Chapter 25

Point

size of typeface; number of characters per inch.

Monitor

Display device that converts electrical signals from the computer into points of light that form an image.

Flash drive

(memory sticks, jump drives, travel drives, USB drives, or thumb drives) are replacing floppy disks as an easy method for transferring data between systems

Software

"Intelligence" of a computer; tells the computer what to do; computer program.

Default

A selection or option automatically chosen by most computer programs (when the user hits "enter") if not directed by the user to do otherwise.

font

Character style (appearance) of typeface on a document.

Motherboard

Circuit board that contains memory chips, power supply, and vital components for processing data in the computer.

Microprocessor

Circuit found on the main board, that controls and coordinates many functions of the computer.

User ID

Combination of letters and numbers that serves as identification of the person using the computer.

Internet service provider (ISP)

Company that provides a "host" access to the internet.

Host

Computer that is the main computer in a system of connecter terminals.

Word processing

Computer-based application used to produce text based documents.

Network

Computers interconnected to exchange information;organized group of participating providers for an insurance plan; policies may have "in network" or "out of network" benefits

Interface

Connection between the user and the computer.

Backed up

Copying data from a computer's hard drive to another storage device such as floppy disk, CD, or "thumb drive" to protect against losing all data if the system fails or "crashes."

Scanner

Device that converts texts or graphics on paper into an electrical format that a computer can display, print, and store.

Modem

Device that transfers data from one computer to another over telephone or cable lines.

Peripherals

External components attached to the computer, such as the speakers.

Zip drive

External disk storage device that holds large amounts of data.

Tape backup

External storage unit.

Cursor

Flashing line on a computer screen that indicates where the characters typed will appear.

Initialized

Formatted to hold data.

Keyboard

Input device that includes letter and number keys and computer task keys.

Sound card

Internal component in a computer for multimedia that functions for sound and animation.

Menus

List of commands or options, typically found on the top of the computer screen, which can be selected by the user.

Hard drive

Main device in the computer used to store and retrieve information.

Hardware

Mechanical devices and physical components of a computer system.

Prompt

Message displayed by the computer to request information or help the user proceed.

Central processing unit (CPU)

Microprocessor; the "brain" of the computer.

Touch screen

Monitor that displays options that can be selected by touching them on the screen.

Printer

Output device that reproduces information from a computer onto a paper.

Guarantor

Person who is responsible for paying the costs of a patient's treatment.

Patient

Person who receives medical treatment; not necessarily the guarantor.

PDA

Pocket-sized computer used for appointments, phone number, notes, and other information.

Mouse

Pointing device that directs activity on the computer screen.

Trackball

Pointing device that has a ball that is rolled to position the pointer on the screen; serves the same function as a mouse.

Ink-jet printer

Printer that produces characters and graphics by imprinting ink onto paper.

Laser printer

Printer that uses heat to fuse a fine dark powder (toner) onto paper to create graphics and text.

Optical character recognition (OCR)

Process by which electronic equipment scans printed documents and digitizes the information for computer processing.

Spreadsheet

Productivity software application that helps the user do calculations by entering numbers and formulas in a grid of rows and columns.

Database management

Productivity software that allows the computer user to work with facts and figures.

Browser

Program for "surfing" the internet.

Random-access memory (RAM)

Read and write memory that the CPU uses for storage.

Floppy disk

Secondary storage device for computer data.

CD-ROM

Secondary storage device for computer data; holds more data than floppy disk.

Tutorial

Self-guided, step-by-step learning process that teaches generic skills needed to use software.

Wizards

Sequence of screens that direct the user through a multistep software task.

Encounter form

Source document for billing purposes that contains the patients account information and insurance codes for date of service. Also the diagnosis and the procedures and services performed for posting charges.

Password

Special set of characters known only to the user and the person who assigned the password; designed to secure and protect unauthorized entry to a computer.

Search engine

Specialized program designed to find specific information on the internet.

Cold boot

Starting a computer when it has been in "off" mode.

Read-only memory (ROM)

Stored data that can be read but not changed.

Practice management

Sum total of managing all the facets (financial, personnel, patient) of running a medical practice.

Booted up

Term used to indicate that the computer system has been activated and is ready for use.

Warm boot

Term used when the system has been on and must be restarted because it "Freezes up."

URL

Uniform (or universal) resource locator; internet address.

Byte

is a string of bits used to represent a character, digit, or symbol

Bit

is the smallest unit of data and is abbreviation for binary digit