| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| R | Pearson's r. An estimate of the association between two variables. |
| radiation therapy | Treatment with high-energy rays from X-rays or other sources to kill or slow cancer cells; can also reduce pain from cancer spread to bone by killing tumours at this site. |
| radiochemical | The radioactive form of a chemical element, such as fluorine. |
| radiographer | A person who is trained in the technique of taking X-ray pictures of parts of the body. |
| radiography | The technique of examining the body by directing X-rays through it to produce images on photographic films or fluorescent screens. |
| radiologist | A qualified medical practitioner trained in the technique of diagnosing disease by means of X-rays and other imaging methods. |
| radiology | The use of X-rays in the diagnosis, treatment and monitoring of disease. |
| radiotracer | A radioactive form of pharmaceutical, used to study how the body functions. |
| randomised | Randomly allocated to one of more than one different choices. |
| randomised control trial (RCT) | Seeks to measure and compare the outcomes of two or more clinical interventions. One intervention is regarded as the standard of comparison or control. Random allocation means that all participants have the same chance of being assigned to each of the study groups (Alejandro R Jadad). |
| RARARI | See Remote and Rural Areas Resource Initiative. |
| rationale | Scientific/objective reason for taking specific action. |
| RCA | See Royal College of Anaesthetists. |
| RCAG | Regional Cancer Advisory Group. |
| RCGP Practice Accreditation Scheme | A Royal College of General Practitioners scheme designed to ensure that general practices meet the minimum standards for Clinical Governance and Health & Safety. See also entry for accreditation. |
| RCPath | See Royal College of Pathologists. |
| RCT | See randomised control trial. |
| receiver operating characteristic (ROC) | An ROC curve is used to evaluate the accuracy of any method of predicting a dichotomous outcome; it graphically represents the trade-off between false positive and false negative rates for every possible cut off. The graph plots the false positive rate on the x-axis and the true positive rate (1-false negative rate) on the y-axis. The area under the curve is of primary interest as it measures the correlation between the category predicted by the test and the true category into which the case falls. |
| recurrent costs | Costs which are borne each year. |
| rehabilitation | Intended to aid return of physical or mental function after illness or injury, often with the assistance of specialised medical professionals. |
| relapse | The worsening of symptoms which a person is experiencing, or the return of symptoms associated with an illness. |
| Remote and Rural Areas Resource Initiative (RARARI) | A project funded by NHSScotland, to develop healthcare services and support for professional staff in remote and rural parts ofScotland. Website: www.rarari.org.uk |
| renal | A term that means relating to the kidneys. |
| renal dialysis | The treatment of kidney failure by filtering the blood through a machine. |
| renal replacement therapy | Treatment to replace the function of the kidneys in a person whose kidneys no longer work. Treatment is usually in the form of dialysis or transplant. |
| Research Ethics Committee | The body tasked with ensuring the appropriate ethics is observed in research. |
| retinopathy | Damage to the retina at the back of the eye. Retinopathy is one of the possible long-term complications of diabetes. The retina contains many small blood vessels that can be injured by high blood glucose and high blood pressure. |
| retrospective | A study in which subjects are enrolled after the intervention of interest has occurred; their situation before the intervention is ascertained from case notes or interviews. |
| review | See peer review. |
| risk | The chance of something happening that will have an impact (good or bad) upon objectives. Risk is measured in terms of its consequences and likelihood. |
| risk factor | A clearly defined occurrence or characteristic that has been associated with the increased rate of a subsequently occurring disease or health problem. Risk factors include aspects of personal behaviour, lifestyle, environmental exposure, or inborn or inherited characteristics, which are known to be associated with the disease. |
| risk management | A systematic approach to the management of risk, staff and patient/client/user safety, to reducing loss of life, financial loss, loss of staff availability, loss of availability of buildings or equipment, or loss of reputation. |
| risk management process | The systematic application of management policies, procedures and practices to the tasks of establishing the context, identifying, analysing, evaluating, treating, monitoring and communicating risk. |
| risk reduction | A selective application of appropriate techniques and management principles to reduce either likelihood or an occurrence or its consequences, or both. |
| RMC | Risk Management Committee. |
| RMG | Risk Management Group. |
| RND | Radionuclide dispensary. |
| RNIB | Royal National Institute for the Blind. Website address: www.rnib.org.uk |
| ROC | Receiver operating characteristic. |
| Royal College of Anaesthetists (RCOA) | The professional and advisory body overseeing the education and qualifications of anaesthetists within the United Kingdom. Website address: www.rcoa.ac.uk |
| Royal College of General Practitioners(RCGP) | Royal College of General Practitioners. Website address: www.rcgp.org.uk |
| Royal College of Midwives (RCM) | Professional and advisory body overseeing education and qualifications of midwives. Website address: www.rcm.org.uk |
| Royal College of Nursing (RCN) | Professional and advisory body overseeing education and qualifications of surgeons. Website address: www.rcn.org.uk |
| Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) | The professional and advisory body overseeing education and qualifications of obstetricians and gynaecologists. Website address: www.rcog.org.uk |
| Royal College of Opthalmologists of London (RCOphth) | The professional and advisory body overseeing education and qualifications of radiologists. Website address: www.rcophth.ac.uk |
| Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH) | The professional and advisory body overseeing education and qualifications of paediatricians. Website address: http://www.rcpch.ac.uk |
| Royal College of Pathologists (RCPath) | The professional and advisory body overseeing education and qualifications of pathologists. Website address: www.rcpath.org |
| Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow (RCPSGlasgow) | Professional and advisory body overseeing education and qualifications of surgeons. Website address: www.rcpsglasg.ac.uk |
| Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh (RCPE) | Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh. Professional and advisory body overseeing education and qualifications of doctors. Website address: www.rcpe.ac.uk |
| Royal College of Physicians of London(RCPL) | Professional and advisory body overseeing education and qualifications of doctors. Website address: www.rcplondon.ac.uk |
| Royal College of Psychiatrists (RCPsych) | Professional and advisory body overseeing education and qualifications of phsyciatrists. Website address: www.rcpsych.ac.uk |
| Royal College of Radiologists (RCR) | The professional and advisory body overseeing education and qualifications of radiologists. Website address: www.rcr.ac.uk |
| RoyalCollegeof Surgeons of Edinburgh (RCSEd) | Professional and advisory body overseeing education and qualifications of surgeons. Website address: www.rcsed.ac.uk/ |
| Royal College of Surgeons of England(RCSEng) | Professional and advisory body overseeing education and qualifications of surgeons. Website address: www.rcseng.ac.uk |
| RPA | Radiation Protection Adviser. |
| RPS | Radiation Protection Supervisor. |
| RR | Risk ratio. |
| RRT | See renal replacement therapy. |
guidance, driving improvement, assessing
Contact Us | Glossary | Site Map | Links | Help | Accessibility | Low Graphics | Text Size: A | A+ | A++
