UI Glossary
In Hexa we use specific words in specific ways to talk with our users. This is a list of approved terms from the Hexa Brand Central Guidelines.
A
| Term |
Notes |
| above-average |
|
| AB-rated |
Term used by FDA for drugs that are bioequivalent to other drugs |
| accounts receivable |
Always spell out; do not abbreviate as A/R or AR |
| acute care (n.), acute-care (adj.) |
|
| ad hoc |
Do not italicize |
| admission/discharge/transfer |
ADT acceptable on second usage |
| Adobe Photoshop® |
Don’t use photoshop as a verb |
| advisor |
|
| African American (n.), African-American (adj.) |
|
| aftercare |
|
| a.k.a. |
|
| alphanumeric |
|
| alternate care |
Not hyphenated |
| alternate site |
Not hyphenated |
| a.m. |
|
| Asian American (n.), Asian-American (adj.) |
|
| assisted living facility |
ALF acceptable acronym on second and subsequent references |
| Automated Clearing House |
Financial term — “Clearing House” treated as two words per industry standard, term is capitalized |
| automatic call distribution |
ACD acceptable on second usage |
| autoreceive |
|
| autoship (n., v.), autoshipped (adj.) |
|
| autoshipment |
|
| autosubstitute, autosubstitution, autosubstituted |
|
B
| Term |
Notes |
| bachelor of arts (B.A.), bachelor of science (B.S.), bachelor’s degree |
B.A. or B.S. acceptable on first usage |
| baby boomer, baby boomers |
Do not capitalize |
| back end (n.), back-end (adj.) |
|
| backorder (n., v.) |
|
| backup (n., adj.), back up (v.) |
|
| barcode, barcoding (n.), barcode, barcoded (adj.), bar-code, bar-coding (v.) |
Hyphenate only when used as a verb |
| benchmark (n. and v.) |
|
| best-dated |
|
| beta, beta stage, beta test |
|
| bimonthly, biweekly |
|
| biotechnology, biotech |
biotech acceptable on first usage |
| blister pack (n.), blister-packaged (adj.) |
|
| boilerplate |
|
| boldface |
|
| bookmark |
|
| basis points |
bps acceptable on second usage in running text or first usage in tables |
| bits per second |
bps acceptable on second usage |
| break-even (n.), break even (v.) |
|
| brochureware |
|
| business-to-business |
B2B acceptable on second usage |
| business-to-consumer |
B2C acceptable on second usage |
| businessman, businesswoman, businessperson |
|
| buyback (n.), buy back (v.) |
|
| buy-one-get-one-free |
BOGO acceptable on second usage |
| buyout (n.), buy out (v.) |
|
C
| Term |
Notes |
| CII, CIII, CIV, CV |
Schedule II, Schedule III, Schedule IV and Schedule V controlled substances |
| canceled |
|
| capitation |
A per-patient fee paid by a health plan to a doctor |
| caregiver |
|
| case-sensitive |
|
| CD, compact disc |
CD acceptable on first usage |
| CD-ROM |
|
| Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services |
CMS acceptable on second usage |
| CEO, CEOs |
Acronym acceptable on first usage |
| CFO, CFOs |
Acronym acceptable on first usage |
| CHAMPUS |
Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Uniformed Services — acronym acceptable on second usage |
| chat room |
|
| checklist |
|
| CIO, CIOs |
Acronym acceptable on first usage |
| clearinghouse |
When used generally (not as part of Automated Clearing House) it is treated as one word |
| client |
Use “customer” instead |
| cofounder |
|
| co-investor |
|
| commonplace |
|
| common user access |
Defines graphical user interface standards. CUA acceptable on second usage. |
| company-wide |
Not companywide |
| computer-aided software engineering |
CASE acceptable on second usage |
| computer-based patient record |
CPR acceptable on second usage |
| computer-based training |
CBT |
| Congress, U.S. Congress |
Either acceptable on first usage |
| co-op |
|
| cooperative |
|
| co-pay |
|
| Corp. |
Use Corp. when writing the names of corporations in running text |
