Hospital software terms, explained plainly

ASTM refers to standards from ASTM International that are commonly used to describe how laboratory instruments exchange orders and results with a computer system, usually over serial or TCP/IP connections.

In Indian labs, many analyzers can send results to a computer using an ASTM-style message format, often alongside HL7. The exact fields and behaviour differ by device, so the interface is scoped per analyzer rather than assumed. Once connected, test orders flow to the instrument and results return to the lab system for review and validation. Our guide to LIS analyzer interfacing with ASTM and HL7 explains the flow, and the lab analyzer integration page shows how devices are assessed one by one.

Related:Laboratory Analyzer IntegrationLIS Analyzer Interfacing: ASTM and HL7 ExplainedLISHL7

ABDM is India's national digital health programme, launched in September 2021 and run by the National Health Authority. It aims to connect patients, providers and insurers through consent-based exchange of digital health records.

Its building blocks include the ABHA health identifier, the Health Facility Registry, the Healthcare Professionals Registry, the Unified Health Interface and the National Health Claims Exchange. For a hospital, participation means using ABDM-enabled software that can create and link ABHA numbers and share records only with patient consent. Participation for facilities is described officially as voluntary, with an incentive scheme. Read the ABDM and ABHA guide for hospitals or see the ABDM integration module. Always confirm current rules on the ABDM website.

Related:ABDM Integration ModuleABDM and ABHA Guide for Hospitals: What to Do in 2026ABDM & NABH ReadinessABHAHFR

ABHA is a 14-digit unique health identifier under ABDM that lets a person link health records across hospitals, labs and insurers, with their consent. Enrolment is free for individuals.

An ABHA comes with an optional ABHA address, an easy-to-remember username such as name@abdm, and can be used in the ABHA mobile app. It does not replace the hospital's own UHID; instead, the hospital links the ABHA to its internal patient record at registration. With Scan and Share, a patient can scan a facility QR code and send demographic details to the hospital, which then issues a queue token. See our ABDM and ABHA guide for the registration workflow.

Related:ABDM Integration ModuleABDM and ABHA Guide for Hospitals: What to Do in 2026ABDMUHID

The CSSD is the hospital unit that cleans, packs, sterilises, stores and issues surgical instruments and other reusable sterile items to operation theatres, wards and emergency.

A well-run CSSD follows a controlled loop: collection of used items, decontamination, assembly into sets, sterilisation, storage and issue against a request. Traceability matters, because staff need to know which set went to which patient or theatre and when it was processed. Hospitals often track sets using batch or barcode labels. CSSD links closely to operation theatre management, where instrument sets are requested and used, and to infection prevention practice described in accreditation standards.

Related:Operation Theatre Management SystemBarcode & QR Scanning IntegrationNABH

DICOM is the international standard for storing, transmitting and displaying medical images and related data, used by modalities such as X-ray, CT and MRI machines and by PACS servers.

A DICOM file carries the image together with patient and study details. Imaging machines send studies to a PACS over a network, and radiologists view and report them on viewing workstations. DICOM also supports worklists, so a modality can receive patient and order details from the radiology information system instead of typing them again. Whether a particular machine supports these functions is assessed per device. See radiology imaging integration and the radiology information system.

Related:Radiology & Imaging IntegrationRadiology Information SystemPACSRIS

The DPDP Act, 2023 is India's law governing the processing of digital personal data. Organisations that decide how data is used are Data Fiduciaries; individuals are Data Principals. Its Rules were notified on 14 November 2025.

Hospitals hold sensitive patient data, so they act as Data Fiduciaries. Official summaries describe duties such as clear consent notices, reasonable security safeguards, breach intimation, a published contact for queries and responses to data-principal requests within ninety days, with verifiable parental consent for children's data except for essential services such as healthcare. Core obligations are being phased in, so confirm the current dates with MeitY. Read DPDP Act obligations for hospitals and our security overview.

Related:DPDP Act for Hospitals: Patient Data Obligations ExplainedABDM & NABH ReadinessABDMMRD

An EHR is a digital record of a patient's health history that can be shared across providers and care settings, covering visits to different hospitals, labs and clinics rather than a single organisation.

The difference from an EMR is scope: an EMR is typically one provider's chart, while an EHR is designed to travel with the patient. In India, ABDM's ABHA-linked record exchange is a step towards that idea, with consent controlling who can see what. A hospital contributes by keeping its own records structured and linkable. See HMS, HIS, EMR and EHR compared and the medical records software page.

Related:HMS vs HIS vs EMR vs EHR: What Is the Difference?Medical Records (MRD) SoftwareEMRABHA

An EMR is the digital version of a patient's chart within one hospital or clinic: diagnoses, notes, prescriptions, test results and treatment history held by that provider.

