Definition of Terms

We have listed below, in alphabetical order, definitions of clinical terms and phrases as used on the RITTS website. If you would like to jump directly to terms beginning with a certain letter, please select that letter from the list below.

Acquired Brain Injury (ABI) *

A program designed to maximize function in individuals with acquired brain injuries. An ABI is defined as damage to the brain, which occurs after birth and is not related to a congenital disorder or a degenerative disease. The brain damage may be due to a traumatic injury to the head or by conditions such as anoxia or infection.

Acute Care

The phase of managing health problems which is conducted in a hospital on patients needing medical attention. Coma Management, neurosurgery and medical stabilization occur at this stage. Facilities providing acute care for brain injury are: The Ottawa Hospital - General Campus and Civic Campus

Amputee *

A program designed to assist patients with upper and/or lower extremity amputation. Specialized rehabilitation services, including assessment, preventative measures, treatment, and discharge planning are provided to amputees, promoting their optimal level of function.

Amyolateral Sclerosis (ALS) ¹

A disease of the motor neurons in the spinal cord and lower brain which control the voluntary muscles throughout the body.

Arthritic disorders ¹⁰

Arthritis involves inflammation of one or more joints and the breakdown of cartilage. Cartilage normally protects the joint, allowing for smooth movement. Cartilage also absorbs shock when pressure is placed on the joint, like when you walk or otherwise bear weight. Without this usual amount of cartilage, the bones rub together, causing pain, swelling, and stiffness. The degree to which the mobility of older adults is impaired depends on the extent of the disease and joints affected. Arthritis, Osteoarthritis and Rheumatoid Arthritis are some conditions affecting older adults.

Botox Spasticity ⁴

Botox (botulinum toxin type A) is a therapeutic agent derived from the bacterium Clostridium botulinum. Given in extremely small therapeutic doses it is effective treatment for hyperactive muscle disorders.

Burns *

A program designed to provide rehabilitation to burn patients with full to partial thickness burns including upper and lower extremity quadrants. Burn patients suffering from multiple trauma, amputations and musculoskeletal injuries are also admitted to the program. These patients are admitted from acute care institutions for wound and scar management, pain management, physical rehabilitation, voice therapy, customized garment service, hydrotherapy, IV therapy and psychosocial support.

Cardiac Rehab *

A program designed to limit the physiologic and psychological effects of cardiac illness; reduce risk for sudden death of re-infarction; control cardiac symptoms; stabilize or reverse the artherosclerotic process and enhance the psychosocial and vocational status of selected patients.

CCAC

Community Care Access Centre

Cerebral Palsy ⁵

Cerebral Palsy (CP) is a term used to describe a neurological condition affecting motor function and muscle coordination. It is neither progressive or contagious. CP occurs in varying types and degrees. C.P. is thought to be the result of an injury to the developing brain which occurs before birth, during birth or within the first few years of life.

Champlain District

The area consisting of the following, participating Ottawa-Carleton hospitals: The Ottawa Hospital, The Rehabilitation Centre, Bruyère Continuing Care and Saint Vincent Hospital, Queensway Carleton Hospital, Montfort Hospital, and fourteen additional hospitals throughout the district.

Chiropodist

Chiropodists or Podiatrists specialize in assessing, diagnosing and treating abnormalities and diseases of the lower limb. They are trained to alleviate, prevent and correct these disorders and provide professional advice on proper foot care to patients of all ages and walks of life. [Source: http://www.foot-health.co.uk/chiropodist.htm]

CIHI

Canadian Institute for Health Information

Clerical Triage

The initial phase of patient admittance in which a patient's information is collected and verified.

Clinical Triage

The initial phase of patient assessment in which a practitioner, usually a nurse, determines the department within the hospital most able to meet a patient's needs.

Deconditioning Syndrome ¹¹

To cause to lose physical fitness< inactivity deconditions a bedridden person.

Driving assessment / evaluation ⁸

Occupational Therapy operates a fee- for- service Driving Assessment Service (DAS) for patients whose physical or cognitive abilities may interfere with the safe operation of a vehicle. DAS also offers consultation and assessment for passengers with physical disability.

EMG clinic ⁸

EMG (electromyography)is a recording of the electrical activity in the muscles and nerves. People with certain symptoms such as numbness, tingling, pain or weakness are sent to the EMG Clinic for electrodiagnosis of possible nerve or muscle desease.

Exclusion Criteria

A set of factors considered before a patient is denied admission to an institution for rehabilitation services.

Falls clinic ¹²

A multi-disciplinary clinic for the assessment and treatment of falls. Falls are a leading cause of injury and impairment among seniors.