| cost of goods sold |
COGS acceptable on second usage in running text or on first usage in table |
| Current Procedural Technology |
Procedure coding nomenclature published by AMA. CPT acceptable on second usage. |
| CPU |
Central processing unit. Acronym acceptable on first usage. |
| cross-functional team |
|
| cross-usage (n., v.) |
|
| cross-sell |
|
| customer |
Preferred over “client” |
| cyberspace |
|
D
| Term |
Notes |
| data |
Use as singular noun, not plural |
| database |
|
| data sheet |
|
| day-to-day (adj., adv.) |
|
| decision-maker |
|
| decision-making (n.), decision-making (adj.) |
|
| demo |
Abbreviation acceptable on first usage |
| desktop |
|
| diagnosis-related group |
DRG acceptable on second usage |
| dial-in (n., adj.), dial in (v.) |
|
| dialup (n., adj.), dial up (v.) |
|
| director of materials management |
DMM acceptable on second usage |
| director of pharmacy |
DOP acceptable on second usage |
| distribution center |
DC and DCs acceptable on second usage |
| DME |
Durable medical equipment. Acronym acceptable on first usage. |
| don’ts |
|
| dos |
|
| dos and don’ts |
|
| dot-com (n., adj.) |
|
| double-click (v.) |
|
| download |
|
| dpi |
Dots per inch, a term used to describe graphics resolution. Acronym is lowercase and acceptable on first usage. |
| drill down (v.), drill-down (adj.), drilldown (n.) |
|
| dropdown menu |
|
| dropoff (n., adj.), drop off (v.) |
|
| drop ship (n., v.), drop-ship and drop-shipped (adj.) |
|
| drug maker |
Two words |
| drugstore |
One word; “pharmacy” preferred |
| DSL |
Digital subscriber line; acronym acceptable on first usage |
E
| Term |
Notes |
| e.g. |
For example. Use a comma before and a comma after. Try to avoid using, and write “for example” instead. |
| e-commerce, E-commerce |
Not e-Commerce; E-commerce if first word in sentence; E-Commerce if capitalized in a heading or title |
| emergency department |
ED acceptable on second usage |
| EDI |
Electronic data interchange. When referring to Hexa solution, acceptable to use acronym on first usage. |
| electronic health record |
EHR acceptable on second usage; do not use interchangeably with EMR in the same family of communications. EHRs collect a broader scope of data and are technically a different product than EMRs. |
| electronic medical record |
EMR acceptable on second usage; do not use interchangeably with EHR in the same family of communications. See above. |
| email |
|
| e-newsletter, E-newsletter |
Not e-Newsletter; E-newsletter if first word in a sentence; E-Newsletter if capitalized in a heading or title |
| enterprise-wide |
Not enterprisewide |
| e-prescriptions, e-prescribing |
Sometimes shortened to e-scripts or eRx. Continue using the real term instead of a shortened version when possible. |
| ER |
Emergency room. Acronym acceptable on first usage. |
| Ethernet |
|
| euro |
|
| every day (adv.), everyday (adj.) |
See Commonly Misused and Misunderstood Words for more information about the difference between these two words |
| extranet |
|
F
| Term |
Notes |
| FAQ, FAQs |
Frequently asked questions. Acronym acceptable on first usage. |
| FDA |
Food and Drug Administration. Acronym acceptable on first usage. |
| fax, faxed, faxing |
|
| federal |
|
| firm-wide |
Not firmwide |
| five rights of medical administration |
The five principles nurses adhere to when administering drugs: right patient, right drug, right dose, right route, right time. Do not capitalize. |
| floor stand |
|
| flowboard |
|
| flowchart |
|
| follow-through (n., adj.), follow through (v.) |
|
| follow-up (n., adj.), follow up (v.) |
|
| Fortune 500, Fortune 1000 |
No comma in 1000, no italics or all-caps for Fortune |
| free-form |
|
|
|
| front end (n.), front-end (adj.) |
