Glossary of Telemedicine and eHealth UPDATE
The terminology used in the eHealth industry continues to evolve. While CTEC's Glossary of Telemedicine and eHealth represents a comprehensive resource for terms currently in widespread use, there is always something new on the horizon.
With that in mind, we offer the following glossary update as a living document for those terms that have not quite yet made it into the Glossary. We also welcome your questions and suggestions for additional entries. Please click the envelope icon on the left side of this page to email us your terminology questions and suggestions.
Central Office Exchange Service (CENTREX)
A type of Private Branch Exchange (PBX) telephone system in which switching occurs at the telelphone company facility rather than on the customer's premises. CENTREX systems are generally used by smaller organizations to lower cost and maintenance requirements.
Distance Learning
The use of audio and/or visual communications technologies to deliver learning resources to a remote location. Distance learning may use live-interactive or asynchronous (i.e. - pre-recorded) presentation methods. Distance learning can be delivered via a variety of media, including broadcast, webcast, podcast, etc.
Ducking
An audio processing technique used to automatically reduce a range of audio signals in favor of one desired signal source. In video conferencing, ducking may be used to reduce sound from other sources to ensure the presenter or a pre-recorded feed is heard more clearly.
Provisioning
A term often heard when working with telephone companies, which generally refers to correctly configuring communications lines for use of desired services. For example, ISDN lines may be provisioned for voice, data, or both types of traffic. If an ISDN line is not correctly provisioned for data traffic, it will not be able to support a video conferencing connection.
Service Profile Identifier (SPID)
An identifying number assigned to a particular ISDN line. The SPID is used by the service provider to identify the types of services (voice/data) which the line is capable of using. The SPID is as important to know as the telephone number when setting up an ISDN connection.
Voice over IP (VoIP)
A technique for transmitting voice telephony in the form of digitized packets over the public Internet, private network or intranet. VoIP services may present a cost-effective alternative to traditional audio-conferencing systems, PBX, or long distance services.
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