disability information is commonly required for worker's compensation claims.

Disallowed (n., claims) A charge amount not paid by an insurance policy. The disallowed amount is the difference between the amount submitted and the amount paid on a charge.

Discharge Date (n., claims) The date a patient was discharged from a hospital or clinic for treatment. Compare to Admitted Date.

Discontinued/Previous (adj., ePrescribe) A status in ePrescribe indicating medications the patient is no longer taking, also known as inactive meds, and abbreviated D/C in ePrescribe.

Discount (n., trans. v., accounting) A deduction from the usual cost of something.

Disc (n.) Optical storage media such as CDs and DVDs. See also CD and DVD.

Disk (n.) Magnetic storage media such as hard disks and floppy disks.

Disk Drive (n.) A device that allows a computer to read from and write to computer disks.

Disk Space (n.) A term referring to the amount of hard drive space free or in use by files and applications on a computer. Disk space is not to be confused with memory. See also Hard Drive. Compare to RAM.

Display (n., trans. v.) (1) A general term to describe what is seen on the screen while using a computer. (2) The device, sometimes called a monitor or screen, connected to or built in to a desktop computer that displays text or graphics.

Distal (adj., charting) Refers to the tooth surfaces that face away from the midline of the mouth. Compare to Mesial.

Division/Section (n., EDI) A number related to a patient's policy number, used by CDA for claims submission. See also CDA.

Dixi (n.) A hub used by a Planmeca device that connects it to the network.

DME, DMERC (n., claims) Abbreviation for Durable Medical Equipment. A separate Medicare payer independent of Medicare Part B that covers durable medical equipment such as prosthetics, braces, crutches, etc. Providers will need to be credentialed with a supplier number to send DME claims.

DMG, .dmg (n.) An extension used by disk image files. The format allows secure password protection as well as file compression and hence serves both security and file distribution functions.

DNS (n., networking) Abbreviation for Domain Name System. A distributed database that maps IP addresses to domain names. DNS translates IP addresses into words and words into names (for example, www.google.com = 64.233.167.99). If DNS information is not accurately entered, it is possible that Internet access will not be available.

DOB (n.) Abbreviation for date of birth.

Dock (n.) An application launcher that comes with Mac OS X. The Dock is located along the edge of the screen. It contains icons for many of the applications available on the computer, and icons can be dragged to and from the Dock.

DocPort Macro (n.) An intra-oral camera developed by National Dental, Inc. www.nationaldental.com

Doctor's List (n., ePrescribe) An item in ePrescribe that stores saved medications to a list for quick retrieval.

Document (n., trans. v.) A file or information created with a computer program.

Dolly Drive (n.) An application which is used to store MacPractice backups in the cloud.

Domain (n., networking) A distinct subset of the Internet with addresses sharing a common suffix, such as the part in a particular country or used by a particular group of users. .com, .net, and .org are all examples of internet domains.

DOS (n.) Abbreviation for date of service.

Dose (n., Rx, ePrescribe) A quantity of a medicine or drug taken or recommended to be taken at a particular time.

Double-Click (intrans. v.) To position the pointer over something, and then press and release the mouse button twice in quick succession without moving the mouse.

Download (n., trans. v.) To copy data from one computer to another. Compare to Upload.

DPI (n.) Abbreviation for dots per inch. The number of dots that can be placed horizontally and vertically. This is also known as printer resolution.

Drag (trans. v.) To position the pointer on something, press and hold the mouse button, move the mouse, and release the mouse button. When the mouse button is released, a selection is either highlighted or an object is moved to a new location.

Drawer (n.) A window that slides out from a parent window when users click a button or choose a command. MacPractice uses a couple drawers, such as the database configuration drawer and the drawer in the application itself.

In MacPractice 12, the Drawer slider icon has been shifted to an Inspector button in the lower right corner of the MacPractice window.

Drawing View (n., EMR/EDR) An EMR/EDR element that allows users to draw graphics on a patient form using the cursor.

Drifting (n., Restorative Charting) Unwanted movement of a tooth, generally in the mesial and distal directions. Compare to Spin and Rotation.

Driver (n.) A program that controls the operation of a peripheral device such as a printer or scanner.

Drop Box (n., networking) A shared folder with privileges that allow other users to write to, but not read, the folder's contents. Only the owner has full access.

Drug Interaction (n., ePrescribe) A condition in which two medications may cause a harmful affect.

DSL (n., networking) Abbreviation for digital subscriber line. A family of technologies that provides digital data transmission over the wires of a local telephone network.

Duplicate (n., trans. v., adj., EDI) (1) An exact copy of a item. (2) A resubmission of an eClaim received within 72 hours of the original.

DVD (n.) Abbreviation for digital versatile disc or digital video disc.

DVD-R (n.) Abbreviation for digital versatile disc recordable.

DVD-ROM (n.) Abbreviation for digital versatile disc read-only memory.

DVD-RW (n.) Abbreviation for digital versatile disc re-writeable. A type of DVD that can be written to in multiple sessions. MacPractice does not recommend using DVD-RWs for maintaining backups.

DVR (n.) Abbreviation for digital video recorder. A device, such as a portable media player or set-top box, that records digital video to file-based media such as a hard disk or optical disc

Dx (n.) See diagnosis.

Dymo (n.) A company that manufactures label writers and labels. www.dymo.com

Dynamic IP (n., networking) An IP address that is assigned for a limited period of time. With dynamic addressing, a device can have a different IP address each time it connects to the network.

EEAN (n., Inventory) An abbreviation of European Article Number. EANs are used within the Inventory ability to distinguish retail items. The EAN may be entered manually or obtained by scanning a barcode. Also see UPC.

Earned Receipts (n., Reports) A report in MacPractice that allows tracking of amounts earned per provider. Earned amounts are determined by the provider that performed the service, as listed in the Charge window, and are based on the date payment is applied. Compare to Gross Receipts.

eClaim (n., EDI) An insurance claim that is sent electronically.

eClaims ability (n.) A purchased ability in MacPractice that allows users to track, manage and maintain electronic claims.

EDI (n.) Abbreviation for Electronic Data Interchange. The exchange of standardized document forms between computer systems for business use. The EDI department at MacPractice handles all electronic claims, electronic remittance advice and electronic statements, as well as real-time transaction support through our clearinghouses' portal services.

Edit (n., trans. v.) To modify, change or correct an item or entry in the database.

Edit Menu (n.) A menu near the application menu that contains editing commands like Copy, Cut, and Paste.

EDR (n.) Abbreviation for electronic dental records. The EDR ability is a purchased ability for MacPractice DDS that allows users to create, edit, electronic forms, and enter, edit and maintain electronic form data.

EFT (n.) Abbreviation for electronic funds transfer. If the provider has an EFT agreement with a payer, the payer will deposit funds into the provider's bank account via an automated (banking) clearinghouse (ACH). In MacPractice, users can flag insurance payments as EFTs, and will then have the option to exclude EFT from the deposit slip.

EHG (n., EDI) The name given to the eClaims template used to submit claims to DentalXChange. See also DentalXChange.

EHR (n.) Abbreviation for electronic health records. See also EMR.

EIN (n., claims) Abbreviation for employer identification number. The EIN may be the same number as the TIN.

Eject (trans. v.) To remove a disk from a disk drive.

Element (n., EMR/EDR) An interactive item that allows a user to enter data once a patient form has been created. Combo boxes, text boxes, labels, pop up boxes and text fields are all examples of EMR/EDR form elements.

Eligibility (n., claims) The condition under which patients are eligible to receive services under an insurance plan. Checking eligibility involves contacting the payer, either by telephone or the internet, to confirm the patient's coverage is active for the date of service.

ELLKAY (n.) Provides data-conversion services for many MacPractice users. www.ellkay.com

E&M (adj., claims) Abbreviation for evaluation and management. A class of procedure codes incorporating office visits, consultations and general patient evaluation.

Embed (trans. v., adj.) To incorporate a text or code within the body of a file or document.

Emboss (n., Digital Radiography/Imaging) A filter that makes an image appear raised or stamped by suppressing the color within the selection and tracing its edges with black. The Scale slider adjusts the perceived depth of the image.

Emergency (n., adj., claims) Arising from or needed or used in an emergency. Flagging a procedure as an emergency procedure may affect reimbursement rates from payers.

Emergency Password (n.) A password that may be used by staff in the event of an emergency that grants them administrative access.

Empty (trans. v.) To delete all the contents of the Trash. Once the Trash has been emptied, the files are no longer retrievable.

EMR (n.) Abbreviation for electronic medical records. The EMR ability is a purchased ability for MacPractice MD, DC and 20/20 that allows users to create, edit, electronic forms, and enter, edit and maintain electronic form data.

Emulator (n.) An application that reproduces the function or action of a different computer or software system, most commonly a different operating system. Examples of Windows emulators include Parallels and VMware Fusion.

Enable, Enabled (trans. v., adj.) (1) To make a device or system operational. (2) To activate. (3) A checkbox, that when checked makes subsequent actions possible.

Enamel (n., charting) A hard ceramic which covers the exposed part of teeth.

Encounter (n.) A general term used to refer to a patient's office visit.

Encounter Form (n.) A printed form that usually contains a care slip, used to recount the details of a patient appointment. Sometimes referred to as a routing slip or a superbill. See also Care Slip.

Encounter Tracker (n., Managers) A Manager in MacPractice that allows users to create, print, and track paper encounter forms.

Encrypt (trans. v.) To convert information or data into a cipher or code to prevent unauthorized access.

Encryption Key (n.) A key or password used to cipher or decipher an encryption algorithm.

End Date (n., claims) The termination date of a patient's insurance policy. The end date should only be used when coverage for a plan ends on a specific date, for example if a patient changes insurance plans or employers. See also Start Date.

Endo (n.) A purchased option for MacPractice DDS that includes EDR forms and Notes templates for endodontists.

Enrollment, Enrolled (n., adj., intrans. v., EDI) The process of officially registering for a service. Enrollment typically refers to enrolling for electronic claims submission. Compare to Credential.

Enter (trans. v.) To input text-based information or data; for example, in a text field or spreadsheet, or at a command-line prompt. Such text is typically entered by typing, but it could also be copied and pasted, or even dragged.

Enter Key (n.) A key on the numeric keypad that usually has the same function as Return; that is, it confirms a choice or tells a program that the user is ready to proceed.

EOB (n., claims) Abbreviation for Explanation of Benefits. Sometimes referred to as a remittance or an SPR (standard paper remittance), EOBs are usually delivered with a check or payment from a payer and explains how much of the payment goes toward each procedure.

ePrescribe (n.) A web-based prescribing ability integrated within the MacPractice software. See also NewCrop. This is located in the Rx Ability.

EPSDT (n., claims) Abbreviation for the Early Periodic Screening, Diagnosis, and Treatment Program. EPSDT is the child health component of Medicaid. It's required in every state and is designed to improve the health of low-income children, by financing appropriate and necessary pediatric services. This information will be reported in Box 24H on the CMS 1500 claim form and box 1 on the ADA 2006 form.

ERA (n., EDI) Abbreviation for electronic remittance advice. Sometimes known as an ERN or Electronic Remittance Notice, an ERA is an electronic version of a remittance, also known as an EOB or Explanation of Benefits. See also EOB.

ERA Manager (n.) A tool in MacPractice that allows users to post insurance payments via ERAs.

Erupt, Erupted (intrans. v., adj., charting) To break through the gums during normal development of a tooth.

eRx (n.) Short for ePrescribe. See ePrescribe.

Esc key (n.) A key that can be pressed in some applications to get back to the menu or to cancel a procedure that is in progress.

eStatement (n., EDI) A patient statement sent electronically to a 3rd party company who then prints and mails the statements to the patients. MacPractice eStatements are sent to a company named RevSpring. See also RevSpring.

Ethernet (n., networking) A wired protocol for communication and file transfer across a network. Ethernet is the most common type of connection computers use in a local area network (LAN).

Excel (n.) A spreadsheet application developed by Microsoft for Windows and Macintosh computers that MacPractice can export to. Excel is part of the Microsoft Office suite. office.microsoft.com/en-us/excel

Exempt (n., trans. v., adj.) Free from an obligation or liability imposed on others, for example a patient may be exempt from being charged finance charges.

Explanation of Benefits (n., claims) See EOB.

Export (n., trans. v.) To transfer data in a format that can be used by other programs. Exporting in MacPractice can be done from individual reports or from the drawer, among others. See also Export Presets.

Export Preset (n.) A reference in MacPractice that allows user-defined fields to be saved that can be used to export information out of MacPractice from the drawer. The user has the option to choose from either tab delimited, pipe delimited or CSV, depending on the delimiters used by the spreadsheet application that will be used to open the exported information.

Exposure (n., Digital Radiography/Imaging) The intensity of perceived light falling on an image.

Extension (n.) See file Extension.

External (adj.) Not contained in the computer; peripheral.

Extraction (n., charting) Surgical removal of a tooth from the mouth.

Extrusion (n., charting) Tooth movement in the direction of eruption.

FFace Chart (n.) A summary of patient demographic information obtained by printing in the Patients ability.

Facial (adj., charting) Pertaining to or around the face, as in the facial surface of an anterior tooth.

Facility (n., claims) The physical location where services were rendered to a patient, such as an office, hospital or clinic.

FastAttach (n.) See NEA FastAttach.

Fast User Switching (n.) A feature of Mac OS X that allows more than one user to stay logged in to a computer at a time.

FAT32 (n.) Outmoded computer file system architecture that can be read by both Macintosh and PC computers, and is commonly used as the default format for many external hard drives. This format can only handle files up to 4 GB in size. See also Format.

FDB (n., ePrescribe) Abbreviation for First DataBank. See First DataBank.

Federal (n., claims) A field in the user reference used to input the federal tax identification number for the provider.

Fee (n., accounting) A price asked for goods or services. See also Charge.

Fee Schedule (n., accounting) A group of procedure codes and their prices with similar classification criteria. For example, an office may have two fee schedules with identical codes but different prices. Fee schedules can be assigned to patients and insurance companies.

Fetch (trans. v) To retrieve data from the database server into the client application. To fetch the MacPractice license refers to retrieving updated information from the MacPractice servers about the license.

Field (n.) A part of a record, representing an item of data. Any single area where text is entered is an example of a field.

File (n.) A collection of data, programs, or other items stored in a computer's memory or on a storage device under a single identifying name.

File extension (n.) The suffix at the end of a filename indicating what type of file it is. The extension tells the computer's operating system what program it should use to open the file. .png, .jpg, .mpbak, and .pdf are all examples of file extensions.

File Fingerprinting (n.) A procedure that maps an arbitrarily large item of data, like a file, to a much shorter string, its fingerprint, that uniquely identifies the original data for all practical purposes. Fingerprints can be used check whether a file has been modified, by fetching only its fingerprint and comparing it with that of the previously fetched copy.

File Menu (n.) A menu near the application menu that contains file commands like New Window, Open, and Print.

File Sharing, File-Sharing (n., adj.) A built-in feature of the Mac OS that enables users to share the contents of their hard disks with other users on the network.

Filename (n.) The name given to a file or document for identification purposes.

Filter (n., trans. v.) (1) In networking, a screening method used to control access to the server. A filter is made up of an IP address and a subnet mask, and sometimes a port number and access type. The IP address and the subnet mask together determine the range of IP addresses to which the filter applies. (2) A set of criteria used to remove unwanted information from a report or other fields in MacPractice such as Orders.

Filterfile (n., eStatements) See RET File.

Finance Charge (n., accounting) A fee representing interest accrued on an overdue balance.

Financial Status (n., accounting) A status that can be applied to an account in MacPractice for financial identification purposes.

Find (n.) A sidebar node in the Patients, Schedule, and Rx abilities that assists the user in finding a record.

Finder (n.) Part of the Mac OS. The Finder organizes and displays views of the files and folders on the computer and on any disks attached to the computer. The Finder also permits searching and managing information on disks.

Firewall (n., networking) A part of a computer system or network that is designed to block unauthorized access while permitting outward communication.

FireWire (n.) A type of cable, connector, and software that allows a high-speed connection between two computers, or between a computer and a device attached to it, such as a digital video camera.

Firmware (n.) Fixed, usually rather small, programs and data structures that internally control various electronic devices.

First DataBank (n., ePrescribe) A company that provides prices, descriptions, and collateral clinical information on drugs approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), plus commonly used over-the-counter drugs, herbal remedies, nutraceuticals and dietary supplements. The First DataBank drug database is downloadable and updatable for ePrescribe users. www.FirstDataBank.com

First Symptom (n., claims) A date the patient first experienced symptoms related to a diagnosis.

First Consultation (n., claims) A field in MacPractice where a user can enter an initial treatment date for a claim. Commonly required for chiropractic eClaims.

Fiscal Intermediary (n., claims) A contracted entity who manages, processes and pays Medicare claims on behalf of CMS. CMS is the government agency that manages Medicare, however the actual claims processing and claims support for Medicare is managed by a fiscal intermediary. 

Fit to View (n., charting) A checkbox that, when checked, will shrink the charting view area to the display area, allowing users to chart without scrolling.

Flag, Flagged (n., trans. v.) A variable used to indicate a particular property of the data in a record.

Flash (intrans. v.) To blink or display information suddenly, typically repeatedly. New appointments in the Schedule ability may flash a specified number of times.

Flash Drive (n.) Sometimes also called a jump drive, thumb drive, pen drive, or USB keychain drive. A small data storage device that uses flash memory and has a built-in USB connection.

Flat Rate Coverage (n., Insurance Estimating) A feature of Insurance Estimating that allows the user to set insurance coverage rates as a set fee amount per procedure instead of by a percentage per procedure type.

Flexible Base (n., charting) An easy to handle mixture that is applied under a filling or crown to decrease sensitivity to heat or cold and protect the filling.

Flexible Space (n.) A placeholder item that can be added to toolbar to separate ability icons. The flexible space may change in size as the user resizes the window.

FMS, FMX (n., Digital Radiography/Imaging) Abbreviation for full mouth series. See Full Mouth Series.

