Critical Health Dictionary

Critical: From 1 Different Sources


A term used to mean seriously ill or to describe a crucial state of illness from which a patient may not recover.
Health Source: BMA Medical Dictionary
Author: The British Medical Association

Critical Appraisal

The process of assessing and interpreting evidence by systematically considering its validity, results and relevance.... critical appraisal

Critical Pathway

A treatment protocol based on a consensus of clinicians that includes only those few vital components or items proved to affect patient outcomes, either by the omission or commission of the treatment or the timing of the intervention.... critical pathway

Critical Incident

1. an event or episode that deviates from the expected or desired course and could have potentially negative effects for patient care or safety. Related terms include ‘significant adverse event’. Such episodes may inform *reflective practice and in the NHS should be reported. 2. in research, an incident that defines an importantly altered outcome for one group of participants compared to others.... critical incident

Critical Realism

a philosophical approach to science and the social sciences that explores the difference between physical reality and human perceptions and experiences. It has been increasingly influential in medical sociology since the 1990s.... critical realism



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