|
| FTP |
File transfer protocol. Acronym acceptable on first usage. |
G
| Term |
Notes |
| GB |
Gigabyte. Abbreviation acceptable on first usage. |
| general counsel, general counsels |
|
| generally available |
GA acceptable on second usage |
| GIF |
Graphic file format. Acronym acceptable on first usage. |
| G/L |
General ledger. Abbreviation acceptable on first usage. |
| GUI |
Graphic user interface. Acronym acceptable on first usage. |
H
| Term |
Notes |
| handheld (n., adj.) |
|
| hand-picked |
|
| hand-selected |
|
| hard copy |
|
| hard-to-find (adj.) |
|
| hardworking |
|
| head count |
|
| healthcare |
One word |
| health delivery network |
HDN acceptable on second usage |
| Health Mart |
Hexa-owned pharmacy franchise |
| health system |
Two words; do not hyphenate |
| help desk |
|
| high performance pharmacy |
Do not use a hyphen in high performance. Sometimes shortened to HPP. |
| high tech (n.), high-tech (adj.) |
|
| high-risk (adj.) |
|
| HIPAA |
Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. Acronym acceptable on first usage. |
| HME |
home medical equipment |
| HMO |
Health maintenance organization. Acronym acceptable on first usage. |
| home care |
Some Hexa business units use Homecare as a proper product or service name. Remain consistent to style guide when using as a generic term. |
| home health agency |
HHA acceptable acronym on second and subsequent references |
| home healthcare |
Healthcare is one word. |
|
|
| home page |
|
| hospital information system |
HIS acceptable on second usage |
| HR |
Human resources. Acronym acceptable on first usage. |
| HTML |
Hypertext markup language. Acronym acceptable on first usage. |
| hyperlink |
|
I
| Term |
Notes |
| ICARE Shared Principles |
ICARE is always in all caps |
| ILEAD Shared Principles |
ILEAD is always in all caps |
| ID |
Identification. Abbreviation acceptable on first usage. |
| i.e. |
In other words. Use a comma before and a comma after. Try to avoid using, and write “in other words” instead. |
| Inc. |
Use Inc. when writing the names of incorporated businesses in running text |
| in-depth |
|
| information systems |
IS acceptable on second usage |
| information services organization |
ISO acceptable on second usage |
| in-house (adj.), in house (adv.) |
|
| injectable, injectables |
|
| integrated delivery network |
IDN acceptable on second usage |
| intercompany |
|
| interconnectivity |
|
| Internet |
|
| Internet Explorer |
|
| interstore |
|
| intranet |
Do not capitalize intranet unless speaking about a specific company intranet: “Find the form on the Intranet.” |
| IP address |
|
| ISDN |
Integrated services digital network. Acronym acceptable on first usage. |
| ISO 9000, ISO 9005 |
International Standards Organization certifications. Acronym acceptable on first usage. |
| IT |
Information technology. Acronym acceptable on first usage. |
J
| Term |
Notes |
| Java |
|
| JavaScript |
|
| JCAHO |
Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations. Acronym acceptable on first usage. Also “Joint Commission.” |
| just-in-time (adj.), just in time (adv.) |
|
K
| Term |
Notes |
| KB |
Kilobyte. Abbreviation acceptable on first usage. |
| KBps |
Kilobytes per second. Abbreviation acceptable on second usage in running text or first usage in tables. |
| keyword |
|
| keyphrase |
|
| knowledge base |
|
L
| Term |
Notes |
| L |
Liters. Abbreviation acceptable on first usage. |
| LAN |
Local area network. Acronym acceptable on first usage. |
| laptop |
|
| layoff (n., adj.), lay off (v.) |
|
| leaking, leakage |
Terms used in inventory management. |
| lifestyle |
|
| LLC |
Limited liability corporation. Acronym acceptable in first usage when part of company name. |
| login (n., adj.), log in (v.), logged in (adj.) |