Follow-Up (n., Schedule) (1) In MacPractice MD, DC and 20/20, refers to an appointment in a series of scheduled visits. (2) A record that tracks when a patient is due for the next follow-up appointment. See also Recall.

Footer (n., Notes) Text that appears at the bottom of every page or every other page in a document. Compare to Header.

Force Quit (n., trans. v.) A command that forces a running process to terminate. Force quitting may be necessary when a process is stuck in an infinite loop.

Form (n., EMR/EDR, References) A printed document with blank spaces for information to be inserted, or its electronic equivalent.

Form Amount (n., Ledger) A column in the ledger that records the total fee amount as it appears on a submitted claim or statement.

Form Builder (n.) A purchased ability in MacPractice that allows users to create, edit and manage paper forms such as statements, claims, prescription forms and labels, among others.

Format (n., trans. v.) (1) The way in which something is arranged or set out. (2) A defined structure for the processing, storage, or display of data. For example a hard drive can be formatted as either Mac OS Extended (Journaled) for a Mac, or FAT32 or NTFS for a PC.

Form Section (n., EMR/EDR) A dividing component of an EMR/EDR form. Utilizing form sections increases the flexibility of a form's arrangement and the efficiency of accessing of form data. 

Formula (n.) A mathematical relationship or rule expressed in symbols.

Formulary (n., ePrescribe) An official list giving details of prescribable medicines.

Forward Slash (n.) See Slash.

Fracture (n., Restorative Charting) The cracking or breaking of a tooth.

Freeze (n., intrans. v.) Occurs when either a single computer program or the whole system becomes unresponsive to input. The window affected or the whole computer screen becomes static, including the mouse cursor. Compare to Hang andCrash.

FTP (n., networking) Abbreviation for file transfer protocol. A protocol that allows computers to transfer files over a network.

Full Mouth Series (n., Digital Radiography/Imaging) A complete set of intra-oral X-rays taken of a patients' teeth and adjacent hard tissue.

Function (n., intrans. v.) (1) An activity or purpose natural to or intended for a person or thing. (2) A mathematical relationship or expression involving one or more variables.

Furcation (FURC): Furcation is the amount of gingiva destruction around a tooth due to resorption of bone, which may be indicated by exposed roots. Furcation is noted as a positive value (1-4).

• 1 = Developing bone loss

• 2 = Partial bone loss

• 3 = Variable loss that does not extend completely through the furcation

• 4 = Visible bone loss and open furcation with exposed roots or bone

Furcation is noted by 1 - 4 with a Keyboard Shortcut. It is a Surface (Arch) Notation Point.

GG-Codes (n.) A set of CMS-defined HCPCS codes used to report quality measures on a claim; these codes are maintained by CMS. G-codes are used to distinguish clinical actions across measures.

Gamma (n., Digital Radiography/Imaging) The relationship between the brightness of a pixel as it appears on the screen and the numerical value of that pixel. Increasing the gamma output increases the relative brightness of the image as displayed.

GateKeeper (n.) GateKeeper is a Mac OS X 10.8 (Mountain Lion) security feature that allows you to set which type of Applications can be downloaded to your computer. For more information on GateKeeper, see the GateKeeper section in Security. Please note: Mac OS X 10.8 (Mountain Lion) is only compatible with MacPractice versions 4.2+.

Gateway (n., networking) A combination of hardware and software that enables networks using different protocols to communicate with one another. For example, a gateway can connect an AppleTalk network with a network using non-AppleTalk protocols such as TCP/IP.

GB (n.) Abbreviation for gigabytes. See Gigabyte.

Generic (n., adj., Rx) Having no brand name; not protected by a registered trademark.

GHz (n.) Abbreviation for gigahertz. See Gigahertz.

GIF, .gif (n.) Abbreviation for Graphics Interchange Format. A bitmapped graphics file format that includes data compression.

Gigabyte (n.) A unit of information equal to one billion bytes or one thousand (actually 1024) megabytes.

Gigahertz (n.) One billion hertz. Abbreviated GHz. See also Hertz.

Gingival Margin/Recession (GM) The Gingival Margin is the top edge of the gingiva surrounding (but not attached to) a tooth. The Gingival Margin can be considered the recession of the gum line. Gingival Margin is measured from the Cemento-enamel Junction (CEJ), with a positive value (0-15) when the gum line is below the CEJ and a negative value (-1 to -5) when the gum line is below the CEJ. Gingival Margin/Recession (GM) is noted by -5 - 15 with Keyboard Shortcut . It is a Surface (Arch) Notation Point.

Global (adj.) Operating or applying through the whole of a file, program or data structure. Global preferences affect all users. Compare to Local.

Goals (n., Schedule) A feature in the Schedule ability that allows the user to specify daily and monthly goals for appointment counts, resource hours used and production.

Gold Foil (n., charting) Material sometimes used to restore tooth loss.

GPU (n., Digital Radiography) Abbreviation for graphics processing unit. A specialized microprocessor that offloads and accelerates graphics rendering from the CPU, either built in to the computer itself or on a video card.

Graphics (n., adj.) Information presented in the form of pictures or images.

Grayed-Out (adj.) See Dimmed.

GRE (n., networking) Abbreviation for Generic Route Encapsulation. A protocol used in conjunction with Point-to-Point Tunneling Protocol (PPTP) to create virtual private networks (VPNs) between clients or between clients and servers.

Grid (n., charting, EMR/EDR) A network of lines that cross each other to form a series of squares or rectangles.

Gross (adj., Reports) Without deduction of tax or other contributions; total.

Gross Receipts (n., Reports) A financial report in MacPractice that includes the total amount of money received in a selected time frame, including unapplied amounts. Compare to Earned Receipts.

Group (n.) A collection of users who have similar needs. Groups simplify the administration of shared resources.

Group NPI (n., claims) Also known as a Type-2, Organizational, or Billing NPI, the group NPI is assigned to offices with an incorporated tax ID number, or any office that has multiple providers that bill as a group. Compare to individual NPI.

Guarantor (n., accounting) The primarily financially responsible person on an account or an insurance plan.

Guest Computer (n.) An unknown computer that is not included in a computer account on the server.

Guest User (n.) A user who can log in to the server without a user name or password.

GUI (n.) Abbreviation for graphical user interface. A visual way of interacting with a computer using items such as windows, icons, and menus, used by most modern operating systems.

gzip, .gzip (n.) Short for GNU zip. (1) A software application used for file compression. (2) The file extension used by gzip files.

HHandlebars (n., Digital Radiography/Imaging, EMR/EDR, Notes) Refers to the orange or blue squares around an object that allows the user to resize, move or edit an image, layout item or element.

Hang (n., intrans. v.) Occurs when either a single computer program or the whole system becomes unresponsive to input. The window affected or the whole computer screen becomes static, however the cursor is still responsive. Compare to Crash and Freeze.

Hard Disk (n., adj.) A rigid non-removable magnetic disk with a large data storage capacity, as distinct from the smaller capacity floppy disk.

Hard Drive, Hard Disk Drive (n.) (1) A high-capacity, self-contained storage device containing a read-write mechanism plus one or more hard disks, inside a sealed unit. (2) The icon seen on the desktop or in a Finder window that grants access to the contents of the hard drive.

Hardware (n.) The physical components of a computer or other electronic system. Compare to Software.

Hash (n.) A hash table is a data structure that uses a hash function to map identifying values. MacPractice uses hashes to ensure that certain data isn't changed and to hide others.

Health Information Request (n.) A patient may request a copy of their health information.

HCFA (n., claims) Abbreviation for the Health Care Financing Administration. See CMS.

HCP (n., Perio) Abbreviation for Heat, Cold, Pressure.

HCPCS (n., claims) Abbreviation for Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System. A standardized set of codes used for Medical billing. HCPCS is divided into two principal subsystems, referred to as level I and level II of the HCPCS. Level I of the HCPCS is comprised of CPT codes. Level II of the HCPCS is a standardized coding system that is used primarily to identify products, supplies, and services not included in the CPT codes, such as ambulance services and durable medical equipment, prosthetics, orthotics, and supplies (DMEPOS) when used outside a physician's office. Level II codes are also referred to as alpha-numeric codes because they consist of a single alphabetical letter followed by 4 numeric digits, while CPT codes are identified using 5 numeric digits. See also CPT.

Header (n., Notes) Text that appears at the top of every page or every other page of a document. Compare to Footer.

Heidelberg Eye Explorer (n.) An application that allows optometrists and ophthalmologists to manage and maintain optical images and information that MacPractice can bridge to. www.heidelbergengineering.com

Help Menu (n.) A menu to the right of the application menu that contains help links. The MacPractice Help menu provides access to the Help page and Release Notes, in addition to providing quick links for connecting to public and sharing screens with Support.

Help Page (n.) MacPractice's web-based help database. The Help page provides useful information in the form of documentation and video and includes other help references such as training and Mini-Class registration. Internet access is required to access the Help page.

Hertz (n.) A unit of frequency defined as the number of cycles per second of a periodic phenomenon. Abbreviated Hz.

HHS (n., claims) Abbreviation for Health and Human Services.

HIC (n., claims) Abbreviation for health insurance claim number. See Subscriber ID.

Hide (trans. v.) To remove an object from the computer's display. Hiding does not stop the application nor its processes, it removes the windows from view. See also Show.

HIE Consent (n., HL7) Abbreviation for Health Information Exchange consent. A patient's HIE consent is required to allow demographic and medical information to be sent as HL7 messages. The HIE Consent checkbox within Patients > Patient must be enabled to send HL7 messages for that patient.

Hierarchy (n.) An arrangement or classification of things according to relative importance or inclusiveness.

Highlight (trans. v.) To select by clicking once on an icon or selection or by clicking and dragging the insertion point across text in a document or multiple selections.

HIPAA (n.) Abbreviation for the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. The Administrative Simplification provisions of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA, Title II) required the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to establish national standards for electronic health care transactions and national identifiers for providers, health plans, and employers. It also addressed the security and privacy of health data.

HIPAA-Compliant (adj.) Meeting or in accordance with HIPAA regulations.

Histogram (n., Digital Radiography/Imaging) A graph that shows the values of the pixels in an image. It plots the number of pixels in the image on the vertical axis with a particular brightness value on the horizontal axis.

Histogram Tool (n., Digital Radiography/Imaging) A tool that performs a localized histogram stretch within a small radius for viewing and searching purposes on a radiograph. See also Histogram Stretch.

Histogram Stretch (n., Digital Radiography/Imaging) An image manipulation technique that balances dark and light values over the spectrum. It records values over an entire image and amplifies the levels to maximize the spectrum range. A histogram stretch is useful for correcting images where both the foreground and background are either too dark or too light.

History (n.) A whole series of past events connected with someone or something, such as a Ledger history or a history of a patient record.

History Report (n., Reports) A report in MacPractice that gives the user information about all changes to the database.

HIT (n.) Abbreviation for Health Information Technology.

HL7 (n.) Abbreviation for Health Information Level 7. A standardized communication format for health information. HL7 is an ANSI-accredited standard developed to help disparate applications communicate information. Several applications can bridge to MacPractice using the HL7 bridge. www.hl7.org

HL7 Bridge (n.) A purchased bridge that allows HL7 messages to be created and received by MacPractice.

HMO (n., clams) Abbreviation for health maintenance organization. A health insurance organization to which subscribers pay a predetermined fee in return for a range of medical services from physicians and healthcare workers registered with the organization.

Hold Down (trans. v.) The act of pressing a key on the keyboard, the mouse button, or a mechanical button until a specified action or result occurs.

Hospice (n., claims) A facility providing care for the sick, esp. the terminally ill.

Host (n., trans. v.) A computer that mediates multiple access to databases mounted on it or provides other services to a computer network; a server.

Hotkey (n.) See Keyboard Shortcut.

Hover (intrans. v.) To idle the mouse cursor over an item, usually for the purposes of viewing a tooltip. See also Tooltip.

HTML (n.) Abbreviation for Hypertext Markup Language. A set of simple tags that tells a computer how to display the text, graphics, and other objects that comprise a Web page.

HTTP (n.) Abbreviation for Hypertext Transfer Protocol. An application protocol that defines the set of rules for linking and exchanging files on the World Wide Web.

Hub (n., networking) A hardware device that is used to network multiple computers together. Hubs have limited functionality compared to switches and routers. Compare to Router and Switch.

Hue, Hue Angle (n., Digital Radiography/Imaging) The property of colors by which they can be perceived as ranging from red through yellow, green, blue, as determined by the dominant wavelength of light, and independent of intensity or brightness.

hygienist, dental hygienist (n.) An ancillary dental worker specializing in scaling and polishing teeth and in giving advice on cleaning the teeth.

Hz (n.) See hertz.

ICalendar (n.) An Apple calendar application that comes with Mac OS X and lets the user keep track of appointments and to-do lists. The MacPractice Schedule ability can export a current appointment calendar to the Calendar App. Used to be called iCal. You can read more about it here. 

.ics (n.) A file extension used by iCal or Apple Calendar files.

ICN (n., claims) Abbreviation for internal control number. A number assigned to a claim by a payer for internal tracking purposes and commonly reported on EOBs.

ICD-9 (n., claims) Abbreviation for International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision. Also known as Diagnosis codes. Compare to ICD-10.

ICD-10 (n., claims) Abbreviation for International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision. ICD-10 will eventually replace ICD-9 as the coding system used for diagnoses. The planned release for ICD-10 is 2013. The benefits of ICD-10 include improved organization and classification, as well as allowing more room for expansion, among others. Compare to ICD-9.

Icon (n.) A symbol or graphic representation on a video display terminal of a program, option, or window, especially one of several for selection.

Identifier (n., claims) A number used to identify an entity, such as a provider, office, facility or referral, among others.

Idle User (n.) A user who is connected to the server but hasn't used the server volume for a period of time.

iEHR (n.) An application available through the App Store that can be installed on the iPad and iPad mini that allows providers to view and update patient clinical and demographic information. The iEHR Application for the iPad can link with the MacPractice application to update demographic and clinical information and store patient forms.

Image Correction (n., Digital Radiography/Imaging) An image correction option which enhances the contrast and quality of an image as it is imported from the SUNI device. The darkest gray regions of the image are made black, and the lightest gray regions are made white. Image Correction will also balance the image according to an algorithm defined by SUNI.

Image Histogram Equalization (n., Digital Radiography/Imaging) An adjustment in Digital Radiography/Imaging that adjusts an image's contrast using its histogram by effectively spreading out the most frequent intensity values. The method is useful in images with backgrounds and foregrounds that are both bright or both dark.

Images (n.) A free ability in MacPractice that allows users to upload images and PDFs. Users who do not purchase Attachments receive Images instead.

Image View (n., EMR/EDR) An element on an EMR/EDR form that allows the user to import an image into the form.

Imaging (n.) A purchased ability for MacPractice MD, DC and 20/20 that allows users to import, manage and maintain radiograph images.

Immunization (n.) A sub-tab of the Clinical tab of the Patients ability, used to track a patient's vaccination history.

Implant (n., charting) A replacement for a missing tooth. An implant is different than a bridge in that the implant is permanently attached to the jaw.

Import (trans. v.) To transfer data into a file or database.

Imported Meds (n., ePrescribe) Medications listed in ePrescribe that were imported from a patient's drug history via RxHub. See also RxHub.

Import Folder (n.) A folder that will store files until they can be imported.

Inactive (adj.) Not currently being used. Inactive items are usually dimmed.

Incident (n., Ledger) An item in the Ledger sidebar that allows users to separate a patient's transactions by date, type of procedure, reason for visit, or any number of criteria.

Incident Statement (n.) A statement that can be printed either for a patient's incident, or for selected transactions. Incident statements are usually used when a view of only selected procedures is needed, as incident statements typically do not show the true balance owed. Compare to Account Statement.

Incisal (adj., charting) Pertaining to the biting edges of the incisor and cuspid teeth, the anterior teeth.

Increment (v., Inventory) To increase retail item stock.

Individual NPI (n., claims) Also known as a Type-1 NPI, the individual NPI is assigned to rendering physicians. Compare to Group NPI.

Initialize (trans. v.) To format a disk for use in the computer. Initializing erases all data on the disk.

Initial Placement (n., claims) A date indicating the first date of appliance placement by an orthodontist.

Initial Treatment (n., claims) A date indicating the first date a patient was treated for a particular illness or symptom. Also known as a first consultation date.

Inlay (n., charting) A filling made by a dental laboratory that is cemented into place. Compare to Onlay.

Input (n., trans. v.) Information fed into a computer or computer program.

INS (n., EDI) A type of eClaim report that provides rejection and acknowledgement information received from a payer, and will subsequently change the status of the claim according to these messages. Compare to ANC and REC.

Inspector (n., EMR/EDR) A part of the EMR/EDR form section palette that provides the user the ability to modify a selected element.

Install (trans. v.) To write necessary data for running a program to the hard drive.

Installer (n.) Software used to install a program on the hard disk of a computer.

Installment (n., accounting) One of a series of payments made to reduce a balance.

Institutional (adj., claims) Of or pertaining to claims sent by institutions such as hospitals, rural health clinics (RHC) or federally qualified heath clinics (FQHC). Institutional claims are typically sent to a separate payer than professional claims, usually on the UB-04 insurance claim form. Compare to Professional.

Insurance Appeal Manager (n.) A Manager that allows users to track insurance appeals created with the MacPractice software. The Manager does not send or create appeals.

Insurance Estimating (n.) A feature in the MacPractice Ledger that allows users to estimate approximately how much a payer will pay on a charge given the terms of an insurance plan. Estimates occur when charges are entered and will not retroactively change if a change has been made to the insurance plan.

Insurance Tracer (n., claims) A form printed from MacPractice that includes information about a submitted claim for timely filing purposes. MacPractice cannot guarantee that a payer will accept the insurance tracer form as proof of timely filing.

Integrated (trans. v., adj.) Refers to a group or pair of applications designed to share data.

