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Term	Definition
ICC	Infection Control Committee.
ICD	Infection control doctor.
ICD	International Coding Dictionary.
ICER (Incremental cost effectiveness ratio)	The additional cost of the more expensive intervention as compared with the less expensive intervention divided by the difference in effect or patient outcome between the interventions. This gives a cost per effect, such as the additional cost per true positive from a screening test, or a cost per patient outcomes, such as the cost per QALY.
ICN	Infection control nurse.
ICP	See integrated care pathway.
ICP	Infection control programme.
ICR	Integrated care record.
ICT	Infection Control Team.
ICU	Intensive care unit.
IHM	Institute of Healthcare Management. Healthcare management organisation established 1 October 1999 by merging IHSM (Institute of Health Services Management) and AMGP (Association of Managers in General Practice). Has members working in the NHS, in commercial organisations, management consultancies and academia.
IIP	Investors in People. Website address: www.iipuk.co.uk/IIP/Internet/default.htm
IM&T	Information management and technology.
IMA	Index Management Authority.
INAHTA	International Network of Agencies for Health Technology Assessment. Website address: www.inahta.org/
indication	The diseases or conditions which a medicine has been authorised (licensed) to treat.
indicator	An indicator is a measure that provides a picture about a specific aspect of health/healthcare (including clinical outcomes) at a particular time. Used carefully and in an appropriate context, indicators can contribute to quality assurance within NHSScotland - by highlighting variations which can then be investigated and, where necessary, appropriate action taken.
infection control	Programmes of disease surveillance, generally within healthcare facilities, designed to investigate, prevent, and control the spread of infections and the micro-organisms which cause them.
Information and Statistics Division (ISD)	The Information and Statistics Division is part of the Common Services Agency, NHSScotland. Health service activity, manpower and finance data are collected, validated, interpreted and disseminated by the division. This data is received from NHS Boards, NHS Trusts and general practices. Website address: www.show.scot.nhs.uk/isd/index.htm
information technology and management strategy (IT & M strategy)	High level planning to drive forward use of technology in providing appropriate, accurate and timely information. This includes developing people's skills so they are able to use this technology to its best advantage.
in-patient	A person who is admitted to hospital for observation, examination or treatment.
integrated care pathway (ICP)	An integrated care pathway is an explicit agreement by a local group, both multidisciplinary and multi-agency, of staff and workers to provide a comprehensive service to a clinical or care group on the basis of current views of good practice and any available evidence or guideline. It is important that the group agree on communication, record keeping and audit. There should be a mechanism to pick up when a patient has not received any care input specified by the pathway so that the omission can be remedied. The local group should be committed to continuous improvement of the integrated care pathway on the basis of new evidence of service developments or of problems in implementation.
International Society for Technology Assessment in Health Care (ISTAHC)	The Society is a nonprofit organisation established to encourage research, education, cooperation and the exchange of information on the clinical, economic and social implications of health technologies. Website address: www.istahc.org/
InterTASC	InterTasc is a collaboration of organisations which have been established to provide commissioners in health authorities and primary care groups and NHS Trusts with research knowledge about the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of acute service interventions.
intervention	Action intended to benefit the patient.
intervention (health)	An item or service delivered or undertaken primarily to prevent, diagnose or treat a medical condition or to maintain or restore functional ability.
IRMER	Ionising Radiation (Medical Exposure) Regulations.
ISD	See Information and Statistics Division.
Island NHS Board	There are 3 Island NHS Boards (Orkney, Shetland and the Western Isles).They have always had a combined strategic and operational role. See NHS Board.
ISPOR	International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research.
IT	Information Technology.
ITT	Intention to treat.
ITU	Intensive therapy unit.

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