FIM

Functional Independence Measure

Geriatric Rehabiliation Program

The Geriatric Rehabilitation Service of Bruyère Continuing Care is a component of the Care of the Elderly and Rehabilitation Program. It is the only program of its kind in the Ottawa region. It is designed to improve an elderly patient's functioning in an inpatient setting. The ultimate goal is to enable patients who have had a significant loss of autonomy to return to the community.

Inclusion Criteria

A set of factors considered before a patient is admitted to an institution for rehabilitation services.

Inpatient

Refers to an individual admitted to a facility solely for the purpose of rehabilitation and occupies a bed in the facility while receiving services. In some institutions the individual may be admitted to a bed designated for a specific type of rehabilitation.

Multiple Sclerosis (MS)

Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is an inflammatory disease of the Central Nervous System (CNS) - that's the brain and spinal cord. Predominantly, it is a disease of the "white matter" tissue. The white matter is made up of nerve fibres which are responsible for transmitting communication signals both internally within the CNS and between the CNS and the nerves supplying rest of the body. [http://www.mult-sclerosis.org/whatisms.html]

MOHLTC

Ontario Ministry of Health and Long Term Care

MRN

Medical Record Number

Multiple Trauma *

A program designed to provide rehabilitation using a systems approach to patients suffering from serious traumatic injuries or major trauma in which there is multisystem derangement.

Musculoskeletal *

A program designed to provide rehabilitation to patients with an injury or disorder/disease of bone, joint or muscle and/or other systemic diseases whose course or complication result in musculoskeletal impairments.

Myopathy ⁷

Any disease of a muscle.

Neurological conditions *

A program designed to provide rehabilitation to patients exhibiting functional deficits of neurogenic origin other than stroke, including Multiple Sclerosis, Parkinson's, Guillain-Barre Syndrome, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), dystrophies, palsies, brain tumors, encephalopathies and other neurological conditions.

Neuromuscular ⁷

Pertaining to muscles and nerves, or to the relationship between them.

Neuromuscular Disorders ⁷

Neuromuscular disorders are marked by wasting and progressive weakness of the muscles that control body movement.

Neuropathies ⁶

Peripheral neuropathy results from damage to the peripheral nerves. It usually causes weakness with numbness and pain in the hands and the feet.

Neuropsych testing ⁸

Neuropsychology tests help assess changes in memory and thinking.

Nursing ³

The goal of rehabilitation nursing is to assist individuals with disabilities, and /or chronic disabling conditions to achieve and/or maintain maximum function. The rehabilitation nurse devises and implements treatment strategies that are evidence based which promotes physical, psychological, and spiritual health.

Nutrition ⁸

Assessment ,treatment and counselling to patients with nutritional related issues. Nutritional care involves individualized meal plans, education and monitoring.

Occupational Therapy ⁸

Assessment and intervention to reduce barriers to meaningful participation in self-care (e.g. dressing, eating and shopping), productivity (e.g. working or volunteering) and leisure activities. Occupational Therapists provide a broad range of therapeutic, education and consultation services including self care retraining, prescription of assistive devices, evaluation of seating & mobility or home accessibility needs, and adjustment counseling.

Orthopaedic conditions

Pertaining to the musculoskeletal system

Orthotics ⁸

The Orthotics service specializes in biochemical devices which provide long term or permanent support for, improve the function of, or controls the motion of various segments of the body.

Orthotist ⁷

A person specializing in orthotics.

OT

Occupational Therapy

Outpatient

Refers to an individual from the community who does not occupy a bed but is accepted for rehabilitation purposes and receives rehabilitation services from that facility

Pain: Chronic *

A program designed to help patients manage chronic non-malignant pain by minimizing the impact of pain, increase the physical function and activity levels, improve psychological well being and community integration, while reducing reliance on health care providers, services and pain related medications.

Pain: Muscular/joint ¹⁰

Sensation of discomfort related to the muscles or joints. Muscle aches and pains are common and can involve more than one muscle. Muscle pain also can involve ligaments, tendons, and fascia, the soft tissues that connect muscles, bones, and organs together. Joint pain can affect one or more joints.

Pain: Neuropathic ⁷

Sensation of discomfort related to nerves.

Physiatry ⁸

A specialty in rehabilitation medicine; musculoskeletal and neurological disorders. A physiatrist is a physician who examines you, evaluates your condition regularly, supervises your care, and prescribes necessary tests, medications, devices and treatment.

Physiotherapy ⁸

Assessment and treatment to restore strength, endurance, movement and physical abilities affected by injury, disease or disability.