Integration Time (n., Digital Radiography/Imaging) The amount of exposure time of a radiograph image by a Suni sensor. Integration time may be considered similar to the shutter speed of a camera. If more exposure time is needed, the integration time should be increased, however too large of an integration setting, or too long of an exposure time, may cause fuzzy or blurry images. MacPractice and Suni recommend using the default value of 350ms, and only reducing the value if fuzzy images are detected. See also Threshold and Sensitivity.

Intel (n., adj.) (1) The inventor of the x86 series of microprocessors, the processors found in most personal computers. (2) Referring to any computer equipped with an Intel processor chip. Compare to PowerPC. www.intel.com

Intensity (n., Digital Radiography/Imaging) An aspect of the unsharp mask that controls the magnitude of contrast added to the line edges. See also Radius.

Interface (n.) A device or program enabling a user to communicate with a computer or for connecting two items of hardware or software so that they can be operated jointly or communicate with each other.

Internet (n.) Short for internetwork. Refers to any large network made up of a number of smaller networks.

Internet (n.) Refers to the worldwide network made up of interconnected networks that use the TCP/IP networking protocol. The web is just one part of the Internet.

Internet Ability (n.) An ability in MacPractice that grants users access to a limited number of websites. An administrator may choose to restrict most web browsing within an office, but allow users to access limited areas of the internet for work-related purposes using the Internet ability.

In Builds 11 and up of MacPractice, this has been renamed to the "Services and Products" Ability.

Interval (n.) An intervening time or space.

Intolerance (n., Rx) See Allergy.

Intra-Oral (adj.) Related to the inside of the mouth. For example, an intra-oral camera has a very small lens to take images from within the patient's mouth.

Intrusion (n., charting) Movement of a tooth back into the bone.

Invalid (adj., eClaims) Claims that are stopped by MacPractice because of missing or incomplete claim information. Compare to Denied and Rejected.

Invalidate (trans. v., Restorative Charting) To make a previously valid charted item invalid beginning on a user-defined date. After the invalid date has passed, the charted item graphic will no longer appear, even though the charge still appears in the patient's Ledger.

Inventory (n., MacPractice ability) The Inventory ability provides a system for tracking retail items and quantities as well as sales and consumption.

Invert (n., Digital Radiography/Imaging) An icon, that when pressed, will reverse the black and white values for an image.

IP (n., networking) Abbreviation for internet protocol. A connectionless protocol used to transmit packets of data from one machine to another. TCP and UDP use IP for their host-to-host data communications.

IP Address (n., networking) Abbreviation for internet protocol address. A computer's unique internet address such as 128.223.32.35 that identifies it on a TCP/IP-protocol network. IP addresses are either dynamic or static.

iPad (n.) Apple's touchscreen tablet computer. http://www.apple.com/ipad/

iPhone (n.) A combination mobile phone, multimedia player, and wireless Internet device from Apple. http://www.apple.com/iphone

iPhone Interface (n.) A purchased web-based interface that allows MacPractice users to remotely log in. The user can view upcoming and past appointments, view patient demographic information, call and email patients, patient addresses are linked to Google Maps, view reports, view patient referrals, call or email patient referrals, view patient prescriptions and manage, edit and view Reminders. Reminders can be created on the iPhone for users in the office and vice versa. New patients and charges can also be posted from the iPhone interface.

iPod (n.) A portable music player developed by Apple.

IP subnet (n., networking) A portion of an IP network, which may be a physically independent network segment, which shares a network address with other portions of the network and is identified by a subnet number.

iSight (n.) A digital camera from Apple Inc. A small version of the iSight camera is built into some Macintosh computers.

ISO (n.) Abbreviation for the International Organization for Standardization. The ISO works with standards institutes from over 150 countries to develop technology and product standards.

ISP (n., networking) Abbreviation for internet service provider. A company that offers its customers access to the Internet.

IT (n.) Abbreviation for information technology. Refers to anything related to computing technology, such as networking, hardware, software, the Internet, or the people that work with these technologies.

iTap (n., iPad) A downloadable application for the iPad that allows users VNC access to MacPractice.

Items (n., Inventory) Items which have been added to the Inventory ability through the Items node.

iTrans (n., EDI) An entity that processes EDI data for CDA. iTrans also assigns identifiers to providers and billing entities for eClaims submission. See also CDA.

IVR (n., claims) Abbreviation for interactive voice response. A telephony technology that can read a combination of touch tone and voice input. It gives users the ability to access a database of information via phone. Often claim status information can be looked up via a payer's IVR.

iWork (n.) A suite of Apple productivity applications for creating and publishing documents and presentations. The iWork suite includes Keynote for creating cinema-quality presentations, Pages for word-processing, and Numbers for creating spreadsheets.
JJava (n.) A programming language developed by Sun Microsystems. Java is object-oriented and is readable by both PC and Mac computers, hence its popularity on the Internet.

JPEG, .jpg (n.) Abbreviation for Joint Photographic Experts Group. A standard for the data compression of still pictures. JPEG compresses image files to yield a smaller file size, and uses the file extension .jpg.

KK (n.) Abbreviation for the number 1,024.

KB (n., adj.) Abbreviation for kilobyte.

Kernel (n.) The part of an operating system that handles memory management, resource allocation, and other low-level services essential to the system.

Kernel Panic (n.) A type of error that occurs when the core kernel of an operating system receives an instruction in an unexpected format or that it fails to handle properly. A kernel panic can also be caused by damaged or incompatible software or damaged or incompatible hardware.

Kerning (n., trans. v., Notes) Adjustment of the spacing between letters or characters in a piece of text to be printed.

Keyboard Shortcut (n.) A finite set of one or more keys that invoke a software or operating system operation when triggered by the user.

Keychain (n.) A stored set of certificates and passwords for servers, Internet resources and applications.

Keychain Access (n.) The Apple password management system built into Mac OS X. A keychain stores all the passwords, keys, and certificates required for applications, servers, and websites.

kHz (n.) Abbreviation for kilohertz. See Kilohertz.

Kilobyte (n.) A unit of information equal to one thousand (actually 1024) bytes. Abbreviated KB.

Kilohertz (n.) One thousand hertz. Abbreviated kHz. See also Hertz.

Kiosk (n., EMR/EDR) An ability purchased in addition to MacPractice EMR/EDR that allows users to send forms to patient kiosk machine or nurses' station for form data-entry. The Kiosk prevents patients from seeing other patients' data, but allows them to enter information into MacPractice.

Kiosk User (n.) A user registered with kiosk privileges. Kiosk users are not granted access to anything in MacPractice besides the kiosk mode.

Kiosk Form (n., EMR/EDR) A form that can be sent to a kiosk machine.

LLabel (n.) A printable item used to identify patient charts, or for use as a mailing label.

Labs Ability (n.) A feature in MacPractice that allows users to manage, maintain and track laboratory orders and results through the Orders ability.

LAN (n., networking) Abbreviation for local area network. See Local Area Network. Compare to WAN.

Latency (n., networking) The amount of time it takes a packet of data to move across a network connection. When a packet is being sent, there is "latent" time, when the computer that sent the packet waits for confirmation that the packet has been received. Latency and bandwidth are the two factors that determine the network connection speed.

Launch (trans. v.) To start an application or program.

Layout (n., Digital Radiography/Imaging) An arrangement of image squares and their settings used to assist in the collection and maintenance of radiograph images.

LDL (n.) Abbreviation for low-density lipoprotein, often used in the medical profession as part of a cholesterol blood test.

Leaflet (n., ePrescribe) A printable patient education sheet provided by Lexi-Comp about a selected medication or drug in ePrescribe.

Ledger (n.) An a view within in the Patient ability used to enter and track charges and payments, as well as create and print statements and claims.

Legacy (adj., claims) (1) Denoting software or hardware that has been superseded but is difficult to replace because of its wide use. (2) Used to refer to non-NPI identifiers that may still be sent on claims. Sometimes also called PIN numbers or PTANs.

Legacy Type Override (n., claims) A pop-up menu in the Insurance Company reference that allows the user to override which tax identification number is sent on claims per provider, per insurance. The legacy type override is only used in special circumstances where providers have different credentials on file with different payers.

Legend (n.) The wording on a map or diagram that explains the symbols used.

Level (n., Digital Radiography/Imaging) (1) A position in a real or notional hierarchy. (2) An aspect of noise reduction in Digital Radiography/Imaging that smooths an image by bringing the value of each pixel into closer harmony with its neighbors.

Lexi-Comp (n., ePrescribe) A company that provides patient education materials for ePrescribe users.

Library (n.) A collection of programs and software packages made generally available, often loaded and stored on disk for immediate use.

License (n.) Authorized use of a product and its services. The MacPractice license contains information regarding which abilities, and how many networking licenses have been purchased, and also includes the Office reference information.

Ligature (n., Notes) A character consisting of two or more joined letters.

Lightbulb (n.) An icon in MacPractice that gives the user information on the status of assigned Reminders.

Line Break (n., Notes) The end of a line of text on the screen or on a printed page. A line break can be forced by pressing the Return key, or the application can break lines automatically.

Lingual (adj., charting) Referring to the area pertaining to or around the tongue, as in the lingual surface of an incisor.

Link (n., trans. v.) In a hypertext document, such as a webpage, a link is a connection between an element in the document (text or graphics) and a different element in the document or another document, file, or script.

List (n.) An area in the drawer that allows the user to save sidebar records for many purposes, such as exporting or printing lists of information, to quickly create notes, envelopes and labels, or just as a workable list.

Load (trans. v.) To read data or programs into the computer from a disk.

Local (adj.) Operating or applying through a single file, program or data structure. Local preferences and settings only affect the current user.

Local Area Network (n., networking) A communications network that serves users within a defined geographical area, usually for sharing access to files, printers, storage devices, and Internet and intranet-based services.

Local Domain (n., networking) A directory domain that can be accessed only by the computer on which it resides.

Localhost (n., networking) Refers to the local computer that a program is running on. For example, if a Web browser is running on the computer, the computer is considered to be the localhost.

Localization (n., adj.) The adaptation of a software product, including online help and documentation, for use in one or more regions of the world, in addition to the region for which the original product was created. Also known as internationalization.

Lock (n., trans. v.) To secure a file or record to prevent other users from accessing or changing it. While one user is accessing a record in MacPractice, that record (patient or otherwise) is automatically locked to prevent users from overwriting each other's data. Locking ensures that data isn't modified by more than one user at a time and that data isn't read as it is being modified. Locking is an imperative function of any database application that prevents errors in the database.

Logging (n.) A MacPractice preference that allows users to control how much information is logged to the console.

Log In (intrans. v.) To go through the procedures to begin use of a computer system or application, which includes establishing the identity of the user.

Login (n., adj.) A combination of information that authenticates the user's identity.

Log out (intrans. v.) To go through the procedures to conclude use of a computer system or application. Logging out of an application does not stop the application from running, it simply logs out the user's credentials, allowing the user to prevent others from using their credentials while they are away or allowing a different user to log in. Compare to quit.

Loop (n., EDI) A component of an electronic claim that is made up of multiple segments. A loop comprises a specific hierarchy of information, such as patient information, subscriber information, provider information, and so on. For example, the 2300 loop is the claim information loop of an eClaim.

Long Description (n.) A field on a record that allows the user to add supplemental information to the short description. The short description can also be considered a title, where the long description is the actual body of text. See also Short Description.

LOS (n.) Abbreviation for length of stay.

Lot Number (n.) A number used in immunization inventory tracking, assigned by the manufacturer or repackager, used to identify a group with a common production period, manufacturing line, and so on.

MMAC (n., claims) Abbreviation for Medicare Administrative Contractor. As required by section 911 of the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement and Modernization Act of 2003 (MMA), CMS replaced its previous claims payment contractors, fiscal intermediaries and carriers, with new contract entities called Medicare Administrative Contractors (MACs). See also Fiscal Intermediary.

Mac, Macintosh (n.) A line of personal computers from Apple Inc.

MacHealth (n.) Refers to the practice management software family that includes ChiroMac, DentalMac and MediMac and runs on the Classic (MacOS 9) operating system.

MacPractice QuickSupport (n.) An application used in conjunction with Team Viewer which enables the MacPractice Support Department to share a user's screen. See alsoTeam Viewer.

Mac OS X Server (n.) An industrial-strength server platform that supports Mac, Windows, UNIX, and Linux clients out of the box and provides a suite of scalable workgroup and network services plus advanced remote management tools.

Mac OS X (n.) The latest version of the Apple operating system, which combines the reliability of UNIX with the ease of use of Macintosh.

Mac OS (n.) Abbreviation for Macintosh Operating System.

Mac OS Extended Journaled (n.) A computer file system architecture used on Macintosh computers. See also Format.

MacPractice Printed Forms (n.) MacPractice Printed Forms are preprinted forms, such as statements, claim forms, and superbills which can be ordered through our exclusive authorized forms dealer, National Document Services. www.macpracticeprintedforms.com

Macro (n.) A single instruction that expands automatically into a set of instructions to perform a particular task. A keyboard shortcut is an example of a type of macro.

MacSpeech Dictate Medical (n.) Speech recognition software which contains a full range of medical terminology. www.macspeech.com

Magnify (trans. v.) To increase the size or apparent size of something.

Magnifying Glass (n.) See Search Icon.

Magnify Tool (n., Digital Radiography/Imaging) A tool that performs a localized zoom for viewing and searching purposes.

Managed Client (n., networking) A user, group, or computer whose access privileges and/or preferences are under administrative control.

Managers (n.) An ability in MacPractice that allows the user to perform operations that affect the entire database. The Statement Manager, Claim Managers, and Database Utilities are just some examples of Managers.

Mandible (n., charting) The lower jaw.

Manual, Manually (adj., adv.) Used to describe something done by hand, not automatically or electronically. Compare to Automatic.

Many (n.) An icon used to designate whether the user is working with one patient or all. While in Many mode, and a new record is created, MacPractice will ask the user to select a patient. Toggling between One and Many allows the user to quickly switch from one patient to another without switching abilities. When a patient is selected, the Many icon switches to One. See also One.

Map, Mapped, Mapping (n., intrans. v.) (1) To be associated or linked to something. (2) An operation that associates each element of a given set (the domain) with one or more elements of a second set (the range). For example, Code Mapping involves specifying which procedures from the fee schedule should be used given an input from Restorative Charting.

Master (n.) An original document or list from which copies can be made.

Margins (n., Notes) The blank border on each side of the print on a page.

Marketing (n., Reports) A node containing reports for collecting patient information given a specified set of criteria.

Maxilla (n., charting) The upper jaw.

Maximize (trans. v.) To make a window larger by clicking the + button in the top left corner, which is usually green. On a Windows computer, the + is in the opposite corner. Clicking the + button again will return the window to its previous size. See also Minimize and Close.

mBox (n.) See AutoRemind.

MB/Sec (n., networking) Abbreviation for megabytes per second.

Mbit (n.) Abbreviation for megabit.

MB (n.) Abbreviation for megabyte.

Mbps (n., networking) Abbreviation for megabits per second.

MD5 (n.) Abbreviation for Message-Digest algorithm 5, a widely used cryptographic hash function. See also SHA-2.

Meaningful Use (n.) The use of certified EHR technology in meaningful, quantifiable ways, as defined by CMS.

Measurement (n., Digital Radiography/Imaging) An annotation tool that can be used to take measurements on a radiograph image, provided it has been properly calibrated.

MedAvant (n., EDI) See Capario.

Media (n.) Content such as video clips, sound effects, music tracks, or still images.

Median (n., Digital Radiography/Imaging) An adjustment that can be made to a radiograph image to reduce peppery images. In monochrome raster images there is a type of noise, known as salt and pepper noise, when pixels independently become black or white, and are unchanged otherwise. An image constructed of median values of neighborhoods (like 3x3 square) can effectively reduce noise in this case.

Medicaid (n., claims) A state-run payer that provides health benefits to low-income individuals and families who fit into an eligibility group that is recognized by federal and state law.

Medically Necessary (n., adj., EDI) Refers to procedures that are not normally considered medically necessary and therefore not typically covered by insurance, however if they are medically necessary they will be. This checkbox is commonly used by podiatrists who send eClaims, and certain conditions apply.

Medicare Part A (n., claims) Also known as institutional or hospital insurance, Medicare Part A helps cover inpatient care in hospitals, including critical access hospitals and skilled nursing facilities (not custodial or long-term care). It also helps cover hospice care and some home health care. Certain conditions must be met to get these benefits. Providers who send institutional claims should be using the UB04 claim form. Providers have to be credentialed differently to send institutional claims and should contact Medicare for more information.

Medicare Part B (n., claims) Also known as professional or medical insurance, Medicare Part B helps cover doctors' services and outpatient care. It also covers some other medical services that Part A does not cover, such as some of the services of physical and occupational therapists, and some home health care. Part B helps pay for these covered services and supplies when they are medically necessary. Providers who send professional claims should be using the CMS 1500 claim form.

Medicare Part C (n., claims) Also known as supplemental insurance, Medicare Part C refers to supplemental Medicare insurance plans that can be purchased by Medicare eligible patients.

Medicare Part D (n., claims) Also known as prescription insurance, Medicare Part D helps cover prescription drug costs.

Medication Reconciliation (n., EMR/EDR) An element that can be placed on an EMR/EDR form that allows the user to choose applicable medications and prescriptions for the patient's visit and verify the patient's current medication list.

Medigap (n., claims) See COBA. In MacPractice Builds prior to 4.4, there was a Medigap field in References > Insurance Companies > Company Info. Indicates the carrier is secondary to Medicare. If the Medigap or COBA code is entered here, claims will automatically cross over to the secondary payer and will trigger printing in box 9 and 11d on the CMS 1500 form. For eClaims you will not need to fill out the Medigap field.

MediMac (n.) A practice management software for medical practitioners that runs on the classic (OS 9) operating system.

Megabit (n., adj.) A unit of information equal to one thousand (actually 1024) kilobits.

