ISO 22886:2020

Healthcare organization management - Vocabulary

This document defines terms used in healthcare organization management.

Gestion de l'organisation des soins de santé — Vocabulaire

General Information

• Status: Published
• Publication Date: 16-Aug-2020
• ICS: 01.040.11 - Health care technology (Vocabularies)
• ICS: 11.020.01 - Quality and environmental management in health care
• Technical Committee: ISO/TC 304 - Healthcare organization management
• Drafting Committee: ISO/TC 304 - Healthcare organization management
• Current Stage: 9060 - Close of review
• Completion Date: 04-Mar-2031

Overview

ISO 22886:2020 - Healthcare Organization Management Vocabulary is an international standard published by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). This standard provides a comprehensive and consistent set of terms and definitions used specifically in healthcare organization management. Its primary goal is to establish a common language to enhance communication, understanding, and collaboration among healthcare managers, professionals, standard developers, and stakeholders across the healthcare sector.

Published in August 2020, ISO 22886:2020 is designed to support healthcare organizations of all types and sizes in better managing their operational, strategic, and clinical functions by defining key vocabulary elements relevant to healthcare management practices.

Key Topics

ISO 22886:2020 covers critical terms grouped into structured categories for optimal clarity and practical use:

• People-related Terms: Defines roles such as top management, clinicians, patients (inpatient, outpatient), staff, and interested parties including customers and providers.
• Organizational Terms: Clarifies definitions of organizations and healthcare organizations, including their structure and responsibilities.
• Activity-related Terms: Includes key activities such as improvement, projects, procedures, and outsourcing to facilitate operational management.
• Process Concepts: Covers processes, quality, good practice in healthcare, patient-centred approaches, and outcome-based approaches essential for effective healthcare delivery.
• System Definitions: Describes healthcare systems, infrastructure, management systems (including quality and information management), and concepts like policy, vision, mission, strategy, and objectives.
• Requirements and Compliance: Provides terminology for requirements, compliance, nonconformity, competence, traceability, and innovation.
• Information and Documentation: Defines information, document control, objective evidence, documented information, and specifications relevant to healthcare data management.
• Management and Monitoring: Encompasses terms related to management activities, monitoring, evaluation, review processes, and performance measurement.
• Health and Healthcare Activities: Focuses on terms associated with clinical care and healthcare provision.

Applications

The practical applications of ISO 22886:2020 include:

• Enhancing Communication: Establishes a shared vocabulary to improve clarity and reduce misunderstandings between healthcare managers, clinicians, and administrators.
• Standard Development: Assists developers in creating healthcare-related standards with consistent terminology.
• Training and Education: Serves as a foundational reference for academic professionals, students, and healthcare management training programs.
• Healthcare Quality Improvement: Supports healthcare organizations in defining goals, policies, and processes aligned with best practices and patient-centred care models.
• Regulatory Compliance: Provides terms foundational for compliance frameworks, audits, and certification of healthcare management systems.
• Stakeholder Engagement: Helps organizations better understand and manage relationships with patients, staff, suppliers, and regulatory bodies.

ISO 22886:2020 is invaluable for healthcare administrators, quality managers, compliance officers, and all stakeholders aiming to improve healthcare organization management by leveraging a harmonized vocabulary.

Related Standards

ISO 22886:2020 complements other international standards related to healthcare and management systems, such as:

• ISO 9001: Quality Management Systems – Requirements, applicable to healthcare organizations seeking to improve quality management.
• ISO 13485: Medical Devices – Quality Management Systems, focusing on regulatory requirements for medical device manufacturers.
• ISO 45001: Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems, relevant for managing workplace safety in healthcare settings.
• ISO 31000: Risk Management Guidelines, crucial for managing risks within healthcare organizations.
• ISO Guide 73: Risk Management – Vocabulary, aligns with risk-related terminology used in ISO 22886:2020 for healthcare environments.

Together, these standards provide a robust framework to support excellence in healthcare management, patient safety, quality assurance, and operational efficiency.

