AAMC/LCME Hot Topic
Definition
A group of diverse medical and health care systems, practices, and products that are not generally
Alternative Medicine/Complementary Medicine considered part of conventional medicine (e.g., natural products, acupuncture, meditation,
massage, movement therapies).
Biomedical Informatics
The study and application of computer science, information science, informatics, cognitive science
and human-computer interaction in the practice of biological research, biomedical science,
medicine and healthcare.
Biostatistics
The science of statistics applied to the analysis of biological or medical data.
Clinical/Translational Research
Clinical and translational research includes laboratory-based research and research in human
subjects, populations and communities. “T1” (bench to bedside/laboratory to human)
translational research includes laboratory-based research aimed at clarifying mechanisms of
disease, developing measures or markers of disease presence, severity or improvement, and
developing drugs or devices to treat disease or improve health. Clinical research includes studies
in human subjects including surveys, cross-sectional studies, case series, case-control studies,
cohort studies, first-in-human, proof of principle, and all phases of clinical trials. “T2” (bedside to
the community/evidence to practice) translational research includes studies of T2 research
identifies community, patient, physician and organizational factors that serve as barriers and
facilitators to translation; develops novel intervention and implementation strategies to increase
translation, such as quality improvement programs or policies; and evaluates the impact of
strategies to increase translation of relevant healthy behaviors and processes of care.
Communication Skills
Communication skills are verbal and non-verbal words, phrases, voice tones, facial expressions,
gestures, and body language that you use in the interaction between you and another person.
Community Health
A field within public health concerned with the study and improvement of the health of biological
communities (geographically
Cultural Competence
A set of congruent behaviors, attitudes, and policies that come together in a system, agency, or
among professionals that enables effective work in cross-cultural situations
Domestic violence/abuse
Acts of violence or abuse against a person living in one's household, especially a member of one's
immediate family.
End-of-Life Care
The care provided to a person in their final stages of life.
Epidemiology
The branch of medicine that deals with the incidence, distribution, and control of diseases.
Evidence Based Medicine
The judicious use of the best current available scientific research in making decisions about the
care of patients.
Global Health Issues
Collaborative trans-national research and action for promoting health for all
Health Care Financing
Branch of finance that helps patients and health care beneficiaries pay for medical expenses in
the short and long terms
Health Care Quality Improvement
The extent to which health services provided to individuals and patient populations improve
desired health outcomes.
Health Care Systems
The complete network of agencies, facilities, and all providers of health care in a specified
geographic area.
Health Disparities
The inequalities that exist when members of certain population groups do not benefit from the
same health status as other groups.
Human Development/Life Cycle
The study of how people develop on physical, intellectual and social levels.
Human Sexuality/Sexual Functioning
The sum of the physical, functional, and psychologic attributes that are expressed by one's gender
identity and sexual behavior
Medical Ethics
The moral conduct and principles that govern the medical profession
Medical Genetics
The study of the etiology, pathogenesis, and natural history of diseases and disorders that are at
least partially genetic in origin.
Medical Humanities
An interdisciplinary field of medicine which includes the humanities (literature, philosophy, ethics,
history and religion), social science (anthropology, cultural studies, psychology, sociology), and
the arts (literature, theater, film, and visual arts) and their application to medical education and
practice.
Medical Jurisprudence
All matters which may bring the physician into contact with the law.
Medical Socioeconomics
The position of an individual on a social-economic scale that measures such factors as education,
income, type of occupation, place of residence, and, in some populations, heritage and religion
and how SES relates to disease.
Nutrition
The role of nutrition in chronic disease, including possible prevention or remediation by
addressing nutritional deficiencies before resorting to drugs
Occupational health/medicine
The branch of medicine that deals with the prevention and treatment of diseases and injuries
occurring at work or in specific occupations.
Pain Management
Pharmacological, nonpharmacological, and other approaches to prevent, reduce, or stop pain
sensations.
Palliative Care
Medical care provided by physicians, nurses and social workers that specializes in the relief of the
pain, symptoms and stress of serious illness.
Patient safety
The reporting, analysis, and prevention of medical error that often leads to adverse healthcare
events
Population-based Medicine
The health outcomes of a group of individuals, including the distribution of such outcomes within
the group
Prevention/health maintenance
A pattern of nursing and medical care that focuses on disease prevention and health
maintenance.
Rehabilitation/Care of the disabled
A treatment or treatments designed to facilitate the process of recovery from injury, illness, or
disease to as normal a condition as possible
Research Methods
The diligent inquiry or examination of data, reports, and observations in a search for facts or
principles
Substance Abuse
use of a substance that modifies mood or behavior in a manner characterized by a maladaptive
pattern of use.
Women's Health
The effect of gender on disease and health that encompasses a broad range of biological and
psychosocial issues.