Megabyte (n., adj.) One million bytes or one thousand (actually 1024) kilobytes. Abbreviated MB.

megahertz (n., adj.) One million hertz. Abbreviated MHz. See also hertz.

Memory (n.) The part of a computer in which data or program instructions can be stored for retrieval. There are two kinds of memory, RAM and ROM, however in most cases memory refers specifically to RAM. See also RAM and ROM. 

Menu Bar (n.) In mouse-based applications, the horizontal strip at the top of the screen that contains menu titles. The menu bar contains menus related to the Finder or the current application on the left, such as the File menu and Edit menu, and status menus on the right, also called menu bar icons, menu bar status icons, or menu bar items.

Menu (n.) A list of commands or options displayed on screen.

Merge (trans. v.) To combine or cause to combine two separate records to form a single entity.

Merge Field (n., Notes) An area that appears in the Notes ability that allows the user to choose pull fields from a pre-defined list to add information to a note template or patient note. The merge field pane can also be accessed in other abilities.

Mesial (n., charting) Refers to the tooth surfaces that face toward the midline of the mouth. Compare to Distal.

Midline (n., charting) A plane through the very center of the mouth perpendicular to the nose.

Mini-Class (n.) A free 30-minute online presentation on a single topic. The classes are designed to give the attendee an overview of an ability or function in the software so that they can begin using that feature immediately.

Minimize (n.) To hide a window from view without closing it by clicking the - button in the top left corner, which is usually yellow. On a Windows computer, the - is in the opposite corner. Windows are usually minimized to the Dock, depending on the application, and can be retrieved by clicking on the window icon in the Dock. See also Maximize and Close.

Minutes/Unit (Hour 0-4) (n., billing) In regards to anesthesia billing, indicates the number of minutes per unit for the first 4 hours of anesthesia. For example if 4 anesthesia units are given in one hour, the minutes/unit should be set to 15.

Minutes/Unit (Hour 4+) (n., billing) In regards to anesthesia billing, indicates the number of minutes per unit for every hour after the first 4 hours of anesthesia. For example if 6 anesthesia units are given in one hour, the minutes/unit should be set to 10.

MIPS (n., government program) Stands for Merit-based Incentive Payment System. MacPractice used to comply with MIPS, but in recent years we no longer certify.

Missed (n., Schedule) A status that indicates that a patient had a scheduled appointment, that time has passed, and the patient never showed. Appointments flagged as missed for future dates will be removed from the calendar so new appointments can be created in its place. Missed appointments in the past may either be displayed on the calendar with an "X" or not at all, depending on preference settings. Compare to Canceled.

Mixed Dentition (n., charting) A situation when both deciduous (primary) and permanent teeth are present.

Mobility (MOB) Mobility is a Tooth Notation Point in the Dental Tab's Perio Node that records the level of tooth movement within a pocket. You can read more about Notation Points here. 

Mode (n.) A state that determines the computer's behavior. For example, in MacPractice, being in One or Many mode may affect what information is displayed on the screen and whether new actions are associated to a currently selected patient. See also One and Many.

Modem Server (n., networking) A combination of hardware and software that enables many people to share a single modem.

Modem (n., networking) Short for modulator-demodulator. A device that enables a computer or terminal to transmit information by modulating, or converting, data from a digital to an analog form. Modems can be used with many means of transmitting analog signals, such as telephone lines.

Modifier (n., claims) A two digit code added to the end of a procedure code to give more specific information for the processing of the claim. There can be up to 4 two digit modifiers per charge on a claim.

Monitor (n.) Another term for a computer's display screen. The term monitor usually refers to the entire display device, especially CRT (cathode-ray tube) displays and flat panel displays. See also Display.

Monograph (n., ePrescribe) A printable drug information sheet available for ePrescribe users from Lexi-Comp.

Mount (trans. v.) To make a volume available. A software process that "activates" the disk, which makes the folders and files on the disk readable by the computer.

Mouse (n.) A small handheld device that is dragged across a flat surface to move the cursor on a computer screen, typically having buttons that are pressed to control computer functions.

MOV, .mov (n.) The Apple QuickTime movie file format used to name both movie redirect files and actual QuickTime media files. MOV files use the .mov file extension.

Move (trans. v.) To change a record's location in a relational database.

Move to Transaction (n., Ledger) An option in the Treatment menu in a Ledger Treatment Plan that allows the user to change proposed treatments to production once the work has been performed.

.mpbak (n.) A file extension used by MacPractice backups that contains database, preference and attachment information.

MPEG, .mpg (n.) Abbreviation for Moving Picture Experts Group, a working group of the International Standards Organization (ISO). MPEG usually refers to the family of digital video compression standards that the group developed. There are three major versions: MPEG-1, MPEG-2, and MPEG-4. MPEG-4 is based on the QuickTime file format and defines standards for video and audio streaming.

MPI, .mpi (n.) Abbreviation for MacPractice Image File, a propriety file type used by MacPractice to import and export images in the Imaging/Digital Radiography Ability.

MSP (n., EDI) Abbreviation for Medicare as a secondary payer. When Medicare is a secondary payer, they require an MSP code on an electronic claim identifying why Medicare is secondary.

Multicast (n., trans. v.) An efficient, one-to-many form of streaming. Users can join or leave a multicast but cannot otherwise interact with it.

Mucogingival Junction (n.) The area where the gingiva meets the alveolar mucosa.

MySQL (n.) An open source relational database management system. It is based on the structure query language SQL, which is used for adding, removing, and modifying information in the database. MySQL is required to run the MacPractice application. www.mysql.com
NName Server (n., networking) See DNS.

Navigate (intrans. v.) To move from one accessible page, section, or view of a file or website to another.

Navigation Panel The Navigation panel allows you to navigate amongst the teeth in Perio view.

NCOA (n., eStatements) Abbreviation for National Change of Address. A service provided by USPS that makes change-of-address information available to mailers to help reduce undeliverable mail before it enters the mailstream. It also utilizes Return Codes to provide explanation of match and non-match status. RevSpring requires enrollment in the NCOA system in order to expedite the eStatement process.

NDC (n., claims) Abbreviation for National Drug Code. A code that identifies the vendor (manufacturer), product and package size of all medications recognized by the FDA.

NEA (n.) Abbreviation for National Electronic Attachment, Inc. NEA allows users to upload images to their servers. NEA then provides an attachment identification number, which can be used by providers and payers to identify images associated with claim information. www.nea-fast.com

NEA FastAttach (n., EDI) A purchased feature integrated with MacPractice that allows eClaims submitters to upload images to NEA.

Negative Adjustment (n., Ledger) An adjustment that can be made to a patient's ledger that decreases the total balance without affecting the Deposit slip or any receipts reports. Negative adjustments are typically used to correct accounting errors, transfer balances from one account to another, or as in-office discounts or write-offs. Compare to Positive Adjustment and Write-Off.

Narrative (n., EMR/EDR) An aspect of the EMR/EDR ability that translates form information into a text version that can be printed or added to a note.

Net (adj., Reports) An amount remaining after a deduction, such as tax or a discount, has been made. Compare to gross.

Net Accounts Receivable (n., Reports) Abbreviated Net A/R. The Accounts Receivable amount, minus unapplied balances. The Net A/R is calculated with the following formula: Net A/R = Production + Tax + Pos. Adj. + Refunds + Finance Charges - Deposits - Gross Neg. Adj. - Write-Offs.

.NET Framework (n.) A software framework that can be installed on computers running Microsoft Windows operating systems and may be required to be installed during the set up of a bridge with MacPractice. It includes a large library of coded solutions to common programming problems and a virtual machine that manages the execution of programs written specifically for the framework.

Network (n.) A number of interconnected computers, machines, or operations. The Internet is a network that comprises thousands of computer networks.

Networking Client (n.) Sometimes called client licenses, networking clients control how many users can access the MacPractice database at a time. If additional employees ever need to be added to the practice, additional networking clients may need to be purchased.

Networking License (n.) See Networking Client.

NewCrop (n., ePrescribe) A company that provides electronic prescribing services integrated with MacPractice. www.newcroprx.com

New Record (n.) An item seen in the sidebar while creating a new record. The new record's name will change to its given name once saved.

Node (n.) An item in the sidebar that may contain records within it. Every bold item that is seen in the sidebar is a node, and nodes that have triangles that appear next to them when clicked on contain records within them. For example, the Find node does not contain records within it because it is used to search for records, however the Patients node contains a list of patients, and can be expanded to show those patients. Expand a node by clicking on the triangle next to the name.

Noble Metal (n., charting) A metal that is resistant to oxidation; includes gold, platinum, palladium, and the other platinum group metals.

Noise Reduction (n., Digital Radiography/Imaging) An adjustment that can be made to a digital image that reduces the amount of noise by smoothing graininess. The noise reduction filter is comprised of two parts, level and sharpness. See also Level and Sharpness.

Non-Duplicating Coverage (n., Insurance Estimating) A type of secondary coverage where the secondary's portion is impacted by the estimated portion of the primary. Sometimes also referred to as supplemental coverage. Non-duplicating coverage uses the following formula: Secondary allowed (-) Secondary Deductible (x) Insurance % (=) Secondary Insurance Portion (+) Primary Insurance Portion (up to the Secondary Remaining Coverage, and/or Unpaid Amount). See also Standard Coverage.

None (n.) (1) An item that may be seen while searching if no existing records match the search criteria. (2) An option that may be used in a pop-up menu when no other options are applicable.

Notation Points Notation points are the clinical variable to be charted, such as Gingival Margin, Probing Depth, Bleeding, and so on.

Notation Point Percentages To the left of the Perio Charting Toolbar, the Notation Point Percentages display the automatically calculated current percentages of pockets with positive findings for that notation point.

Notation Point Settings The Notation Point Settings allow you to select which notation points (clinical attributes such as Gingival Margin, Probing Depth, Bleeding, and so on) will be included within the Patient Chart, as well as the order in which the notation points are charted. Notation Settings also allow you to use abbreviations for any notation, rather than the full name.

Notes (n.) An ability in MacPractice that allows for word processing using existing data in the database.

NPI (n., claims) Abbreviation for National Provider Identification. The NPI is a 10-digit unique identification number for covered health care providers. Covered health care providers and all health plans and health care clearinghouses will use the NPIs in the administrative and financial transactions adopted under HIPAA. After May 23, 2008 the NPI must be used in lieu of legacy provider identifiers in all HIPAA-standard transactions.

NPPES (n., claims) Abbreviation for the National Plan and Provider Enumeration System. CMS uses NPPES to assign and manage NPI numbers and associated identifiers.

NTFS (n.) Abbreviation for New Technology File System. A computer file system architecture used on most PCs. See also format.

Numbers (n.) A spreadsheet application developed by Apple for Macintosh computers that MacPractice can export to. Numbers is part of the iWork suite. http://www.apple.com/iwork

Numeric Keypad (n.) The number keys on the right side of the keyboard that are laid out like the keys on an adding machine. They can be used interchangeably with the number keys on the top row of the keyboard. Also known as keypad.
OOcclusal (adj., charting) Pertaining to the biting edges of the molars and bicuspid teeth, the posterior teeth.

Occlusion (n., charting) The process that takes place when teeth come together and touch.

Office (n.) A record in MacPractice that contains billing office information. This information is used in a variety of areas, such as billing information on claims and return address information for statements. The office reference information is updated and maintained by the MacPractice Accounting department.

On Call (n., adj., Schedule) A function in the Schedule ability that allows users to put a patient on an on-call list. When a slot in the calendar becomes open due to another patient's cancelation or the deletion of an appointment, MacPractice will look for patients on the on-call list that match the same criteria and will warn the user that patients can be scheduled to fill the open slot.

One (n.) An icon used to designate whether the user is working with one patient or all. While in One mode, and a new record is created, MacPractice will automatically associate that new record to the selected patient. Toggling between One and Many allows the user to quickly switch from one patient to another without switching abilities. To deselect a patient, click the One/Many icon to switch back to Many mode. See also Many.

One/Many (n.) The One/Many icon allows the user to toggle between One and Many mode.

Onlay (n., charting) A cast gold or porcelain filling that covers one or all teeth cusps.

Online (adj.) Controlled by or connected to another computer, to a network, or to the Internet. Used to describe items which the user gains access to over a network or the Internet.

On-the-Fly (adv.) Used to describe processes that may occur while other processes are happening. Sometimes also used to refer to actions that may be performed without any set up. For example, if the user does not wish to set up procedure types or allowed amounts before using Insurance Estimating, they may be set per procedure on-the-fly while billing.

Open (trans. v., adj., accounting) (1) To display the contents of a folder. (2) To display a file or document for review or edit in the appropriate application. (3) To display the details of a record in MacPractice. For example if the details of a charge or payment in the Ledger need to be viewed, simply double-click to open the detail view. (4) To have an unsettled balance or claim. A balance that is collectable. Compare to Paid.

Operating System (n.) The software that supports a computer's basic functions, such as scheduling tasks, executing applications, and controlling peripherals, sometimes abbreviated OS.

Optical (n.) A purchased ability that allows users to manage, track, maintain optical history and prescription information and print optical prescriptions.

Option-Click (trans. v.) An action that involves holding down the Option key while clicking on an item. Option clicking can be used to perform special actions where available, and is sometimes used to copy or duplicate items.

Option Key (n.) A key on the keyboard between the Control and Command keys. The Option key is pressed with other keys to perform special actions and to copy or duplicate items when used with dragging. Its functionality is similar to that of the Alt key on a Windows PC.

orders, Orders (n., ePrescribe) (1) An option in ePrescribe that allows the user to enter a drug or drug compound that is not found in the First DataBank database. (2) A feature in the Patient ability that allows users to create and track work orders for a patient's care, such as medication records, laboratory work, radiology and so on.

OS (n.) Abbreviation for operating system.

OsiriX (n.) DICOM image viewer and digital radiography application that MacPractice can bridge to. www.osirix-viewer.com

Output (n., trans. v.) To produce, deliver, or supply (data) using a computer or other device. Any information that a computer supplies.

Outstanding (adj., accounting) Used to describe balances or claims remaining to be paid or dealt with.

Owner (n.) The person who created a file or folder and who therefore has the ability to assign access privileges for other users. The owner of an item automatically has read and write privileges for an item. An owner can also transfer ownership of an item to another user.

Overdue (adj., accounting) Used to describe a balance that was due to be paid on a set date, and that set date has past.

Overlap (n., trans. v., Schedule) Describes the condition in which one appointment may extend over another so as to partially or completely cover the appointment below. Overlapping of appointments is not allowed unless the preference has been enabled.

Override (n., trans. v.) (1) To interrupt the action of an automatic feature, typically in order to take manual control. (2) To change values on a item that were set by default.

PPacket (n., networking) One unit of information that has been formatted for transmission on a network. A packet includes user data as well as the control and addressing information needed to send the packet to the correct destination.

PACS (n.) Abbreviation for picture archiving and communication systems. A combination of hardware and software dedicated to the short and long term storage, retrieval, management, distribution, and presentation of digital images.

Paid (adj., accounting) Used to refer to a balance that has been settled and is no longer owed. Compare to Open.

Paid/Closed (adj., claims) Used to refer to a claim that has been settled and is no longer pending.

Palette (n.) A type of computing window which floats on top of all regular windows and offers tools or information for the current application. In MacPractice, palettes can be seen in the Digital Radiography/Imaging and EMR/EDR abilities, to name a few.

Pan (n., Digital Radiography/Imaging) Short for panoramic. A radiograph taken of the upper and lower jaw, in a two-dimensional view of a half-circle from ear to ear. Also known as an orthopantomogram, orthopantogram, or panorex.

Pane (n.) A separate defined area within a window for the display of, or interaction with, a part of that window's application or output.

Paper Claim (n., claims) A claim which has been sent to a payer on a paper insurance claim form through the mail. The term is used to distinguish paper claims from eClaims. Paper claims and eClaims cannot be directly compared.

Parallels (n.) Windows emulator software. www.parallels.com

Parameter (n.) An additional value that must be provided along with a command.

Parent (n., networking) A computer whose shared directory domain provides configuration information to another computer.

Parse (trans. v., EDI) To analyze a string or text into logical syntactic components, typically in order to test conformability to a logical grammar.

Part (n., Notes) A small amount of text that can be pre-formatted and quickly inserted into a patient note or note template, such as a signature or address header. Parts must be classified under categories. See also Category.

Participate (interns. v., claims) Indicates providers who are “in network" with an insurance company. For Medicare, participation means the provider agrees to always accept assignment for all services furnished to Medicare beneficiaries. By agreeing to always accept assignment, the provider agrees to always accept Medicare's allowed amounts as payment in full and to not collect more than the Medicare deductible and coinsurance from the beneficiary. If participate is checked on the Insurance Company reference, MacPractice will assume that the difference between the fee amount and the carrier's allowed amount will be written off. Compare to Accepts Assignment.

Partition (n.) A subdivision of a hard disk's area that is defined and used as a separate volume.

Password (n.) A secret word or string of characters that is used for authentication, to prove identity or gain access to a resource, such as a computer system or application.

Paste (trans. v.) To insert copied text or other items from the Clipboard into a document. See also Clipboard, Cut and Copy.

Path (n.) A definition of the order in which an operating system or program searches for a file or executable program.

Pathname (n.) A statement of the location of a file or other item in a hierarchy of directories. Sometimes also referred to as a file path or directory path. The pathname begins with a slash, and the parts of the pathname are separated with slashes.

Patient (n.) (1) Any person receiving or registered to receive medical treatment. (2) The patient's record in MacPractice. Compare to Account.

Patient Alert (n.) A user-defined alert that can be associated to a patient. Patient alerts are added from the Alerts tab in the Patient ability, and display in yellow when the account is selected. Patient alerts can be any type of alert that would only be associated to individual patients, such as appointment and copay reminder information, medical alerts and so on. Compare to Account Alert.

Patient Chart (n., charting) An area in Restorative Charting that allows the user to enter and track pre-existing restorations and conditions as well as view the charting history. Information entered into the patient chart does not create a corresponding entry in the patient's Ledger.