Plexopathies ⁹

A plexus is a network of interlacing nerves. Sometimes a plexus is formed by the primary branches of the nerves, such as the cervical, brachial, lumbar and sacral plexuses.

Podiatrist

See Chiropodist

Primary Care

Direct care, such as that provided by a physician.

Prosthetic ⁸

The Prosthetics service supplies artificial limbs to amputees.

Prosthetist ⁸

Provides ongoing assessment of patient's prosthetic needs. They create, fit and repair a large range of artificial limbs (prostheses).

Psychology ⁸

Assessment and treatment to assist the patient and family in adapting to the physical, emotional, and cognitive changes often related to disability and chronic illness. Help is given to deal with difficulties, such as depression, anxiety, and pain.

Recreation ⁸

A variety of recreational activities used to help meet your physical, social, creative, intellectual and solitary needs.

Rehabilitation

The ultimate purpose of rehabilitation is to improve the quality of life for people with impairments, activity limitations or participation restrictions due to illness or injury, and reintegrate the individual back into their community and prior societal role to as great an extent as possible.

Rehabilitation Engineering

The consultation, assessment, custom design and fabrication of rehabilitation devices and adaptation of existing devices.

Respiratory Rehab *

A program for patients with a variety of problems affecting the respiratory system including Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) (asthma, emphysema, chronic bronchitis), cystic fibrosis, restrictive pulmonary syndromes, (thoracic resections, lung transplant, pulmonary fibrosis), and neuromuscular diseases (ALS, muscular dystrophy, polio).

RITTS

Rehabilitation Integrated Transition Tracking System

RNOC

Rehabilitation Network of Ottawa-Carleton

SCI

Spinal Chord Injury

Social Work ⁸

Counsels patients and family to help adjust to lifestyle changes associated to a disability. A social worker also provides support in arranging resources like housing, transportation, home care and financial assistance.

Soft tissue disorders

Specialised Seating ⁸

Offers a comprehensive approach to individuals who have complex seating needs usually requiring custom seating and wheelchair modifications.

Speech Language Pathology ⁸

Treatment of communication problems: speaking, understanding, reading and writing. Speech Language Pathologists also assess and treat swallowing problems with the goal of achieving safe eating.

Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) *

A program designed to provide services for patients with disabling diseases or injury of the spinal cord. Those diseases or injuries may be static (trauma, vascular, congenital, infectious, inflammatory, extramedullary tumours) or degenerative (multiple sclerosis, syringomyelia, spinal stenosis, autoimmune, genetic, intramedullary tumours).

Spinal Stenosis ¹⁰

Spinal stenosis is a narrowing of the lumbar (back) or cervical (neck) spinal canal, which causes compression of the nerve roots. Spinal stenosis mainly affects middle-aged or elderly people. It may be caused by osteoarthritis or Paget's disease or by an injury that causes pressure on the nerve roots and/or the spinal canal itself.

Stroke *

A program designed to provide rehabilitation to patients exhibiting rapid development of clinical signs of local disturbance in blood supply to the brain secondary to a thrombotic, embolytic or haemorrhagic event (e.g. Acute Brain Attack).

Stuttering Program ⁸

Treatment options are offered for adults who stutter, including individual and group sessions of varied intensity, as well as follow-up and maintenance activities.

Swallowing studies ⁸

Bedside swallowing evaluation with assorted solid foods and liquids. Observation of feeding/eating during a typical meal. Referrals can be made for videofluoroscopy.

TBI

Traumatic Brain Injury

Technology Access Service (TAS)⁸

Technology Access Service (TAS) provides interdisciplinary services to adults who are unable to achieve functional communication (speaking, writing) or who are experiencing progressive loss of communicative ability. Interventions include the use of both assistive devices and adaptive strategies.

Telehealth Medicine

Telehealth technology uses videoconferencing technology (e.g. computers,video monitors and cameras) along with medical instruments such as electronic stethoscopes and otoscopes to complete patient assessments and provide recommendations for the advancement of his/her care in their own community.

Total Foot Care ⁸

A service which includes foot care, custom made foot orthoses, and orthopaedic and custom made foot wear.

Transition

Events that occur in order to transfer or refer for consultation a client from facility to facility, service to service or provider to provider.

TRC

The Rehab Centre, a division of the Ottawa Hospital

Vocational Evaluation ⁸

Exploration of potential and readiness to work. Counsellors help to identify vocational rehabilitation goals and develop realistic plan for achieving them. Services include vocational counselling and assessment: labour market research; job seeking skills development; and liason with employers, insurers and community service providers.