|
| log off (v.), logged off (adj.) |
|
| logon (n., adj.), log on (v.), logged on (adj.) |
|
| long distance (n.), long-distance (adj.) |
|
| long-term care |
LTC acceptable on second usage. In Medical-Surgical business unit, long term care (no hyphen) is the accepted industry style. |
M
| Term |
Notes |
| M&A |
Mergers and acquisitions. Abbreviation acceptable on first usage. |
| mainframe |
|
| management service organization |
MSO acceptable on second usage |
| marcom, MarCom |
Short for marketing communications. Lowercase unless you are speaking specifically about the proper name of a company department, in which case the M and the C would be capitalized. |
| Master’s degree (M.A., M.S., M.B.A.) |
Abbreviation acceptable on first usage |
| MasterCard |
|
| MB |
Megabyte. Abbreviation acceptable on first usage. |
| M.D. |
Abbreviation acceptable on first usage |
| medical-surgical supplies |
|
| menu-driven |
|
| mg |
Milligrams. Abbreviation acceptable on first usage. |
| Microsoft |
|
| Microsoft PowerPoint® |
|
| Microsoft® Word |
|
| Middle East |
|
| middle-market |
|
| midpeninsula |
|
| Midwest |
|
| minicomputer |
|
| MIS |
Management information systems. Acronym acceptable on first usage. |
| mispick |
|
| mL |
Milliliter. Abbreviation acceptable on first usage. |
| multidisciplinary |
|
| multientity |
|
| multifacility |
|
| multihospital |
|
| multi-institution |
|
| multimedia |
|
| multitasking |
|
N
| Term |
Notes |
| national redistribution center |
NRDC acceptable on second usage |
| Nasdaq |
Do not use all caps |
| New York Stock Exchange |
NYSE acceptable on second usage |
| newsstand |
|
| No. 1 |
Use instead of #1 |
| noncompliant |
|
| nonpayment |
|
| nonprocedural |
|
| nonprofit |
|
| not-for-profit |
|
O
| Term |
Notes |
| offline |
|
| offsite |
|
| OK, OK’d, OK’ing, OKs |
|
| on-boarding |
|
| on-demand |
|
| ongoing |
|
| online |
|
| on-pack |
|
| on-site |
|
| open stock |
|
| operating room |
OR acceptable on second usage |
| outpatient |
|
| overbag (n., v.), overbagged (adj.) |
|
| over-the-counter (adj.), over the counter (adv.) |
|
| oz. |
Ounces. Abbreviation acceptable on first usage. |
P
| Term |
Notes |
| page-down, page-downs (n.), page down (v.) |
|
| page-up, page-ups (n.), page up (v.) |
|
| password |
|
| patient-focused care |
|
| paycheck |
|
| payer |
Not “payor” |
| PBM |
Pharmacy benefits manager. Acronym acceptable on first usage. |
| PC, PCs |
Personal computer. Acronym acceptable on first usage. |
| PDF |
Portable document format. Acronym acceptable on first usage. |
| Pharm.D. |
Abbreviation acceptable on first usage |
| Ph.D. |
Abbreviation acceptable on first usage |
| PHO |
Physician/hospital organization. Acronym acceptable on first usage. |
| picklist |
|
| pickup (n., adj.), pick up (v.) |
|
| plug-in (n., adj.), plug in (v.) |
|
| p.m. |
|
| point of care (n.), point-of-care (adj.) |
|
| point of purchase |
POP acceptable on second usage |
| polybag (n., v.), polybagged (adj., adv.) |
|
| popup (n.), pop up (v.) |
|
| PPO |
Preferred provider option. Acronym acceptable on first usage. |
| PR |
Public relations. Acronym acceptable on first usage. |
| pre-admission, pre-admit |
The prefix pre- is written with a hyphen if the word it precedes begins with a vowel; otherwise, it does not take a hyphen. |
| prebook |
|
| precertification |
|
| prepay |
|
| prepopulate |
|
| preregistration, preregister |
|
| private label |
|
| product line |
|
| pulldown menu |
|
| pull-list |
|
| punch-card packs (n.), punch card packaged (adj.) |
|
Q
| Term |
Notes |
| Q&A |
|
| QA (n., v.) |
Quality assurance. Acronym acceptable on first usage. |
| QC (n., v.) |
Quality control. Acronym acceptable on first usage. |