Patient Health Information Portal (n.) A purchased web-based application that allows offices to give patients access to their MacPractice clinical data. Patients can either view or download exported documents in either the HL7 CCD (HITSP/C32) format or the ASTM CCR v1.0 format. See also Continuity of Care Document and Continuity of Care Record.

Patient Responsible (n., claims) A checkbox in the New Charge window and fee schedule that allows the user to specify a charge is not billable to insurance and will be the patient's responsibility to pay. Having patient responsible checked prevents the charge from being printed on claims and the charge will never be in the insurance portion. Examples of charges that may be marked Patient Responsible include balance forwards, insufficient funds charges, late charges, supplements and non-covered products.

Patients (n.) An ability in MacPractice that allows users to enter, track and update patient demographic and accounting information. The Patients ability is the initial area where patients are entered. It is essential to have patients entered in MacPractice before any other record can be created.

Patient Web Interface (n.) A purchased web-based application that allows offices to give patients access to their MacPractice demographic data. Patients can also request appointments via the web interface. Information entered from the patient web interface must be imported into MacPractice via the Orders ability. The Patient Web Interface can be set up and used on a kiosk machine in an office's waiting room or lobby if desired.

Payable (adj., accounting) Used to refer to balances that required to be paid; due.

Payer (n., claims) An entity who pays a provider for services rendered to a patient. This includes but is not limited to insurance carriers. Not all payers are insurance carriers, not all insurance carriers are payers.

Payer ID (n., EDI) An identification number for a payer that is required for electronic claims submission. Payer IDs are specific to each clearinghouse for each payer.

Payer List (n., EDI) A list provided by the clearinghouse that includes payer names and payer IDs. You can find Change Healthcare's Payer List here.

Payment (n., accounting) (1) The action or process of paying something, or of being paid. (2) An amount paid or payable.

Payment Plan (n., accounting) See Installment.

PC (n.) Abbreviation for personal computer. Refers to any computer not manufactured by Apple.

PDF, .pdf (n.) Abbreviation for Portable Document Format. A file format developed by Adobe Systems that provides an electronic image of text or text and graphics that looks like a printed document and can be viewed, printed, and electronically transmitted.

Pending (adj., accounting, ePrescribe) (1) Refers to balances or claims that have not been settled. (2) An area in ePrescribe that allows users to enter and edit medications before transmitting them.

Periapical Abscess (n., charting) An abscess caused by chronic localized infection located at the tip of the root of a tooth.

Perio Charting (n.) A purchased ability for MacPractice DDS that allows users to enter numerical periodontia values for patient's teeth.

Perio Charting Toolbar The Perio Charting Toolbar at the top of Perio View allows you to set the Perio Chart attributes.

Perio Control Panel The Perio Control Panel hosts Notation Points, Data Entry, and Navigation of the Perio chart.

Perio Settings The Perio Settings allow you to customize the visual display and input order of the patient's Perio Chart. See Perio Settings for documentation on each of these unique settings.

Perio View Perio View displays the Perio Charting Toolbar and Perio Chart.

Peripheral (n., adj.) Any external device that is connected to the computer, but not a part of it. Keyboards, external displays, printers, modems and scanners are all examples of peripherals.

Permanent (adj., charting) Refers to adult teeth. Compare to Primary.

Permission, Permissions (n.) Refers to settings on a file or folder that control which users can view or edit the file or folder. Sometimes also called privileges or access rights. Permissions are usually set by opening the information page on the item (Control/right-click and select Get Info) and selecting permissions from the menu, either Read & Write, Read Only, Write Only or No Access. Only the owner of the file or folder or an Administrator can change permissions. See also Privileges.

Phase (n., Ledger) A subdivision of a Treatment Plan that allows the user to schedule each stage of treatment independently.

PHI (n.) Abbreviation for Patient Health Information Portal. See Patient Health Information Portal.

Phone Training (n.) Training offered over the phone and internet by a MacPractice representative. Phone Training can be customized to cover any topic and is offered in one-hour increments.

PHP (n., networking) Abbreviation for Hypertext Preprocessor. A scripting language embedded in HTML that is used to create dynamic Web pages. When a PHP page is accessed, the PHP code is read or "parsed" by the server the page resides on. The output from the PHP functions on the page are typically returned as HTML code, which can be read by the browser. Because the PHP code is transformed into HTML before the page is loaded, users cannot view the PHP code on a page. This make PHP pages secure enough to access databases and other secure information.

Picture Clipping (n.) Image or screenshot captured by the Finder in Mac OS X; saved in the .pictClipping format. Picture clippings contain no data, and cannot be viewed in Preview or in MacPractice. Picture clippings may appear if the user tries to drag and drop images from Digital Radiography/Imaging to the Desktop, however the user should instead save the file from Digital Radiography/Imaging by Control/right-clicking on the item and selecting Save or Save As.

PIN (n.) Abbreviation for personal identification number or provider identification number. See also Legacy.

Ping (n., intrans. v.) Short for Packet Internet Gopher. A utility which is used to query another computer on a TCP/IP network in order to determine whether there is a connection to it. Pinging also measures the round-trip time for packets sent from the local host to a destination computer and can be helpful in finding Internet bottlenecks, so that data transfer paths can be rerouted a more efficient way.

Pipe (n.) A special character on a keyboard represented by a vertical line (|). Pipes can be used as delimiters for exported files. See also Export Presets.

Pit (n., charting) A small defect in the tooth enamel, usually found on the back teeth.

Pixel (n.) Short for picture element. The smallest unit of a rasterized or bitmap image. Pixels are normally arranged in a 2-dimensional grid, and are often represented using dots or squares.

PKG, .pkg (n.) A file format used by software installations. The format is opened by Apple's Installer application, which reads the .pkg file and installs the software it contains. The .pkg file format allows easy installation of software by end users, and is commonly used by both Apple and third-party developers.

Plan (n., accounting) A scheme for the regular payment of contributions toward an insurance policy. Plans in MacPractice allows the user to track each individual policy's allowed amounts and coverage rates and are most commonly used for Insurance Estimating. See also Insurance Estimating.

Planmeca (n.) A digital radiography device that can be integrated with MacPractice. www.planmecausa.com

Plan Type (n., claims) A pop-up menu on insurance companies and plans that identifies the type of insurance coverage. The plan type in MacPractice also changes the way claim information is printed, depending on specific rules and requirements by the payer.

Plaque (n., charting) A colorless, odorless, sticky substance containing acids and bacteria that causes tooth decay.

PLB (n., EDI) See Provider Level Adjustment.

plist, .plist (n.) Short for property list. A file that contains information about user settings and preferences.

PMB (n., Perio) A set of fields in the patient's Perio chart that measures plaque, mobility and bone loss.

PMS (n.) Abbreviation for practice management software or practice management system.

PNG, .png (n.) Abbreviation for Portable Network Graphic. A bitmapped image format that employs lossless data compression. PNG was created to improve upon and replace GIF as an image file format not requiring a patent license.

Point (n.) A unit of measurement for printed text, used to describe the font size and spacing of text.

Pointer (n.) See Cursor.

Policy Number (n., claims) An identifying number assigned to an insurance policy. Sometimes also called a group number.

Poll, Polling (trans. v., n.) To check the status of something as part of a repeated cycle.

Pontic (n., charting) The false tooth on a fixed bridge, usually metal, porcelain or a combination of the two; also used to identify an artificial tooth on a fixed partial denture.

POP (n., networking) Abbreviation for Post Office Protocol. An application-layer Internet standard protocol used by local email clients to retrieve e-mail from a remote server over a TCP/IP connection.

Pop-Up (n., adj.) (1) See Prompt. (2) A menu with a pre-defined list of selections to choose from. Compare to Combo Box.

Definition 2:

Populate (trans. v.) To fill something in, such as a table of values.

Porc, Porcelain (n., charting) A tooth-colored, "sandlike" material consisting mainly of kaolin, feldspar and flux. It fuses at a high temperature to form a hard substance much like enamel in appearance.

Port (n., networking) (1) A connector, usually on the back of the computer, for connecting peripheral devices. USB and FireWire are both examples of ports. (2) A number used as an address by a server to determine which application should receive data packets. Firewalls use port numbers to determine whether data packets are allowed to traverse a local network.

Portal (n.) A website run by a clearinghouse or payer which allows access to certain aspects of their data systems. Portals allow providers to perform real-time transactions such as eligibility checks, claims status inquiries, and real time claims submission. Portals may also allow users to view claim data.

Portion (n., accounting) A balance that is a part of a whole. In MacPractice, the patient portion is the part of the balance that is due from the patient, where the insurance portion is the part of the balance either estimated to be the insurance's responsibility or outstanding to the insurance.

POS (n., accounting) Abbreviation for place of service.

Positioning (n., Digital Radiography/Imaging) The particular way in which a digital radiography sensor is placed or held. Proper positioning ensures highest quality images.

Positive Adjustment (n., Ledger) An adjustment that can be made to a patient's Ledger that increases the total balance without affecting production. Positive adjustments are typically used to correct accounting errors or to transfer balances from one account to another. Compare to Negative Adjustment.

Post, Posting (trans. v., accounting) To enter transactions into a ledger.

Postal Code (n.) A mailing code sometimes also called a zip code.

Post & Core (n., charting) An option in Restorative Charting that allows the user to enter post and core information on a patient's tooth.

Posted Date (n., accounting) A date in the Ledger indicating when a transaction was entered. The posted date cannot be changed. Compare to Procedure Date.

Posterior (adj., charting) Referring to the back of the body, specifically the rear of the mouth in dental anatomy. Usually refers to maxillary and mandibular premolars and molars and their corresponding tissues. Compare to Anterior.

PostScript (n.) A page description language that is an industry standard for outputting high-resolution text and graphics.

Power Cycle (trans. v.) The act of turning a piece of equipment off and then on again. Reasons for power cycling include having an electronic device reinitialize its configuration or recover from an unresponsive state of its mission critical functionality, such as in a crash or hang situation. Power cycling can also be used to reset network activity inside a modem.

PowerPC (n.) Any one of the RISC-based processing chips 601, 603, 604, 604e, G3, or G4 designed by Apple, IBM, and Motorola. Also sometimes used to refer generally to computers with a PowerPC microprocessor. Sometimes abbreviated PPC. Compare to Intel.

PQRI (n., claims) Abbreviation for Physician Quality Reporting Initiative. PQRI is a voluntary program that will provide a financial incentive to physicians and other eligible professionals (EPs) who successfully report quality data related to covered services provided under the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (PFS).

PQRS (n.) Abbreviation for Physician Quality Reporting System. A now retired (since 2017) incentive/payment cut program from Medicare that is designed to track the quality of a provider's care and report that to Medicare via quality measure reports.

PRA (n., EDI) An EDI report that accompanies all downloaded ERAs from Capario. PRAs include a summary of remittance information supplied by the payer, but cannot provide any auto-posting functionality. Compare to ERA and TRN.

Predetermination (n., claims) A claim sent before services have been rendered to establish insurance eligibility and proposed payment in advance.

Preferences (n.) A list of personalized settings for an application. Preferences in MacPractice can either be local, set per individual OS user, or global, affecting the whole database. You can access MacPractice Preferences from the MacPractice Menu. See also Plist.

Prefab (adj., charting) Short for prefabricated.

Prefix (n.) A title placed before a name, for example, Mr., Mrs., or Dr.

Prescription (n., Rx) An instruction written by a medical practitioner that authorizes a patient to be provided a medicine or treatment.

Preset (n., Digital Radiography/Imaging) (1) See Export Preset. (2) An initial default attribute specified for new images imported into Digital Radiography/Imaging. Presets are most commonly used for image rotation, but may also be used for image adjustment.

Press (trans. v.) The act of pressing and quickly releasing keys on the keyboard or mechanical buttons and switches.

Preventive Care (n., Clinical, References, Reports) Procedures, Immunizations, screenings, and so on administered as preventive measures as opposed to treatments. In MacPractice, the Preventive Routine Cares Reference is used to add a list of routine preventive procedures, which can then be added to a patient record. For example, Patient > Clinical > Preventive Care or the Preventive Care section of iEHR both add Preventive Routine Cares.

Preview (n.) An Apple application that lets the user view PDF files, images, text documents, and many other types of files on Macintosh computers using Mac OS X.

PreViser (n.) Patient dental risk analyzing software. www.previser.com

Primary (n., adj., accounting, charting) (1) When referencing patients and accounts, the Primary is the primary financially responsible person on the account. The Primary is the default person to receive statements and should be the person that the office expects to receive payment from. Each account must have both a patient and a primary. Compare to Secondary. (2) May also refer to primary insurance. The first insurance company that is billed for services rendered to a patient. It should be noted that the primary insurance does not necessarily have to be associated to the person on the Primary tab. Insurances will be billed in the order they appear on the patient's Insurance tab, and can be controlled by dragging insurances into the proper order. (3) Baby or deciduous teeth. Compare to Permanent.

Print (trans. v.) To send a computer file to a printer or to another, temporary file.

Print Spooler (n.) A program that stores documents to be printed, thereby freeing memory and allowing other functions to be performed while printing goes on in the background.

Printer (n.) A peripheral device which produces a hard copy of documents stored in electronic form, usually on physical print media such as paper or transparencies.

Printer-Friendly (adj.) Refers to electronic documents formatted for output to a printer, with extraneous material deleted or suppressed.

Prior Authorization (n., claims) (1) See Predetermination. (2) A pre-approval from an insurance company for services to be rendered to a patient. (3) A number assigned to such a pre-approval for identification purposes on a submitted claim.

Probing Depth (n., Perio) A measurement indicating the distance from the soft tissue margin to the tip of the periodontal probe.

Problem List (n.) A list of a patient's conditions, symptoms, complaints and diagnoses. See also Diagnosis.

Problem List Element (n., EMR/EDR) An interactive EMR/EDR element that can be placed on a form that allows users to update and add diagnosis or problem list information to a patient.

Procedure (n., accounting) (1) An operation or any series of steps taken to address a patient's condition. (2) In the Ledger, a procedure may refer to any charge on an account. See also Charge.

Procedure Category (n.) A user-defined category that can be assigned to a procedure in either the fee schedule or the New Charge window for reporting and classification purposes.

Procedure Date (n., accounting) A date in the Ledger indicating when a transaction was performed. The procedure date can be changed for most ledger entries, allowing the user to accurately track when procedures were performed or when payments were deposited. Compare to Posted Date.

Procedure Type (n.) A user-defined procedure classification that allows users to enter Insurance Plan coverage percentage rates for specific types of procedures. Procedure Types are most commonly used with Insurance Estimating and can also be used in some reports.

Process, Processed (n., trans. v., adj., claims) (1) A program that is currently running on the computer. (2) When referring to claims, in process, processing, and processed refers to the payer's status of working on the claim. Once a claim has been processed, it has been finalized and either paid or denied.

Processor (n.) See CPU.

Production (n., accounting) The amount of work that has been performed, represented by charges, both code and dollar amount, in the Ledger. Production reports help the user track how much work has been done by each provider.

Professional (adj, claims) Of or pertaining to claims sent by professional practitioners such as clinics, doctor's offices, specialists, dentists, and chiropractors, among others. Professional claims make up the bulk of fee-for-service claims sent in the US, usually on the CMS-1500 insurance claim form. Compare to Institutional.

Prognosis (PROG) Prognosis is a prediction of the outcome based on the diagnosis and associated risk factors of disease. Prognosis is noted by 5-Good, 4-Fair, 3-Questionable, 2-Poor, and 1-Hopeless. It is a Tooth Notation Point.

Programmer (n.) A person who writes computer programs.

Program (n., trans. v.) A series of coded software instructions to control the operation of a computer. Program typically refers to software that "runs in the background" or doesn't have a graphical user interface. Compare to Application.

Progress Note (n., EMR/EDR) An interactive EMR/EDR form element that allows the user to pick pre-defined text from a menu for quick text entry. The text is inserted into a text box, allowing the user to edit and add additional information.

Prompt (n., trans. v.) Any window that opens automatically to request additional information from the user. Sometimes also called a pop-up window or alert.

Proprietary (adj.) Of or relating to an owner or ownership; marketed under and protected by a registered trade name. Proprietary files cannot be legally accessed by a third-party application.

Prosthesis (n., charting) A general term that applies to any artificial replacement for a missing part of the body. Prosthetic Dentistry (Prosthodontics) is the art and science of fabricating artificial replacements for missing or damaged teeth.

Protocol (n., networking) A set of rules governing the exchange or transmission of data electronically between devices, specifically on a network. Some examples of protocols include PPP, TCP/IP, SLIP, HTTP, and FTP.

Provider (n.) An entity who renders services to a patient. This includes but is not limited to doctors.

Provider Level Adjustment (n., claims) Amounts usually reported on EOBs or ERAs that are paid to the provider and are not associated with a patient or their benefits.

Proview USB (n.) A program that may be used to grant Mac compatibility to USB video and image devices.

Provisional (adj., charting) Temporary.

ProxyMed (n., EDI) See Capario.

Proxy Server (n., networking) A server that provides an indirect network connection. A computer connects to the proxy server and requests a connection to a network. The proxy then connects to the specified network. Proxy servers are often used to provide network security.

PTAN (n., claims) Abbreviation for Provider Transaction Access Number. Also known as a provider PIN number or a Legacy number. Providers typically do not send these numbers on claims after the May 23rd, 2008 NPI only date but they might still need these numbers for Medicare enrollment and Medicare eligibility checks.

Public (n.) Refers to MacPractice's Public folder. A folder that allows for the sharing of information, applications, forms and templates among other things between the user and the MacPractice Support department.

Public-Domain (n.) See Freeware.

Pull-Down Menu (n.) A menu that is hidden until the mouse button is pressed and held down over the title. The EMR/EDR ability icon is an example of a pull-down menu, when the user holds the mouse button down while the cursor is over the EMR/EDR icon, they have the option to quickly change the date range for EMR/EDR records to load.