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Keywords: ISO 22886:2020, healthcare organization management, healthcare vocabulary, healthcare terminology, healthcare quality, healthcare standards, healthcare management system, patient-centred care, healthcare compliance, international healthcare standards.

Standards Content (Sample)

INTERNATIONAL ISO
STANDARD 22886
First edition
2020-08
Healthcare organization
management — Vocabulary
Gestion de l'organisation des soins de santé — Vocabulaire
Reference number
©
ISO 2020
© ISO 2020
All rights reserved. Unless otherwise specified, or required in the context of its implementation, no part of this publication may
be reproduced or utilized otherwise in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, or posting
on the internet or an intranet, without prior written permission. Permission can be requested from either ISO at the address
below or ISO’s member body in the country of the requester.
ISO copyright office
CP 401 • Ch. de Blandonnet 8
CH-1214 Vernier, Geneva
Phone: [phone]
Email: [e-mail]
Website: www.iso.org
Published in Switzerland
ii © ISO 2020 – All rights reserved

Contents Page
Foreword .iv
Introduction .v
1 Scope . 1
2 Normative references . 1
3 Terms and definitions . 1
3.1 Terms related to people . 1
3.2 Terms related to organization. 2
3.3 Terms related to activity . 3
3.4 Terms related to process . 3
3.5 Terms related to system . 4
3.6 Terms related to requirement . 6
3.7 Terms related to result . 6
3.8 Terms related to information . 7
3.9 Terms related to management. 8
3.10 Terms related to monitoring, evaluation and review . 8
3.11 Terms related to health and healthcare activity . 9
Bibliography .11
Foreword
ISO (the International Organization for Standardization) is a worldwide federation of national standards
bodies (ISO member bodies). The work of preparing International Standards is normally carried out
through ISO technical committees. Each member body interested in a subject for which a technical
committee has been established has the right to be represented on that committee. International
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ISO collaborates closely with the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) on all matters of
electrotechnical standardization.
The procedures used to develop this document and those intended for its further maintenance are
described in the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 1. In particular, the different approval criteria needed for the
different types of ISO documents should be noted. This document was drafted in accordance with the
editorial rules of the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 2 (see www .iso .org/ directives).
Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this document may be the subject of
patent rights. ISO shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights. Details of
any patent rights identified during the development of the document will be in the Introduction and/or
on the ISO list of patent declarations received (see www .iso .org/ patents).
Any trade name used in this document is information given for the convenience of users and does not
constitute an endorsement.
For an explanation of the voluntary nature of standards, the meaning of ISO specific terms and
expressions related to conformity assessment, as well as information about ISO's adherence to the
World Trade Organization (WTO) principles in the Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT), see www .iso .org/
iso/ foreword .html.
This document was prepared by Technical Committee ISO/TC 304, Healthcare organization management.
Any feedback or questions on this document should be directed to the user’s national standards body. A
complete listing of these bodies can be found at www .iso .org/ members .html.
iv © ISO 2020 – All rights reserved