| quick start guide |
No hyphen in “quick start” |
R
| Term |
Notes |
| R&D |
Research and development. Abbreviation acceptable on first usage. |
| RAM |
Random access memory. Acronym acceptable on first usage. |
| real time (n.), real-time (adj.) |
|
| re-create |
Hyphenate when meaning “to create something again” (vs. recreate, meaning “to relax”) |
| RediTabs® |
Proper, trademarked name for disintegrating tablets |
| REDs |
Remote emergency deliveries. Acronym acceptable on second usage. |
| re-elect |
|
| re-engineering |
|
| reorder |
|
| Rep. |
Congressional representative. Use abbreviation when referring to a person’s title before his or her name. |
| restructure, restructuring |
|
| resume |
Not resumé |
| ROI |
Return on investment. Acronym acceptable on first usage. |
| rollout (n.), roll out (v.), roll-out (adj.) |
|
| rollover (n.), roll over (v.) |
|
| roundtable |
|
| R.Ph. |
Abbreviation acceptable on first usage |
| RSVP |
Acronym acceptable on first usage |
| Rx |
Abbreviation acceptable on first usage, but “prescription” is preferred |
S
| Term |
Notes |
| saleable |
|
| scalable, scalability |
|
| Schedule II, Schedule III |
Controlled substances |
| screen saver |
|
| ServiceFirst |
Hexa call center |
| setup (n., adj.), set up (v.) |
|
| shelf talkers |
|
| short-date |
|
| short term (n.), short-term (adj.) |
|
| sign-off (n.), sign off (v.) |
|
| sign-on (n., adj.), sign on (v.) |
|
| sign-up (n., adj.), sign up (v.) |
|
| skilled nursing facility |
SNF acceptable on second usage |
| SKU, SKUs |
|
| smartphone |
|
| spinoff |
|
| spreadsheet |
|
| SQL |
Proper name of database |
| stand-alone (adj.) |
|
| startup (n., adj.), start up (v.) |
|
| summertime |
|
| suncare |
|
| SVPs |
|
T
| Term |
Notes |
| technology, tech |
Abbreviation acceptable on first usage when appropriate |
| TIFF |
Graphic format. Acronym acceptable on first usage. |
| third party (n.), third-party (adj.) |
|
| Third World (n., adj.) |
|
| time frame |
|
| timeout (n.), time out (v.) |
|
| touch-tone |
|
| toolbar |
|
| toolbox |
|
| toolkit |
|
| trade show |
|
| troubleshoot, troubleshooting |
|
| turnaround (n., adj.), turn around (v.) |
|
| turnkey |
|
| turnover (n., adj.), turn over (v.) |
|
U
| Term |
Notes |
| unit dose bar-coded packaging |
|
| United States (n.) |
Do not use U.S. as a noun |
| unsaleable |
|
| U.S. (adj.) |
Only use U.S. as an adjective. Include periods. |
| UI |
User interface. Abbreviation acceptable on second usage. |
| upfront |
|
| uppercase |
|
| URL, URLs |
Unique record locater. Acronym acceptable on first usage. |
| user-defined |
|
| user-friendly |
|
| user ID |
|
| user name |
|
| Usual and Customary fee |
|
V
| Term |
Notes |
| value-added |
Do not use value-add. |
| Valu-Rite |
|
| VAN |
Value Added Network. Acronym acceptable on second usage. |
| videoconference |
|
| Visa |
|
| VP, VPs |
|
| VPS, VPSs |
Vice President of Sales |
| vs. |
Preferred over versus |
W
| Term |
Notes |
| waitlist |
|
| WAN |
Wide area network. Acronym acceptable on first usage. |
| Web, the Web |
Note capital letter when referring to the “World Wide Web” as a proper term. |
| web-based |
|
| web browser |
|
| webcast |
Lowercase, one word |
| webinar |
|
| webpage |
Lowercase, one word |
| website |
Lowercase, one word |
| Windows®, Microsoft Windows® |
Use ® on first usage with Windows only |
| win-win |
|
| workaround |
|
| workfiles |
Term used in health plan and claims management situations |
| workflow |
|
| worklist |
|
| workplan |
|
| worksheet |
|
| workstation |
|
| work-up (n., adj.), work up (v.) |
|
| World Wide Web |
|
X
| Term |
Notes |
| X-ray |
Capitalize “X” |
Y
| Term |
Notes |
| year-end (n., adj.) |
|
| year-to-date |
|
Z
| Term |
Notes |
| ZIP code |
Not “Zip Code” |