Pull Field (n., EMR/EDR, Notes) A field that can be added to EMR/EDR forms and Notes templates that will pull existing information from the patient's record into the form or note once its been created. Pull fields allow the user to create a standard form that can be used for multiple patients.

Pulp (n., charting) The soft inner structure of a tooth, consisting of nerve and blood vessels.

Purchase Orders (n., Inventory) A Purchase Order is created to replenish stock of retail items. Purchase Orders are orders created through the Inventory node of the Inventory ability.

QQuad, Quadrant (n., charting) Each of four parts of the mouth divided by two lines or planes at right angles. Quadrants are typically labeled LL for lower left, LR for lower right, UL for upper left and UR for upper right.

Qualifier (n., claims) An alphanumeric code that denotes the type of information that is being submitted on the claim. A qualifier can denote a date. For example: The qualifier 454 followed by a date indicates that the date specified is the Initial Treatment Date. A qualifier can denote a legacy number on a paper claim form. For example: The qualifier ZZ followed by an identification number indicates that the specified identification number is a provider taxonomy code.

Queue (n.) A list of items stored so as to be retrievable in a definite order, usually the order of insertion.

QuickTime (n.) An Apple multimedia application that handles video, media clips, sound, text, animation, music, and several types of images on Macintosh computers.

Quit (trans. v.) To stop an active process or application from running. Compare to Log Out.

RRace and Ethnicity Element (n., EMR/EDR) An interactive EMR/EDR element that can be placed on a form that allows users to update and add race and ethnicity information to a patient.

Radio Button (n.) An icon representing one of a set of options, only one of which can be selected at any time.

Radiograph, Radiography (n., trans v.) An image produced on a sensitive plate or film or by an electronic device by X-rays, gamma rays, or similar radiation, and typically used in medical examination.

Radiation (n., Digital Radiography/Imaging) The emission of energy as electromagnetic waves or as moving subatomic particles.

Radius (n., Digital Radiography/Imaging) An aspect of the unsharp mask that affects the side of the edges to be enhanced or how wide the edge rims become, so a smaller radius enhances smaller-scale detail. Higher radius values can cause halos at the edges, a detectable faint light rim around objects. Fine detail needs a smaller radius.

RAID (n.) Abbreviation for Redundant Array of Independent Disks. A system for providing greater capacity, faster access, and security against data corruption by spreading the data across several disk drives.

RAM (n.) Abbreviation for random-access memory. RAM provides memory for system software and applications. The amount of RAM in the computer affects how many tasks the computer can manage at a time. Generally speaking, increasing the amount of RAM in the computer may increase performance. RAM is volatile memory, meaning once the user shuts down the computer, the contents of RAM are erased. In sleep mode, the contents of RAM are maintained. There are various types of RAM, including DRAM (dynamic random-access memory) and SDRAM (synchronous random-access memory). Compare to ROM. See also memory.

RARC (n., claims) Abbreviation for remittance advice remark code. See Remark Code.

Rate Code (n., claims) Also known as a HIPPS (Health Insurance Prospective Payment System) code, rate codes represent specific sets of patient characteristics on which payment determinations are made. Rate codes are only used on institutional claims. See also institutional.

Read (trans. v.) To enter or extract data in an electronic storage device.

Read & Write (n.) A privilege setting that grants the user full access to the file or folder. The user will be able to see and edit the contents of the file or folder.

Read Me (n.) A document, usually in text-only or Rich Text Format, that accompanies a product and contains information the user needs to read before installing or using the product.

Read Only (n.) A privilege setting that grants the user only access to view the file or the contents of the folder. The user will not be able to edit or save changes to the file or folder.

Read-Only Memory (n.) See ROM.

Ready (n., EDI) An electronic claims status that indicates the claim is ready to be sent. When eClaims are first created, they are either invalid or ready.

Real-Time (adj.) Refers to a system in which input data is processed within milliseconds so that it is available virtually immediately as feedback.

Real-Time Transaction (n., EDI) A portal transaction that occurs in real time. Examples of real-time transactions include online eligibility checks and claim status inquiries.

Real-World IP (n., networking) An IP address as it appears on the Internet. Real-world IP addresses may be different than an IP address in the office's internal network, because that specific address may not be available on the Internet. Static real-world IP addresses may be available for purchase from the ISP.

Reason Code (n., claims) Also abbreviated CARC for Claims Adjustment Reason Codes, Reason Codes are provided by payers on EOBs to identify the reason(s) why they did not pay the full amount of the charge. Reason Codes are required to send secondary eClaims.

Reason for Treatment (n., claims) An area on a patient's incident that allows the user to provide supplemental and accident information about a patient's condition for claims.

Rebuild (trans. v., eClaims) A function in the eClaims ability that allows the user to refresh or fetch updated claim information without recreating the claim. If the user ever makes any changes to the charge information, the claim should be rebuilt before it is sent.

REC (n., EDI) A type of eClaim report that provides rejection and acknowledgement information received from the clearinghouse, and will subsequently change the status of the claim according to these messages. An accepted message received from the clearinghouse does not necessarily mean the payer also has accepted the claim. Compare to ANC and INS.

Recall (n., Schedule) (1) In MacPractice DDS, refers to an appointment in a series of scheduled visits. (2) A record that tracks when a patient is due for the next recall appointment. See also Follow-Up.

Receive (trans. v., EDI) To download information that is available from the clearinghouse.

Receipts (n., Reports) An amount of money received during a particular period by an organization or business.

Recession (n, Perio) A peridontal measurement, indicating the location of marginal periodontal tissues apical to the cemento-enamel junction.

Reconcile (trans. v., accounting) To balance an account or to make one account consistent with another.

Record (n., trans. v.) (1) The set of values that describes a single instance of an entity. (2) To set something down in writing or some other permanent form for later reference.

Recoupment (n., accounting) A reclamation of funds previously spent. An insurance company may request a recoupment in the form of a refund or reduced future payments if they discover a claim was paid in error. See also Refund.

Recover (trans. v.) See Restore.

Reference (n.) A record that provides non-patient related information and can be edited and maintained from the References ability.

Reference Number (n., accounting) A number used as a reference for insurance and patient payments and refunds.

References (n.) An ability in MacPractice that allows the user to add, edit and maintain non-patient reference records, such as Insurance Companies, Users and Fee Schedules.

Referral (n.) A record in MacPractice used to record if a patient has been referred to or referred by an outside physician or any other recommended party.

Referrer (n.) The entity or individual responsible for the referral.

Refill (n., trans. v., Rx, ePrescribe) To fill a prescription again or a request to fill a prescription again.

Refresh (n., trans. v.) A command that reloads the contents of a window or Web page with the most current data. For example, a window may list files stored within a folder, but may not track their location in real-time. If the files have been moved or deleted since the window was first opened, the folder contents displayed will be inaccurate. By refreshing the window, a current list of files is displayed.

Refund (n., trans. v., accounting) A repayment of a sum of money.

Register (trans. v.) To record contact information and credentials on the MacPractice download site in order to access downloadable content. If the credential information changes at any time, it may be necessary to re-register.

Rejected (adj., EDI) Claims that are stopped either by a clearinghouse, trading partner or payer's front end computer. Since rejected claims are stopped by a computer, the response is sent back electronically. Compare to invalid and denied.

Relational Database (n.) A database structured to recognize relations among stored items of information.

Relationship (n.) The way in which two or more concepts, objects, or people are connected, or the state of being connected.

Relative Value Unit (n., Claims) A measure Medicare uses to asses the value of a given procedure, based on the amount of work required (Work RVU), the administrative/overhead costs associated with the procedure (Practice RVU), and the potential for complications (Malpractice RVU).

Release Notes (n.) A document that provides information about changes made to each version of MacPractice.

Release of Info (n., claims) A checkbox that indicates that a patient has signed a HIPAA release, authorizing the office to send claims to the insurance on their behalf.

Relinquished (trans. v., claims) To cease or give up responsibility over a patient. Care relinquished by one provider is assumed by a different provider. Compare to Assumed.

Reload (trans. v.) To refresh information on the current window or page. The reload button in MacPractice will check for changes made to the record in the database, or will reset search filter settings back to their original state.

Remaining Coverage (n., Insurance Estimating) Estimated insurance coverage remaining after current treatments and transactions have been paid on a patient's insurance plan.

Remaining Visits (n., claims) The number of visits remaining on a prior authorization in MacPractice. Remaining visits will count down as claims are created for the selected insurance carrier.

Remark Code (n., claims) A code supplied on an EOB or ERA that provides additional information about claim or procedure processing to the recipient, but is not directly associated with the amount disallowed.

Reminder (n.) A function in MacPractice that allows users to save reminders for orders from the Orders ability. Reminders can be viewed by clicking on the lightbulb icon.

Remittance (n., claims) See EOB and ERA.

Remote Access (n., networking) The ability to access a computer from a remote location. In order for a remote access connection to take place, the local machine must have the remote client software installed and the remote machine must have the remote server software installed. Also, a username and password is almost always required to authenticate the connecting user.

Rendering (adj., claims) Used to describe the entity that renders services to a patient, such as a rendering provider. Compare to Billing.

Renewal (n., adj., claims, Rx, ePrescribe) (1) A date on which a patient's remaining coverage and deductible amounts renew. Renewal dates are given in month and day, the year does not apply. (2) A request for a prescription refill.

Repeat (trans. v., Schedule) To happen again and again. Appointments and transparencies in the Schedule ability can be repeated to save time on data entry.

Report (n., accounting, EDI) (1) A collection of information providing a summary of financial information based on specific criteria using data entered in MacPractice. (2) A downloadable file that provides information about ERA payment summaries or electronic claim acknowledgements and rejections.

Reports (n.) An ability in MacPractice that gives the user access to accounting, financial, scheduling and marketing reports, among others. Reports can be printed, exported or used as a reference.

Reschedule (n., Schedule) An appointment status that will remove the appointment from the calendar and place it in a holding area where it can be accessed and rescheduled at a later time.

Resin (n., charting) Plastic material used in bonding, restorative and replacement procedures.

Resize Control (n.) The area in the lower-right corner of a window that users can drag to resize the window.

Resolution (n.) The degree of detail visible in a computerized image, usually represented by pixel width and height. Higher resolution equals more detail, but larger file sizes.

Resource (n., Schedule) A column in the Schedule ability that allows the user to associate appointments to it. Resources are typically either rooms, providers or equipment, however they are completely user-defined.

Restart (trans. v.) (1) See reboot. (2) To start an application again after it has quit.

Restore (trans. v.) The process by which a MacPractice backup is used to restore MacPractice data for use. Restoring may be done to move data to a new server, to restore MacPractice after updating or installing MySQL, or to restore MacPractice to a previous state.

Restoration (n., charting) Refers to reproducing a tooth using metal and/or tooth-colored materials.

Restorative Charting (n.) A purchased ability that allows dentists to enter and track patient dental work and progress. The Restorative Charting ability visually interprets patient ledger data into a graphical format.

Resubmit (trans. v., EDI) To submit a claim again. Resubmitting claims may be required if Internet connectivity was lost during submission or after fixing an error in claim data.

Retail Items (n., Inventory) An item which has been added to a Fee Schedule through the Retail Items node in the Inventory ability.

Retainer (n., charting) A removable dental appliance usually used in orthodontics, that maintains space between teeth or holds teeth in a fixed position until the bone solidifies around them.

RET File (n., eStatements) A file received by NCOA enrollees that provides information on address-matching for eStatements. See also NCOA.

Retrieve (trans. v.) To recover a record that was archived.

Retroactive (adj.) Refers to actions that take effect from a date in the past. Most items in MacPractice cannot be changed retroactively, that is if the user makes a change to a setting or a default record, only future transactions or items will be affected, and past items will be left alone.

Return Key (n.) A key that can be pressed to move the cursor to the beginning of the next line. Also used in many applications to accept choices or indicate that the user has finished doing something and is ready to proceed.

Revenue (n., accounting) Income, see also Receipts.

Revenue Code (n., claims) A code used to identify specific accommodation and/or ancillary charges on an institutional claim.

Reverse (Payment) (trans. v., Ledger) To indicate funds were not available upon attempting to cash a check. A reversed payment is different from a refund, because a reversal indicates the check was never processed and funds were never received, where a refund is for money that was actually received and deposited, and then returned to the issuer for some reason. Reversing a payment both unapplies the payment and debits the account for the amount of the check. Compare to refund.

Reverse to Treatment (n., Ledger) An option in the Charges menu in an incident's transactions area that allows the user to send charges that have been entered back to a treatment plan and removes the charges from current production. This may be done if charges were entered in the wrong area or if they were mistakenly moved from the treatment plan to active transactions.

Review (n., Labs) A formal assessment or examination of something with the possibility or intention of instituting change if necessary.

Review Page (n., ePrescribe) A page in ePrescribe for Comprehensive users that allows the user to check for drug-drug, drug-allergy and drug-condition interactions. Reviews will be performed automatically before sending prescriptions.

RevSpring (n.) A data management company that provides eStatement services for MacPractice clients. RevSpring receives the electronic statement information, then prints and mails the statements from their office. www.pscinfogroup.com

RFB (n., networking) Abbreviation for remote framebuffer. A protocol for remote access to graphical user interfaces.

Right-Click (trans. v.) To position the pointer over something, then press and quickly release the mouse button on the right side of a two-button mouse. Right-clicking performs the same action as Control-clicking and is disabled by default. Right-clicking on items usually opens an option menu that allows users to modify or get information about an item or selection. See also Control-Click.

ROM (n.) Abbreviation for read-only memory. Memory read at high speed but not capable of being changed by program instructions. ROM is non-volatile memory, meaning it is retained when the computer is not powered on. Compare to RAM.

Root (n.) The top level folder in a file system. In pathnames, the root of the file system is designated by a leading slash (/).

Root Abscess (n., Restorative Charting) Pus enclosed in the tissues of the jaw bone at the tip of an infected tooth.

Root Canal (n., charting) A procedure where the nerve of a heavily decayed tooth is removed from the tooth replaced with a filling material.

Rosetta (n.) A program that translates PowerPC-based Mac OS X applications for use on Intel-based Mac computers.

Rotation (n., Restorative Charting) Movement of a tooth along the long axis of the tooth. Compare to Spin and Drifting.

Router (n., networking) A computer networking device that receives a network signal and forwards it to one or more computers, printers, and other devices. Routers commonly provide Internet connections to multiple users. The AirPort Extreme Base Station from Apple Inc. is an example of a router. Compare to Hub and Switch.

Routing Slip (n.) See Superbill.

Row (n.) (1) In a relational database, the dimension of a table that groups attributes into records. (2) A set of related items in a spreadsheet arranged horizontally.

RPD (n., charting) Abbreviation for removable partial denture. A dental prosthesis for a partially edentulous patient.

RSV Mac (n.) Digital radiography sensor and software that MacPractice can bridge to. www.videodental.com

RTF, .rtf (n.) Abbreviation for Rich Text Format. A file format standardized by Microsoft for creating formatted text files. Unlike a basic text file, an RTF file can include information such as text style, size, and color. RTF format is a universal format, meaning it can be read by nearly all word processors.

Rule, Rules (n.) A set of constraints that specifies how an application should behave.

Run (trans. v.) Describes what an application or a program does once activated. Some processes constantly run, such as an operating system's necessary processes, however some applications don't run until they are told to. Running applications are usually highlighted in the Dock, however many programs run in the background and cannot be seen.

RVU (n., Claims) See Relative Value Unit.

Rx (n.) An ability in MacPractice that allows users to create, manage, print and refill patient prescriptions

RxHub (n., ePrescribe) A feature in ePrescribe that allows the user to connect to an on-line drug database supplied with information from health plans with participating pharmacy benefit managers. If the patient is found on the RxHub database, the user can import the patient's drug information into ePrescribe

RxNorm Code (n., Rx) A standardized nomenclature for clinical drugs and drug delivery devices, managed by the National Library of Medicine. RxNorm Codes differ from the NDC codes in many ways, and cannot be directly compared. Compare to NDC Code.
SSafari (n.) A web browser developed by Apple.

Sample (n., intrans. v.) A small section of active processes intended to show what the whole is like for diagnostic purposes. When the MacPractice Support department takes a sample of the active MacPractice processes, the engineers can use this information to determine how MacPractice was functioning at that exact moment in time.

Saturation (n., Digital Radiography/Imaging) An aspect of color control that affects the vividness of a color's hue. Saturation measures the degree to which a color differs from a gray of the same darkness or lightness. See also Color Control.

Save (n., trans. v.) An act of saving data to a storage location, usually the hard drive.

Scanner (n.) A peripheral device that scans documents and converts them into digital data.

ScanSnap (n.) One of a series of scanners manufactured by Fujitsu. www.fujitsu.com

Schedule (n.) A purchased ability for MacPractice that allows users to enter, manage and maintain patient appointments, transparencies and calendar production.

Schedule, Scheduled (Drug) (adj., Rx, ePrescribe) Used to refer to medications that appear on the DEA's controlled substances list. Only non-scheduled drugs can be legally transmitted electronically.

Scheme (n.) A particular ordered system or arrangement.

Screen (n.) The surface of a computer's monitor or display on which images and data are displayed.

Screen Saver (n.) A type of computer program initially designed to prevent phosphor burn-in on CRT and plasma computer monitors by blanking the screen or filling it with moving images or patterns when the computer is not in use.

Screen Sharing (n.), Screen-Sharing (adj.) A process by which a MacPractice Support department, sales, or training representative has the capability of looking at the user's screen over the Internet.

Screen Shot (n.), Screen-Shot (adj.) An image of the display on a computer screen to demonstrate the operation of a program. Screenshots are an easy way to save something seen on the screen, such as an open window, image, or error message. A screen shot can be performed on most Macs by pressing Command + Shift + 4, which turns the cursor onto a crosshair that can be dragged over the capture area, or by pressing Command + Shift + 3 and clicking on something, which captures the entire screen.

Script (n.) A list of commands that are executed by a certain program or scripting engine. Scripts may be used to automate processes on a local computer or to generate Web pages on the Web.

