API — Application Programming Interface
A set of protocols and tools that lets different software systems communicate. In healthcare, APIs enable AI and scheduling systems to exchange data securely.
Glossary
A–D
Agentic AI
AI systems that can plan, take actions, and use tools to accomplish goals—such as searching for providers or booking appointments—rather than only answering questions.
Embedding
A numerical representation of text or data that captures meaning. Embeddings let AI find semantically similar content—e.g., matching patient intent to the right provider or service.
F–H
FHIR — Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources
A modern standard for exchanging healthcare data. FHIR makes it easier for AI and scheduling systems to access appointments, providers, and patient information across platforms.
Governance
Policies and controls that define what AI can access, how it behaves, and how decisions are logged and reviewed. Essential for safe, compliant healthcare AI.
Hallucination
When an AI model generates plausible-sounding but incorrect or fabricated information. Mitigated by grounding responses in trusted data (e.g., via RAG) and deterministic orchestration.
HIPAA — Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act
U.S. law that protects the privacy and security of health information. Any AI handling patient data must comply with HIPAA’s requirements for access, storage, and disclosure.
HL7
Health Level Seven—a standards organization that develops frameworks for healthcare data exchange. FHIR is an HL7 standard widely used for interoperability.
L–O
LLM — Large Language Model
AI models trained on vast amounts of text to understand and generate human language. Used for conversational interfaces, summarization, and intent understanding in healthcare.
MCP — Model Context Protocol
A protocol that lets AI models connect to external tools and data sources in a standardized way. Enables secure, governed access to enterprise capabilities like scheduling and search.
NLP — Natural Language Processing
The branch of AI that enables computers to understand and process human language. Powers conversational interfaces, intent detection, and search in patient engagement tools.
OAuth
An authorization framework that lets users grant applications limited access to their data without sharing passwords. Used for secure, delegated access in healthcare integrations.
P–Z
PHI — Protected Health Information
Individually identifiable health information held by covered entities. Must be safeguarded under HIPAA; AI systems must handle PHI with appropriate security and consent.
PII — Personally Identifiable Information
Data that can identify a specific person—name, email, phone, etc. In healthcare, PII often overlaps with PHI and requires careful handling and privacy controls.
Prompt
The instructions or input given to an AI model to guide its response. Well-designed prompts help ensure accurate, relevant, and safe outputs in healthcare applications.
RAG — Retrieval-Augmented Generation
A technique where an AI model retrieves relevant documents or data before generating a response. Reduces hallucination by grounding answers in trusted enterprise knowledge.
SSO — Single Sign-On
Authentication that lets users log in once to access multiple applications. Simplifies access for staff and supports secure integration of AI tools into existing workflows.
Vector Database
A database optimized for storing and querying embeddings. Enables fast semantic search—finding content by meaning rather than exact keywords—for AI-powered healthcare applications.