EMRs replace paper case sheets and make notes legible, searchable and time-stamped. They usually sit inside a wider hospital system that also handles billing, pharmacy and scheduling. Because the EMR belongs to the provider that created it, sharing with others needs an exchange mechanism such as ABDM. Good EMR practice also means signed, dated and timed entries with identifiable authors, which accreditation standards expect. Compare terms in our guide to HMS, HIS, EMR and EHR, or see the OPD management system.

Related:HMS vs HIS vs EMR vs EHR: What Is the Difference?OPD Management SystemEHRHIS

ESIC administers the Employees' State Insurance scheme, a statutory social insurance scheme in India offering medical and cash benefits to covered employees, funded by employer and employee contributions.

Coverage depends on the type and size of the establishment, the state or union territory, and the employee's wage level. ESIC's website states that state governments have extended coverage to private medical institutions with ten or more persons in certain states and union territories, so a hospital must check its own position. Hospitals handle ESIC alongside PF and TDS in payroll, with shift workers and contract staff complicating the calculation. See hospital payroll, TDS, PF and ESIC explained and the HRMS and payroll software.

Related:Hospital HRMS & Payroll SoftwareHospital Payroll in India: TDS, PF and ESIC ExplainedGST

FHIR is an HL7 standard for exchanging healthcare data using modern web technology, representing items such as patients, observations and reports as structured resources.

India's ABDM uses FHIR R4: the National Resource Centre for EHR Standards publishes a FHIR Implementation Guide for ABDM that defines record types, including diagnostic reports and discharge summaries. The National Health Claims Exchange also uses FHIR. For a hospital, FHIR is mostly invisible; what matters is that your software can produce structured, standards-based records from its clinical data. Learn more in our ABDM and ABHA guide for hospitals or the ABDM integration module.

Related:ABDM and ABHA Guide for Hospitals: What to Do in 2026ABDM Integration ModuleHL7ABDM

GST is India's indirect tax on the supply of goods and services. Health care services by a clinical establishment are covered by a nil-rate exemption under a central tax notification, subject to its conditions.

The CBIC notification commonly cited is No. 12/2017-Central Tax (Rate), which exempts health care services by clinical establishments, authorised medical practitioners and para-medics. The exemption has defined limits, and other supplies such as medicines and certain non-clinical items follow their own treatment. For billing teams, the practical need is correct item masters, tax settings and bill formats, updated whenever notifications change. Confirm treatment with your chartered accountant. See hospital billing software and reducing hospital billing leakage.

Related:Hospital Billing SoftwareHow to Reduce Hospital Billing Leakage: 9 Common GapsESIC

The HFR is ABDM's national registry of public and private health facilities, including hospitals, clinics, laboratories and pharmacies. Each registered facility has a unique identifier used across the ecosystem.

Registration puts a facility on the ABDM map so patients can find it in ABHA-enabled apps, and it is a starting step before a facility's software can exchange records through the network. The facility provides details such as type, services and contact information. Registering is separate from registering individual doctors, who join the Healthcare Professionals Registry. Hospitals typically assign one person to own and update the profile. Follow the sequence in our ABDM and ABHA guide for hospitals.

Related:ABDM and ABHA Guide for Hospitals: What to Do in 2026ABDM Integration ModuleHPRABDM

HL7 is an international standards organisation and also the name of its widely used healthcare messaging standards, including HL7 v2 messages for orders and results and the newer FHIR standard.

In hospitals, HL7 v2 messages commonly move patient registrations, orders and results between systems, such as between a hospital system and a laboratory or imaging system. Lab analyzers may also use ASTM-style messaging. As with any interface, the exact message content is agreed per connection and tested before go-live rather than assumed. FHIR, the newer HL7 standard, is the basis for ABDM record exchange. See LIS analyzer interfacing with ASTM and HL7 and the laboratory information system.

Related:LIS Analyzer Interfacing: ASTM and HL7 ExplainedLaboratory Information SystemFHIRASTM

The HPR is ABDM's national repository of verified healthcare professionals, covering doctors and other practitioners across modern and traditional systems of medicine, linking them to the digital health ecosystem.

Each professional registers and receives a unique identity that can be attached to the records they create, so a shared record shows who authored it. Hospitals usually ask treating doctors to register early, because verification depends on the doctor's own documents. Registration is separate from facility registration on the HFR. In software, the doctor master should be able to hold this identity alongside the staff record. See our ABDM and ABHA guide for where HPR sits in a rollout checklist.

Related:ABDM and ABHA Guide for Hospitals: What to Do in 2026ABDM Integration ModuleHFRABDM

A HIS is an integrated set of software that manages a hospital's clinical, administrative and financial information. The term is used almost interchangeably with hospital management system, though HIS often stresses clinical data.