Scroll (intrans. v.) To move displayed text or graphics in a particular direction on a computer screen in order to view different parts of them.

Scroll Bar (n.) A long thin section at the edge of a computer display by which a page can be scrolled using a mouse.

Sealant (n., charting) A substance that is used to coat grooves of the teeth.

Search (n., intrans. v.) Usually represented by a spyglass or magnifying glass icon; allows the user to find records or files by name or keyword.

Search Bar (n.) An object in the sidebar that allows the user to search for records within the sidebar. The sidebar search bar is the quickest way to search for most records within MacPractice.

Secondary (n., adj., accounting) (1) When referencing patients and accounts, the Secondary is the secondary financially responsible person on the account. The Secondary can be set to receive statements and should be the second person that the office expects to receive payment from. A secondary guarantor is not required. Compare to primary. (2) May also refer to secondary insurance (the second insurance company that is billed for services rendered to a patient). It should be noted that the secondary insurance does not necessarily have to be associated to the person on the Secondary tab. Insurances will be billed in the order they appear on the patient's Insurance tab, and can be controlled by dragging insurances into the proper order.

Definition 1:

Secure, Security (n., adj.) Refers to steps or procedures taken to ensure the safety and integrity of data.

Segment (n., EDI) A subdivision of an electronic claim or ERA. eClaims and ERAs are made up of loops and segments, and a segment is part of a loop. Segments usually contain a group of related information, for example, patient name and demographic information is included in one segment.

Select (trans. v.) To use a mouse or keystrokes to mark something on a computer screen for a particular operation. Selected items are usually highlighted.

Send (n.) To transmit information from one computer to another electronically.

Sensitivity (n., Digital Radiography/Imaging) A setting in the Digital Radiography/Imaging ability preferences for the Suni sensor that allows the user to control how much exposure is needed to take a picture. Some buildings have more background radiation than others, and environmental factors may trigger extra images to be imported. MacPractice and Suni recommend setting the sensitivity to 7x initially, and only reducing the setting if extra images are imported. See also Integration and Threshold.

Sensitivity to Cold (COLD) Sensitivity to Cold is dentinal (middle, dentin layer) or pulpal sensitivity, pain, or discomfort triggered by cold. Sensitivity to Cold is noted as True or False (1 or 0). It is a Tooth Notation Point.

Sensitivity to Heat (HEAT) Sensitivity to Heat is dentinal (middle, dentin layer) or pulpal sensitivity, pain, or discomfort triggered by heat. Sensitivity to Heat is noted as True or False (1 or 0). It is a Tooth Notation Point.

Sensitivity to Pressure (PRES) Sensitivity to Pressure is dentinal (middle, dentin layer) or pulpal sensitivity, pain, or discomfort triggered by pressure. Sensitivity to Pressure is noted as True or False (1 or 0). It is a Tooth Notation Point.

Sensor (n., Digital Radiography/Imaging) A peripheral device used to take digital radiograph images.

Sepia (n., Digital Radiography/Imaging) A type of adjustment that allows a user to transform a black and white or color image to a sepia-tone See also Adjustment.

Sequence/Version (n., EDI) A number used by CDA to assist in identifying a patient on a claim. See also CDA.

Serial Number (n.) A series of numbers and letters assigned by MacPractice upon purchasing the product. The serial number is used to identify the purchasing account, including the office and contact information as well as purchased options. The serial number is required when accessing the MacPractice download page. Each serial number is formatted as two alpha characters, usually MD, DC, DS, or OD, followed by five numerals and then two alpha characters. A typical serial number might look like this: MD12345AB.

Server (n.) A computer that provides services, such as file services, mail services, or web services, to other computers or network devices.

Set-Up (n., adj.), Set Up (trans. v.) The way in which something is organized, planned, or arranged.

Severity (n.) The intensity of a patient's reaction to an allergy.

SHA-2 (n.) One of a set of cryptographic hash functions designed by the National Security Agency (NSA) and published in 2001 by the NIST as a U.S. Federal Information Processing Standard.

Share, Shared (n., trans. v., adj., networking) To use something jointly by multiple users or computers, such as a file or folder, usually across a network.

Share Screen (n.) See Screen Sharing.

Shareware (n.) Software that is available free of charge and often distributed informally for evaluation, after which a fee may be requested for continued use.

Sharpen Luminance (n., Digital Radiography/Imaging) A digital image adjustment that increases the overall acutance of an image by increasing the amount of contrast in line edges.

Sharpness (n., Digital Radiography/Imaging) An aspect of noise reduction that reduces the amount of blurriness applied by the noise reduction level smoothing.

Shift-Click (trans. v.) An action that involves holding down the Shift key while clicking on an item or selection. Shift-clicking allows the user to select multiple items by clicking on the first and last items in a list. Shift-clicking is most commonly used in MacPractice to select multiple report filter criteria.

Shift Key (n.) A key used to switch between two sets of characters or functions, principally between lower- and upper-case letters.

Shortcut (n.) Short for keyboard shortcut. See Keyboard Shortcut.

Short Description (n.) A field on a record that allows the user to enter a subject or header to an item. The short description can also be considered a title, where the long description is the actual body of text. See also Long Description.

Show (trans. v.) To return a hidden object to the computer's display. See also Hide.

Sidebar (n.) The area at the left of the MacPractice window that contains a list of all the records in the selected ability. The items in the sidebar will change as the user switches abilities. Each sidebar record is usually contained within a node. The user may need to expand the node to see the items associated with the node.

Sign Button (n. Orders) Click the Sign button to lock most fields in an order.

Signature Box (n., EMR/EDR) An interactive EMR/EDR element that can be placed on forms, allowing the user to sign the forms using the mouse cursor or using a stylus and signature pad.

Signature on File (n., claims) Refers to having a patient's signature on file for assigning benefits to the provider. If Signature on File is checked, in most cases the insurance company will send payment to the office instead of to the patient.

Signature Pad (n.) A peripheral device that allows the user to use a stylus to electronically sign documents.

Skip (trans. v., charting) To overlook or bypass a particular tooth or teeth. Skip is an option when charting removable partial dentures, in the event a tooth or range of teeth are not included in the denture.

Slash (n.) A character (/) used to separate the parts of a pathname.

Slider (n., EMR/EDR) An interactive EMR/EDR element that can be placed on forms to indicate a value on a continuum (a range of values)

SMB (n., networking) Abbreviation for Server Message Block. A protocol that allows client computers to access files and network services. It can be used over TCP/IP, the Internet, and other network protocols. SMB services use SMB to provide access to servers, printers, and other network resources.

SMS (n.) Abbreviation for short message service. SMS is used to send text messages to mobile phones.

SMTP (n., networking) Abbreviation for simple mail transfer protocol. The protocol used for sending email over the Internet. The email client uses SMTP to send a message to the mail server, and the mail server uses SMTP to relay that message to the correct receiving mail server.

Sniffer Folder (n.) See Import Folder.

SNOMED (n., EMR, Meaningful Use) SNOMED stands for Systematic Nomenclature of MEDicine. It is sometimes known as SNOMED-CT. It is a systematic collection of medical terminology, covering areas of clinical information such as diseases, findings, procedures, micro-organisms, substances, and so on. It is intended to standardize the way medical data is captured. Within MacPractice, you can use the SNOMED EMR/EDR element to add SNOMED codes to a patient's Problem List. Many of the Clinical Quality Measure reports utilize SNOMED codes for some of their criteria.

Socket (n., networking) An endpoint of a bidirectional inter-process communication flow across an IP-based computer network, such as the Internet. Networking sockets constitute a mechanism for delivering incoming data packets to the appropriate application, based on a combination of local and remote IP addresses and port numbers.

Software (n.) The programs and other operating information used by a computer. Compare to Hardware.

Sort (trans. v.) To rearrange items in a list either alphabetically or numerically. For most columns in MacPractice, the user can click the column header to sort by that column.

Space (n.) (1) An item in the toolbar that allows the user to enter a space to visually separate items or abilities. (2) A character between words entered with the Space bar.

Spin (n., intrans. v., Restorative Charting) (1) See Hang. (2) Tooth movement along the short axis. Compare to Rotation and Drifting.

Split Claim (n., claims) A phenomena that occurs when charges cannot be placed on the same claim form, usually due to conflicting information. The claim will either print on two pages or two claims will be created. To determine the reason for the split claim, in the Claim Creation window, scroll to the right to view the Split Reason column.

Split Payment (n., claims) A situation that may happen if the payer decides to separate payment for two or more procedures that were originally sent on the same claim. A payer may decide to split payments for many reasons, such as to expedite payment or to deny only a single charge. When posting split payments in MacPractice, be sure the claims are appropriately closed. MacPractice will not automatically close a claim if payment is not applied to all procedures on the claim.

Spotlight (n.) Searching software built into Macintosh computers. When something is entered into the Spotlight field, Spotlight checks its database for any files related to that term, and presents a list.

SPR (n., claims) Abbreviation for standard paper remittance. See EOB.

Spreadsheet (n.) A computer program used chiefly for accounting, in which figures arranged in the rows and columns of a grid can be manipulated and used in calculations.

SpringCharts (n.) A Java-based EHR application that can communicate with MacPractice via an HL7 bridge. www.springmedical.com

Specialty (n.) A particular branch of medicine or surgery. See also Taxonomy.

Spyglass (n.) See Search Icon.

SSL (n., networking) Abbreviation for Secure Sockets Layer. An Internet protocol that allows the user to send encrypted, authenticated information across the Internet.

SSN (n.) Abbreviation for Social Security Number.

Standard Coverage (n., Insurance Estimating) A type of secondary coverage where the secondary's portion is not affected by the estimated portion of the primary. Standard coverage uses the following formula: Secondary allowed (-) Secondary Deductible (x) Insurance % (=) Secondary Insurance Portion (up to the Secondary Remaining Coverage and/or Unpaid Amount).See also Non-Duplicating Coverage.

Start Date (n., claims) The beginning date of a patient's insurance policy. See also End Date.

Startup (n., adj.), Start Up (trans. v.) To load an application from a disk into the memory of the computer. Also called boot.

State License (n., adj., claims) A number assigned to licensed medical practitioners in the United States, required on claims in some circumstances.

Statement (n., accounting) A document setting out items of debit and credit between an office and a guarantor. There are two kinds of statements in MacPractice, account statements andincident statements.

Statement Message (n., accounting) A message that can be saved in the database for repeated or one-time use for informational purposes on a statement.

Static IP Address (n., networking) An IP address that is assigned to a computer or device once and is never changed.

Status Bar (n., ePrescribe) An area in ePrescribe that provides information about failed fax transmissions, pending renewal requests and pending medications that have not been sent yet

Stop (trans. v.) A general term meaning to cause a process, command, or program to cease.

Subdirectory (n.) A directory within a directory that usually contains related documents; used to organize the information on large-capacity disks.

Submenu (n.) A menu accessed from a more general menu. When the user highlights a menu item with a triangular indicator, a submenu appears.

Submit (trans. v.) To transit data electronically, usually for official consideration.

Submitter (n., EDI) Any entity who submits claims directly to a payer or trading partner.

Submitter ID (n., EDI) An identification number for a submitter. Most submitter IDs are placed on the claim by the clearinghouse but some carriers may assign specific submitter IDs per provider/office. These submitter IDs will need to be entered per insurance carrier in the Insurance Company reference.

Subnet (n., networking) Short for subnetwork. A grouping on the same network of client computers that are organized by location. The use of subnets simplifies administration.

Subnet Mask (n., networking) A number that defines a range of IP addresses that can be used in a network. Subnet masks are used to designate subnets, which are typically local area networks that are connected to the Internet.

Subscriber (n., claims) The cardholder on an insurance policy.

Subscriber ID (n., claims) A number assigned by an insurance company to identify the subscriber of an insurance policy. Sometimes referred to as a HIC number.

Subscript (n.) Text that appears slightly lower than the text around it. Compare to Superscript.

Suffix (n.) An ending placed after a name, such as Jr. or Sr.

SUNI (n.) A digital radiography sensor that can be integrated with MacPractice. www.suni.com

Superbill (n., accounting) The term superbill is sometimes used synonymously with encounter form, a printed form usually containing a care slip used to recount the details of a patient appointment. A superbill may also be any form used to provide information to billing staff for the purposes of entering charges and billing insurance.

Supercode (n., accounting) A code that can be used to enter multiple codes at a time, usually codes that are always billed together.

Supernumerary (adj., charting) Extra teeth that are not part of the normal tooth number scheme.

Superscript (n.) Text that appears slightly higher than the text around it. Compare to Subscript.

Supplemental (adj.) Refers to something that adds to or enhances something else when added to it. For example, a guarantor can purchase supplemental insurance to provide additional insurance coverage.

Supplier (n., claims) An entity who provides medical supplies such as braces and prosthetics to patients. Suppliers in the United States send Medicare claims to DME. See also DME.

Support, Supported (n., adj.) Used to refer to the conditions under which the MacPractice Support department will provide assistance with a product or set-up. Due to the nature of some configurations and hardware, as well as the proprietary aspect of some software, MacPractice may be unable to support all set-ups.

Suppress (trans. v.) To prevent or inhibit a process, such as an alert.

Suppuration (v., Perio) Suppuration is the presence of purulent exudate, discharge, or pus. The number of suppuration sites is used to calculated the gingival suppuration percentage (see Notation Point Percentages). Suppuration is noted by (1 or 0) with Keyboard Shortcut. It is a Surface (Arch) Notation Point.

SureScripts (n., ePrescribe) A network used to electronically access prescription information and route prescriptions. www.surescripts.com

Surface (n., charting, accounting) One of the many faces of a tooth. The surface is used to indicate the specific location on the tooth on which a procedure is performed.

Surface Restoration (n., charting) A procedure which involves the removal of a decayed surface of a tooth and then its subsequent replacement with a filling material, such as a noble metal or resin.

Switch (n., networking) A device that uses traffic isolation technology to reduce the number of stations per network segment. Switches are more advanced than hubs and less capable than routers. Unlike hubs, switches can limit the traffic to and from each port so that each device connected to the switch has a sufficient amount of bandwidth. However, switches don't provide the firewall and logging capabilities that routers do. Compare to Hub and Router.

Sync (n., trans. v.) Short for synchronization or synchronize. Data synchronization is the process of establishing consistency among data from a source to a target data storage and vice versa and the continuous harmonization of the data over time.

Syntax (n.) The rules that govern the structure of statements or instructions in a programming language or in an operating system.

System Preferences (n.) An application that allows the user to configure settings for the network, mouse cursor speed, desktop background, user accounts, display resolution, and more. System Preferences has functionality similar to that of the Windows Control Panel.
TTab Key (n.) A key that, when pressed, moves the insertion point to the next tab marker. The Tab key can also be used to navigate to the next available record for quick data entry in MacPractice.

Table (n.) A two-dimensional set of values corresponding to an entity. The columns of a table represent characteristics of the entity and the rows represent instances of the entity.

Table View (n., EMR/EDR, Ledger) (1) An area below an EMR/EDR form or form section, listing the history of information entered, either for a single patient or all patients using that form section. (2) The table at the bottom of the New Charge window that provides a summary of all transactions open, including the Insurance Estimating summary information.

Tag (n., Digital Radiography/Imaging) A label attached to something for the purpose of identification.

Take-Back (n., claims) Refers to the process in which an insurance company reverses a previous payment made to a patient's benefits, and instead of requesting a refund, assigns the payment to a different patient or date of service. See also Recoupment.

TAR, .tar (n.) A file format used commonly to collect many files into one larger file for distribution or archiving, while preserving file system information such as user and group permissions, dates, and directory structures.

Target Path (n.) The destination path for an action to take place, typically an automated process like an import or a backup.

Tartar (n., charting) See Calculus.

Taxonomy Code (n., claims) Also known as a specialty code, the taxonomy code designates the specialty of the provider and is required for electronic claims submission.

TCE (n.) See The Complete Exam.

TCP (n., networking) Abbreviation for transmission control protocol. A method used along with the Internet Protocol IP to send data in the form of message units between computers over the Internet. IP takes care of handling the actual delivery of the data, and TCP takes care of keeping track of the individual units of data called packets into which a message is divided for efficient routing through the Internet.

TCP/IP (n., networking) Abbreviation for transmission control protocol/Internet protocol. Protocol used to govern the connection of computer systems to the Internet.

Team Viewer (n.) An application which the MacPractice Support Department used to share a user's screen. Team Viewer has enhanced security and advanced screen sharing options compared to OSXvnc. Compare to OSXvnc. MacPractice Support currently uses the Splashtop Application in replacement.

Technician (n.) A person employed to look after technical equipment or do practical work in a laboratory.

Telnet (n., networking) A network protocol that allows a user on one computer to log on to another computer that is part of the same network.

Template (n., Notes, eClaims) (1) A preset format for a document or file, used so that the format does not have to be recreated each time it is used. (2) An eClaims template; a file that uses ANSI-defined formatting to generate an electronic claim using existing database information.

Temporary (adj.) Lasting for only a limited period of time; not permanent.

Terminal (n.) See Client Computer.

Terminal (n.) An application that comes with Mac OS X. Terminal provides a window with a command line where the user can type commands for the computer's operating system to perform. Terminal is a type of program called a "terminal emulator"commonly found on UNIX-based computers.

Tertiary (adj.) Third in order or level. Usually refers to either a tertiary insurance carrier or a tertiary guarantor.

Text Box (n., EMR/EDR) (1) Any field where large bodies of text can be entered. A text box is different than a text field in that once there is more text than can be visually displayed, a scroll bar will appear allowing the user to scroll through text. Users cannot use the Tab key to navigate out of a text box, as it will insert the Tab into the text box as a character. (2) An EMR/EDR element that places a text box on a form.

Text Field (n., EMR/EDR) (1) Any single field where text can be entered. Users can use the Tab key to navigate from text field to text field for quick data entry. (2) An EMR/EDR element that places a text field on a form.

