HIPAA. Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 - Federal law which addresses the protection of security and confidentiality of health information.

PHI. Protected Health Information - That personal medical information subject to protection according to the provisions of HIPAA.

PreMis. Pre-Hospital Electronic Medical Records System which provides a method for EMS providers to enter patient data into a central database. PreMis form refers to the patient information record filled out by EMS personnel.

EMS. Emergency Medical Services.

EMT/EMT-I. Emergency Medical Technician

PDA. Personal Digital Assistant - Handheld device used to enter, store and/or transmit data.

DRS. Designated Record Set - That individual record established by the health care provider for the puirpose of making decisions regarding patient care. DSR contains only HIPAA covered protected health information. Such record does not contain any information used for operational purposes, quality assurance or other purposes.

FMLA. Family Medical Leave Act of 1993 - Federal law which guarantees up to 12 weeks of leave per calendar year (paid or unpaid) for eligible medical reasons.

ADA. Americans with Disabilities Act - A Federal law established to ensure equal opportunity to persons with disabilities in employment, state and local services, public accommodations, commercial facilities and transportation.

FAX. Means to transmit letters, documents, etc. electronically over telephone lines.

EOMB. Explanation of Medical Benefits - Documents sent to patients by insurance companies explaining their coverage of claims.