A HIS typically covers patient registration, OPD, IPD, diagnostics, pharmacy, billing and records, with shared patient data and role-based access. NABH's information management chapter treats a HIS and a management information system as part of the same information-management goal: the right information, to the right person, at the right time, securely. Vendors and hospitals use HMS and HIS loosely, so judge a system by its modules, not its label. See our guide to HMS, HIS, EMR and EHR and the hospital management system overview.

Related:HMS vs HIS vs EMR vs EHR: What Is the Difference?Hospital Management SystemHMSEMR

An HMS is software that connects a hospital's departments, including OPD, IPD, emergency, diagnostics, pharmacy, billing, HR and medical records, on one platform with a single patient record and role-based access.

It replaces paper registers and disconnected spreadsheets, so a patient registered once can be billed, treated, tested and discharged without re-entering details. Good systems are modular, letting a hospital start with a few modules and add others as services grow, and they keep an audit trail of changes. Read the complete guide to hospital management systems for modules and adoption steps, or see the hospital management system page.

Related:Hospital Management System: The Complete Guide for IndiaHospital Management SystemHISWhite-label

The IPD is the part of a hospital that cares for admitted patients: admission, bed and ward allocation, doctor and nursing care, medication, transfers and discharge.

IPD workflows are the most record-intensive in a hospital: doctor and nursing notes, medication administration, investigations, procedures and charges accumulate against one admission until discharge. An IPD system gives a live view of bed and ward occupancy and posts bed-day and service charges to the patient's account. Weak IPD records slow discharge and billing. Learn more in our IPD management system guide or see the IPD management system module.

Related:IPD Management SystemIPD Management System: A Complete Guide for HospitalsHospital Bed Management System: Features and WorkflowOPD

A LIS manages a laboratory's workflow from test order and sample collection to analysis, result validation and report delivery, usually integrated with analyzers and the hospital's patient and billing records.

In an Indian hospital lab, a LIS helps with sample labelling, worklists, result entry or automatic capture from analyzers, validation, reference ranges, report templates and turnaround tracking. It reduces transcription errors and lets managers see delays by test or department. Many labs also pursue NABL accreditation, which assesses the quality system around such processes. See our laboratory information system guide and the laboratory information system module.

Related:Laboratory Information SystemLaboratory Information System (LIS): A Complete GuideLaboratory Analyzer IntegrationNABLTAT

The MRD is the hospital function responsible for creating, storing, retrieving, retaining and releasing patient medical records, including checking that records are complete before archival.

NABH's information management chapter expects a unique identifier for each medical record, a complete and chronological account of care, controlled retention, confidentiality and periodic record review. MRD teams also handle record requests, retention registers and duplicate patient entries that need merging. Digital MRD software presents one lifetime record per patient across departments. See medical records (MRD) software and our post on NABH and hospital software.

Related:Medical Records (MRD) SoftwareNABH and Hospital Software: What an HMS Can and Cannot DoUHIDNABH

The MAR is the record of each medicine ordered for an inpatient and when, how and by whom it was actually given, used by nurses to administer and document medication safely.

A MAR shows the ordered drug, dose, route and time next to the confirmation of administration, with reasons when a dose is held or refused. Digital MARs make overdue doses visible on the ward and tie administration to billing, since a medicine given should be charged. The NABH medication chapter covers safe prescribing, dispensing and administration. See our guide to digital nursing documentation and MAR and the IPD management system for how it fits the admission record.

Related:Digital Nursing Documentation and MAR in HospitalsIPD Management SystemPharmacy Management SystemIPD

An MLC is a case in which injury or illness may have legal implications, such as road accidents, assaults or suspected poisoning, requiring special documentation and, often, police intimation under applicable law.

Hospitals must treat MLC patients without delay, and emergency care should not wait for payment or paperwork. Records need careful, accurate documentation, and billing often runs on a deferred-payment basis until the case is settled. Specific procedures depend on state rules and hospital policy, so follow your legal adviser's guidance. Software can help by flagging the case, enforcing the required forms and tracking the open balance. See emergency triage and MLC software and the emergency and casualty management system.

Related:Emergency Triage and MLC Software for Indian HospitalsEmergency & Casualty Management SystemMRD

NABH is a constituent board of the Quality Council of India that accredits healthcare organisations against published standards focused on patient safety and quality of care.

Its hospital standards are organised into ten chapters, from access and continuity of care to medication, infection control, facility safety, human resources and information management. The 6th edition is dated January 2025, and the accreditation certificate is valid for four years. NABH accredits organisations, not software, though software can support records, access control and audit evidence. NABH also runs programmes for small healthcare organisations, clinics and digital health. See NABH and hospital software and ABDM and NABH readiness.