TextWrangler (n.) A text editing application that has features common to most programming text editors, such as syntax highlighting for various programming languages, a find and replace function, spell check, and file comparison.

Thumbnail (n., Attachments, Digital Radiography/Imaging) A small picture of an image or page layout.

Thread (n.) A programming structure or process formed by linking a number of separate elements or subroutines, especially each of the tasks executed concurrently in multithreading. Each thread in a program identifies a process that runs when the program asks it to.

Threshold (n., Digital Radiography/Imaging) A setting in the Digital Radiography/Imaging ability preferences for the Suni sensor that is used internally to prevent noise interference with the device while the Suni device is armed in the X-Ray detection mode. The lower the threshold value, the better the X-Ray usage, but the less immunity to the noise interference. If the threshold is set too low, it is more prone to cause a self-trigger phenomena. See also sensitivity and integration time.

Thunderbolt (n.) A versatile Input/Output (I/O) port that supports high-resolution displays and data devices. Thunderbolt ports are found on several Apple products released after 2011; including MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, iMac, and Mac Mini.

Ticket (n.) A record that indicates a case opened in the MacPractice Support or Engineering departments for review or discussion of an issue with a current client. Tickets provide information to engineers or support representatives about enhancements and issues that need to be addressed, or to answer general usage questions.

Tickler File (n.) A tickler file or "43 Folders" System is a collection of date-labeled file folders organized in a way that allows time-sensitive documents to be filed according to the future date on which each document needs action. Documents within the folders of a tickler file can be to-do lists, pending bills, unpaid invoices, travel tickets, hotel reservations, meeting information, birthday reminders, coupons, claim tickets, call-back notes, follow-up reminders, maintenance reminders, or any other papers that require future action. Each day, the folder having the current date is retrieved from the tickler file so that any documents within it may be acted on. Essentially, a tickler file provides a way to send a reminder to oneself in the future—"tickling" one's memory.
Modern tickler files are often electronic and now fulfilled via software programmed for automatic reminders and tracking.

Tie (trans. v.) See Associate.

TIFF, .tiff, .tif (n.) Abbreviation for tagged image file format. A graphics file format used widely in desktop publishing.

Time Clock (n., MacPractice ability) The Time Clock ability tracks time records for time sheet reporting. A user (Manager or Employee) may clock in, out, or on break and the Time Clock ability will log each record for use within the Time Clock reports.

Timely Filing (n., claims) A condition in which claims must be submitted within a certain amount of time from the date of service. Timely filing limits vary from payer to payer.

Time Machine (n.) An Apple file backup application. MacPractice does not recommend using Time Machine for MacPractice backups, as we have found they are not always reliable. 

Timeout (n.) A cancellation or cessation that automatically occurs when a predefined interval of time has passed without a certain event occurring.

Time Zone (n.) A range of longitudes where a common standard time is used.

TIN (n., claims) Abbreviation for tax identification number.

Title (n.) A descriptive or distinctive name that is chosen for a record.

Title Bar (n.) A horizontal bar at the top of a window, bearing the name of the program and typically the name of the currently active document.

TMJ (n., charting) Abbreviation for the temporomandibular joint. The joint where the lower jaw connects to the skull.

Toggle (intrans. v.) To switch from one effect, feature, or state to another.

Toggle Missing (n., charting) An option in the charting menu that allows the user to indicate where teeth are missing in a patient's mouth. A missing tooth will be removed from the chart.

Toggle Watch (n., charting) An option in the charting menu that allows the user to indicate a specific tooth should be carefully watched. A watched tooth will have a red "w" icon over it.

Toolbar (n.) The toolbar is the area at the very top of the MacPractice window that contains the ability icons and the back, next and reload buttons. The toolbar allows the user to quickly navigate to a different ability. The toolbar can also be hidden and customized.

Tooltip (n.) A small "hover box" with information about the item being hovered over. Tooltips typically disappear as soon as the mouse cursor is moved.

Tooth Conditions (n., Restorative Charting) An option in the charting options menu that allows users to indicate abscessed roots, tooth fractures and abrasion, as well as tooth spin, rotation and drifting.

Tooth number (n., charting, accounting) A number assigned to a tooth for identification purposes.

TOS (n.) Abbreviation for type of service.

Trace Check Number (n.) A utility in MacPractice that allows the user to look up a check by number, date, or other identifier.

Trace Number (n., EDI) A 15-digit number assigned to a claim by Capario. All MacPractice users who send electronic claims to Capario will receive a trace number as soon as the clearinghouse receives the claim and sends reporting back on the claim. DentalXChange does not provide trace numbers for their claims.

Trading Partner (n., EDI) A clearinghouse that works as an intermediary between a payer and another clearinghouse.

Traffic (n., networking) The messages or signals transmitted through a communications system.

Transworld Systems, Inc. (n. Collections Manager) Transworld Systems is the collection agency service which is used by the Collections Manager in MacPractice. See also Collections Manager. www.transworldsystems.com

Transaction (n., accounting) An event or condition under the contract between a buyer and a seller to exchange an asset for payment.

Transfer Results (n., EDI) A window that appears after sending eClaims or receiving eClaims reports that provides a summary of the data transfer, and whether it was successful or not.

Transmit (trans. v.) To send information electronically.

Transparency (n., Schedule) An item on the calendar that can be used to block of time intervals either for use as informational messages, a template upon which appointments can be placed, or to prevent appointments from being placed over them.

Trash (n.) A special folder located at the end of the Dock on Macintosh computers that stores files or folders before they are permanently deleted.

Treatment (n., Ledger) A transaction entered in a treatment plan.

Treatment Plan (n.) A summary of proposed or planned treatments for a patient.

TRN (n., EDI) An EDI report that accompanies all downloaded ERAs from Capario. TRNs provide transaction summary information. Compare to ERA and PRA.

TrophyMac (n.) Digital radiography application that MacPractice can bridge to. www.kodakdental.com

Troubleshoot (trans. v.) The act of diagnosing a problem and hopefully solving it.

Tx (n.) Abbreviation for treatment or treatment plan.

TXT, .txt (n.) A file format for text files, commonly used for storage of information.

Type of Bill (n.) A facility type code used on institutional claims.

Type-1 NPI (n., claims) See individual NPI.

Type-2 NPI (n., claims) See group NPI.

UUB04 (n., claims) The most recent version of the paper institutional claim form used in the United States. See also Medicare Part A.

UCR (n., claims) Abbreviation for usual, customary, reasonable. The amount a contracted provider is expected to charge/allowed to charge if they are participating. See also Allowed.

UDF (n.) Abbreviation for Universal Disk Format. An operating-system-independent file system commonly used on DVD and other digital media.

UDP (n., networking) Abbreviation for User Datagram Protocol. A communications method that uses the Internet Protocol IP to send a data unit called a datagram from one computer to another in a network. UDP uses a simple transmission model without implicit hand-shaking dialogues for guaranteeing reliability, ordering, or data integrity.

UHIN (n., EDI) Abbreviation for Utah Health Information Network. A clearinghouse available to practitioners in Utah. http://www.uhin.org/

Unapplied, Unapply (trans. v., adj., Ledger) To break the ties between a charge and its associated payments. The opposite of apply. Unapplying may need to be done before certain actions can take place in the Ledger, such as refunds. See also Apply.

Unarchive (trans. v.) (1) To retrieve data from an archive, or a less frequently used storage area. (2) In Mac OS X, to uncompress a file for usage that was previously compressed to reduce its size.

Unavailable (adj.) Used to describe an item such as a menu item or an option in a dialog that the user cannot select or choose because certain conditions are not met. See also Dimmed.

Underscore (n.) A character represented by a horizontal line placed on the baseline of text (_). Underscores are sometimes used to create visual spacing within a sequence of characters, where a white space character is not permitted, for example, in computer filenames, email addresses, and in URLs.

Unerupted (adj., charting) Refers to teeth that have not yet broken through the gums during normal development of a tooth.

Unilateral (adj., charting) Pertaining to or affecting only one side, especially of a tooth or of the mouth.

Uninstall (trans. v.) To remove an application or file from a computer.

Universal Application (n.) An application written to operate natively on both PowerPC- and Intel-based Mac computers.

Unpaid (adj., accounting) Refers to an amount that has yet to be paid; due.

Unsharp Mask (n., Digital Radiography/Imaging) An image manipulation technique that increases the acutance, or apparent sharpness, of digital images by combining a blurred mask of the image with its negative; creating the illusion of sharpness. The unsharp mask filter is comprised of two parts, intensity and radius.

Unused (adj.) Used to refer to references that are not associated to other records in the database.

Unzip (trans. v.) See Unarchive.

UPC (n., Inventory) An abbreviation of Universal Product Code.UPCs are used within the Inventory ability to distinguish retail items. The UPC may be entered manually or obtained by scanning a barcode. Also see EAN.

Update (n.) A piece of software that updates a major version of software but does not upgrade it to the next major version (if one exists). For example, the Mac OS X v10.6.3 Update is an update for Mac OS X v10.6.

Upgrade (n.) A major, standalone version of a software product. For example, Mac OS X v10.6 Snow Leopard is an upgrade to Mac OS X v10.5 Leopard.

UPIN (n., claims) A number previously used to identify referring providers on claims. UPINs are no longer used on claims since the transition to NPI-only submission.

Upload (trans. v.) To transfer data to another computer system; transmit. Compare to Download.

Urgent (adj.) Used to refer to something requiring immediate attention.

URL (n., networking) Abbreviation for uniform resource locator. A term for the address of an Internet site or other resource.

USB (n.) Abbreviation for Universal Serial Bus. An industry-wide peripheral bus standard that accommodates a wide variety of devices. Most new computers and peripheral devices are equipped with USB.

USB Overdrive (n.) A device driver for Mac OS X that handles any USB device from any manufacturer and lets the user configure them either globally or on a per-application, per-device basis. www.usboverdrive.com

Use Histogram Stretch (n., Digital Radiography/Imaging) An image correction option for the SUNI device that applies a histogram stretch upon importing the image. See also Histogram Stretch.

User (n.) A person who uses or operates a computer.

User Name (n.) An identification used by a person with access to an application, computer or network.

Utility (n.) An application that controls and manipulates the information on disks. Utilities can also be applications such as screen savers, font and icon tools, and desktop enhancements.

VVacation Calendar (n., Time Clock) Within the Time Clock ability, the Vacation Calendar lists all employee vacations and blackout dated. Any employee may view the Vacation Calendar, however only a Manager can add his/her employees to the Vacation Calendar.

Validate, Valid (trans. v., adj., EDI) (1) To check or verify the accuracy of something. (2) The process by which a claim is checked by a computer for necessary information. Claims marked as invalid will not be sent unless the user manually overrides the status.

Validation Error (n., EDI) An error found on a claim sent to DentalXChange. DentalXChange will stop claims for various reasons, such as improper tooth and surface selections and missing or incomplete demographic information, among others. Claims that have validation errors will not be sent until corrected.

Vendor (n., Inventory) A company from which a Retail Item can be purchased.

Veneer (n., charting) A thin covering of porcelain or composite over the enamel of a tooth designed to improve its appearance. 

Version (n.) A particular updated edition of a piece of computer software.

VideoGlide (n.) A program that may be used to grant Mac compatibility to USB video and image devices. www.echofx.com

Video Source (n.) An area in MacPractice that allows the user to specify the source of the video or image capture device used to take patient photos, intra-oral images or videos.

Virtual Memory (n.) Hard disk space that the computer uses as if it were RAM. Disk space used for virtual memory is not available for storing files. Data stored in virtual memory is lost on shut down as with physical RAM. See also RAM.

Virtual Windows (n.) See Emulator.

Visit (n., Digital Radiography/Imaging) A record relating to a patient's visit for tracking digital radiograph information. A visit must be created before any images can be imported or taken with MacPractice.

Visix (n.) Windows based digital radiography software that MacPractice can bridge to. www.visix.com

Vitals (n.) Measurements taken of a patient's physiological statistics in order to assess the most basic body functions.

Vitals Element (n., EMR/EDR) An interactive EMR/EDR element that can be placed on a form that allows users to update and add vitals information to a patient.

VixWin (n.) Windows based digital radiography software that MacPractice can bridge to. www.gendex.com

VMware Fusion (n.) Windows emulator software. www.VMware.com

VNC (n.) Abbreviation for Virtual Network Computing. A graphical desktop sharing system that uses the RFB protocol to remotely control another computer. See also RFB.

Void, Voided (adj., EDI) A type of eClaim sent to cancel a previously submitted claim. Voided claims are not accepted by all payers, and users should check with the payer for their requested claim correction method before sending any voided or corrected claims. 

VoIP (n., networking) Abbreviation for voice over Internet protocol. A communications protocol that allows for telephonic communication via the Internet.

Volume (n.) A mountable allocation of storage that behaves, from an individual user's perspective, like a local hard disk, hard disk partition, or network volume.

Volume Name (n.) The name of a disk or its main directory.

VPN (n., networking) Abbreviation for virtual private network. A network that uses encryption and other technologies to provide secure communications over a public network, typically the Internet. VPNs are generally cheaper than real private networks using private lines but rely on having the same encryption system at both ends. The encryption may be performed by firewall software or by routers.

WWaiting for Ready (n., Digital Radiography/Imaging) A status that appears while using an integrated digital radiography sensor. When MacPractice is ready for input, and simply waiting on the device, it will say waiting for ready.

WAN (n., networking) Abbreviation for wide area network. See Wide Area Network. Compare to LAN.

Warning (n.) See Alert.

WAV, .wav (n.) Short for Waveform Audio File Format. A format for storing audio files that produces CD-quality audio.

Web (n.) Short for World Wide Web.

Web-Based (adj.) Refers to something that is accessed over a network such as the Internet or an intranet.

WEP (n., networking) Abbreviation for wired equivalent privacy. A deprecated algorithm to secure wireless networks. In the last several years, serious weaknesses have been identified with this algorithm. Today, a WEP connection can be cracked with readily available software within minutes. Because of this vulnerability, it should not be used to protect sensitive data, such as medical records. They way a WEP protocol works is by adding security to a wireless network by encrypting the data. If the data is intercepted, it will be unrecognizable to the system that intercepted the data, since it is encrypted. However, authorized systems on the network will be able to recognize the data because they all use the same encryption algorithm. Systems on a WEP-secured network can typically be authorized by entering a network password. Compare to WPA.

Wide Area Network (n., networking) A computer network in which the computers connected may be far apart, generally having a radius of half a mile or more. Many wide area networks span long distances via telephone lines, fiber-optic cables, or satellite links. They can also be composed of smaller LANs that are interconnected. The Internet could be described as the biggest WAN in the world. Compare to Local Area Network.

Widget (n.) A special application displayed by Dashboard. See also Dashboard.

Wi-Fi (n., networking) Short for Wireless Fidelity. Wi-Fi refers to wireless network components that are based on one of the Wi-Fi Alliance's 802.11 standards.

Wiki (n.) A collaborative website that can be modified by members of a group.

Window (n.) A framed area on a display screen for viewing information. A window is usually an item that operates independently of other items. The MacPractice application operates within a single window, with the exception of palettes and pop-up windows. A user can have as many MacPractice windows open at a time as desired.

Wired (adj.) Equipped with or connected by wires or cables. Compare to Wireless.

Wireless (n., adj.) Computer networking, broadcasting, telephony, or telegraphy using radio signals. Lacking or not requiring wires. Compare to Wired.

Wizard (n.) A help feature of a software package that automates complex tasks by asking the user a series of easy-to-answer questions. Wizards are commonly seen during installations, in word processors, or in a variety of applications.

Word Processor (n.) A type of application designed to make writing and editing easier and faster.

Workflow (n.) A series of actions that together perform a specific task.

World Wide Web (n.) A widely used information system on the Internet that provides facilities for documents to be connected to other documents by hypertext links, enabling the user to search for information by moving from one document to another.

WPA (n., networking) Abbreviation for Wi-Fi Protected Access. A security protocol designed to create secure wireless networks. It is similar to the WEP protocol, but offers improvements in the way it handles security keys and the way users are authorized. For an encrypted data transfer to work, both systems on the beginning and end of a data transfer must use the same encryption/decryption key. While WEP provides each authorized system with the same key, WPA uses the temporal key integrity protocol (TKIP), which dynamically changes the key that the systems use. This prevents intruders from creating their own encryption key to match the one used by the secure network. Compare to WEP.

Write (trans. v.) To record information on a disk.

Write-Off (n., accounting) (1) A cancellation from an account of a bad debt or worthless asset. (2) To differentiate between insurance and patient write-offs, MacPractice uses the term write-off in the Ledger to refer exclusively to insurance write-offs. Insurance write-offs occur when participating with an insurance company. If a provider has a participation agreement, the provider is required to write off the difference between the insurance company's allowed amount, and the amount submitted on the claim or billed. Compare to Negative Adjustment.

Write Only (n.) A privilege setting that grants the user only access to save or "drop" files to the folder, sometimes referred to as a drop box. The user will not be able to view or retrieve the file from the folder.

X, Y, ZXLS, .xls (n.) A file format used by Excel spreadsheet documents. See also Excel.

XML (n.) Abbreviation for Extensible Markup Language, a metalanguage that allows users to define their own customized markup languages, especially in order to display documents on the World Wide Web.

X-Pod (n.) A portable digital radiography image acquiring and storage device. www.my-ray.com

Xray (n.) (1) See radiograph. (2) A form of electromagnetic radiation commonly used to produce radiograph images for medical diagnostic purposes.

Zeroed (adj., accounting) Refers to a balance that has been settled or is no longer due.

Zip, Zipped (n., adj.) To compress a file. See also Archive.

Zip Code (n.) A group of five or nine numbers that are added to a postal address to assist the sorting of mail by the United States Postal Service.

Zoom (trans. v.) The process of resizing a digital image. As the size of an image is increased, so the pixels which comprise the image become increasingly visible, making the image appear "soft". Conversely, reducing an image will tend to enhance its smoothness and apparent sharpness.