Introduction
This document has been developed to help facilitate a common understanding of and maintain
consistency in fundamental vocabulary in healthcare organization management standards.
This document is intended to be used by:
— healthcare management practitioners;
— academic professionals and students;
— developers of related standards;
— stakeholders in organizations, regardless of organizational size and type;
— others interested in the management of healthcare organizations.
INTERNATIONAL STANDARD ISO 22886:2020(E)
Healthcare organization management — Vocabulary
1 Scope
This document defines terms used in healthcare organization management.
2 Normative references
There are no normative references in this document.
3 Terms and definitions
ISO and IEC maintain terminological databases for use in standardization at the following addresses:
— ISO Online browsing platform: available at https:// www .iso .org/ obp
— IEC Electropedia: available at http:// www .electropedia .org/
3.1 Terms related to people
3.1.1
top management
person or group of people who directs and controls an organization (3.2.1) at the highest level
Note 1 to entry: Top management has the power to delegate authority and provide resources within the
organization.
Note 2 to entry: If the scope of the management system covers only part of an organization, then top management
refers to those who direct and control that part of the organization.
3.1.2
involvement
taking part in an activity, event or situation
3.1.3
engagement
involvement (3.1.2) in, and contribution to, activities to achieve shared objectives (3.5.13)
3.1.4
patient
person seeking to receive or receiving healthcare (3.11.2)
Note 1 to entry: A patient is a healthcare customer.
3.1.5
inpatient
patient (3.1.4) admitted to a hospital
3.1.6
outpatient
patient (3.1.4) not admitted to a hospital
Note 1 to entry: to entry. This definition also includes patients attending an outpatient clinic.
3.1.7
patient need
essential element of patient (3.1.4) care resulting from the condition of the patient, requiring medical
attention
3.1.8
patient expectation
belief of what will happen before, during and after a healthcare (3.11.2) experience
3.1.9
patient perception
patient (3.1.4) belief or opinion
3.1.10
clinician
person providing clinical (3.11.6) care
Note 1 to entry: Providers can be authorized or unauthorized.
3.1.11
human factor
physical or cognitive characteristics, or social behaviour, of a person
3.1.12
staff
persons who work for and within an organization (3.2.1)
Note 1 to entry: Representatives can include family members, friends, mental health advocate, guardian, etc.
3.1.13
interested party
stakeholder
person or organization (3.2.1) that can affect, be affected by, or perceive itself to be affected by a
decision or activity
3.1.14
customer
person or organization (3.2.1) that could or does receive a product (3.5.14) or a service (3.5.15) that is
intended for or required by this person or organization
Note 1 to entry: A customer can be internal or external to the organization
3.1.15
provider
supplier
organization (3.2.1) that provides a product (3.5.14) or a service (3.5.15)
Note 1 to entry: A provider can be internal or external to the organization.
Note 2 to entry: In a contractual situation, a provider is sometimes called “contractor.”
3.2 Terms related to organization
3.2.1
organization
person or group of people that has its own functions with responsibilities, authorities and relationships
to achieve its objectives (3.5.13)
Note 1 to entry: The concept of organization includes, but is not limited to, sole-trader, company, corporation,
firm, enterprise, authority, partnership, association, charity or institution, or part or combination thereof,
whether incorporated or not, public or private.
2 © ISO 2020 – All rights reserved

3.2.2
healthcare organization
organization (3.2.1) involved in the direct or indirect provision of healthcare (3.11.2)
3.3 Terms related to activity
3.3.1
improvement
activity to enhance performance
Note 1 to entry: The activity can be recurring or singular.
3.3.2
project
unique process (3.4.1), consisting of a set of coordinated and controlled activities with start and finish
dates, undertaken to achieve an objective (3.5.13) conforming to specific requirements (3.6.1), including
the constraints of time, cost and resources
3.3.3
procedure
specified way to carry out an activity or a process (3.4.1)
3.3.4
outsource (verb)
make an arrangement where an external organization (3.2.1) performs part of an organization’s
function or process (3.4.1)
3.4 Terms related to process
3.4.1
process
set of interrelated or interacting activities that use inputs to deliver an intended result
Note 1 to entry: Process to deliver healthcare service to, or on behalf of, a patient based on evidence of
effectiveness.
3.4.2
object
entity
item
anything perceivable or conceivable
Note 1 to entry: an object can be a service, a thing, a person or anything else.
3.4.3
quality
degree to which a set of inherent characteristics of an object (3.4.2) fulfils requirements (3.6.1)
Note 1 to entry: The term “quality” can be used with adjectives such as poor, good or excellent.
Note 2 to entry: “Inherent”, as opposed to “assigned”, means existing in the object.
Note 3 to entry: Quality healthcare is the fulfilment of indicated healthcare requirements and the achievement of
intended results.
3.4.5
grade
category or rank given to different requirements (3.6.1)
3.4.6
good practice in healthcare
method that has proven to be effective and produce satisfactory results
3.4.7
staffing
process (3.4.1) that assigns people to
...