Related:NABH and Hospital Software: What an HMS Can and Cannot DoABDM & NABH ReadinessNABLMRD

NABL is a constituent board of the Quality Council of India that accredits testing and calibration laboratories. For medical laboratories, its programme follows the international standard ISO 15189.

NABL's medical programme covers disciplines such as clinical biochemistry, haematology, microbiology, histopathology and others. A hospital laboratory can seek NABL accreditation separately from hospital-wide NABH accreditation. Accreditation looks at the quality system, competence, equipment control and record keeping, so a laboratory information system that keeps sample, result and report traceability helps with evidence. See the laboratory information system guide and the laboratory information system module.

Related:Laboratory Information SystemLaboratory Information System (LIS): A Complete GuideNABHLIS

The OPD is the part of a hospital that treats patients who are not admitted: registration, doctor consultation, prescriptions and basic investigations, usually on the same day.

OPD is the busiest front door in most Indian hospitals, so queue management matters. A good OPD workflow gives each patient a UHID, places them in department and doctor-wise queues, records the consultation and prescription, and bills at the counter. Features such as QR registration or tokens can reduce crowding at the desk. See the OPD management system and our clinics and polyclinics use case.

Related:OPD Management SystemClinics & PolyclinicsUHIDIPD

A PACS stores, retrieves, distributes and displays medical images, typically from X-ray, CT, MRI and ultrasound, using the DICOM standard, so radiologists and clinicians can view studies without film.

Imaging machines send studies to the PACS, where radiologists view and report them. A radiology information system (RIS) works beside it, handling orders, scheduling and reports, and the two are often linked so that patient and order details reach the modality and finished reports return to the patient's record. Connection details are scoped per device. See radiology imaging integration and the radiology information system.

Related:Radiology & Imaging IntegrationRadiology Information SystemDICOMRIS

A RIS manages the radiology department's workflow: patient orders, scheduling, modality worklists, reporting, result distribution and billing, and works alongside a PACS that stores the images.

A RIS lets radiology staff see the day's list, send patient details to modalities, assign studies to radiologists, produce typed reports from templates and release them to the clinician or patient record. It also supports turnaround tracking and billing of each study. Emergency and walk-in patients can share the same queue as scheduled ones. See the radiology information system page and radiology imaging integration.

Related:Radiology Information SystemRadiology & Imaging IntegrationPACSDICOM

A TPA is a licensed intermediary that services health insurance claims for insurers, including cashless authorisations and claim processing, under empanelment agreements with hospitals.

Hospitals sign contracts with TPAs that set rates, packages and document requirements, and then manage pre-authorisation, enhancement, final bill submission, queries and settlement for each insured patient. Corporates and government schemes follow similar patterns with their own rules. Keeping contracts and rate cards in one place, and recording why money was disallowed, makes claims faster and more accurate. See TPA and insurance claim management and the insurance and TPA management software.

Related:Insurance & TPA Management SoftwareTPA and Insurance Claim Management for Indian HospitalsReduce Billing LeakageGST

Turnaround time is the elapsed time between a request and its completion. In hospitals it is most often measured for lab tests, imaging reports and discharge, from order or sample receipt to final report.

Labs track TAT by test and by stage: collection, transport, receipt, analysis, validation and release. Splitting the clock this way shows where delay actually happens, which is often before the sample reaches the analyzer. Emergency and inpatient samples usually have shorter targets than routine outpatient work, set by the hospital. NABH also asks hospitals to monitor indicators in several areas. See our guide on how to reduce lab turnaround time and the faster lab turnaround use case.

Related:How to Reduce Lab Turnaround Time in a Hospital LabFaster Lab TurnaroundLaboratory Information SystemLIS

A UHID is the unique identifier a hospital assigns to each patient so that every visit, test, bill and record is tied to one person across departments and over time.

One UHID per patient is the foundation of a reliable record. Duplicates happen when staff register a returning patient as new, which scatters history across entries. Good practice is to search before registering, capture a reliable mobile number and keep a duplicate-merge process. The UHID is the hospital's own key; the national ABHA number is linked to it, not a replacement. NABH also expects a unique identifier for each medical record. See medical records (MRD) software and ABHA.

Related:Medical Records (MRD) SoftwareOPD Management SystemABHAMRD

A white-label hospital management system runs under the hospital's own brand and domain, so staff and patients see the hospital's name and identity rather than the software vendor's.

For hospital groups and larger institutions, branding on patient-facing screens, reports and portals supports trust and consistency. In a cloud deployment, this typically means hosting on the hospital's own domain with its logo and colours. It is a presentation and hosting choice, separate from how data is isolated and secured, which you should assess independently. DevOrbital HMS offers cloud deployment on your own domain and brand. See deployment options and the hospital management system overview.

Related:Hospital Management SystemMulti-Branch Hospital GroupsCloud vs On-Premise Hospital Software: How to DecideHMS