Plain-English explanations of the technical terms and legislation used in this document.
- Abnormal result
- A test result that needs something to be done, such as a treatment change, repeat test or referral.
- British Menopause Society (BMS)
- The UK specialist society for health professionals working in menopause care, which publishes guidance and Tools for Clinicians.
- Care Quality Commission (CQC)
- The independent regulator of health and social care services in England.
- Closure
- The point at which a result has been reviewed, acted on and communicated, so its tracking entry can be closed.
- Critical result
- A result showing an immediate risk to health that must be acted on the same day.
- Data Protection Act 2018
- The UK law, alongside the UK GDPR, governing how personal information must be handled.
- Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA)
- A low-dose X-ray scan that measures bone density to help assess the risk of fractures.
- Duty (buddy) clinician
- A named clinician who deals with a colleague's results while they are away.
- Duty of candour
- The legal duty to be open and honest with patients when something goes wrong that causes, or could cause, significant harm (Regulation 20).
- Endometrial thickness
- The thickness of the womb lining measured on ultrasound, used to decide whether bleeding needs further investigation.
- Equality Act 2010
- The law protecting people from discrimination, including on the grounds of sex and gender reassignment.
- Failsafe
- A system that catches errors or omissions before they cause harm, here ensuring no result is missed.
- Ferritin
- A blood test showing how much iron the body has stored.
- Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH)
- A hormone that rises around the menopause; its level varies a lot during perimenopause, so it is only useful in certain patients.
- Free androgen index (FAI)
- A calculation from testosterone and SHBG levels that the BMS advises is not a reliable guide to testosterone treatment.
- Full blood count
- A blood test measuring red cells, white cells and platelets, used for example to check for anaemia.
- General Medical Council (GMC)
- The regulator of doctors in the UK.
- General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC)
- The regulator of pharmacists and pharmacy technicians in Great Britain.
- General practitioner (GP)
- The patient's family doctor.
- Glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c)
- A blood test showing average blood sugar over the previous 2 to 3 months.
- Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014
- The regulations setting the fundamental standards that providers of regulated care must meet, enforced by the CQC.
- Hormone replacement therapy (HRT)
- Medicines that replace oestrogen, usually with a progestogen, to relieve menopausal symptoms.
- Ionising Radiation (Medical Exposure) Regulations 2017
- The law protecting patients having X-ray based tests, including rules on who may refer and what information a referral must include.
- ISO 15189
- The international standard for quality and competence in medical laboratories, published by ISO, the international standards body.
- Liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS)
- A precise laboratory method for measuring hormones such as testosterone.
- Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA)
- The UK regulator of medicines and medical devices.
- National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE)
- The body that publishes national evidence-based guidance on health and care in England.
- NICE guideline NG12
- Suspected cancer: recognition and referral - national guidance on when to refer people with symptoms that could be cancer.
- NICE guideline NG23
- Menopause: identification and management - national guidance on diagnosing and treating menopause.
- Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC)
- The regulator of nurses and midwives in the UK.
- Oestradiol
- The main natural oestrogen, and the form used in most HRT.
- Records Management Code of Practice (2023)
- National guidance on how long health and care records should be kept and how they should be managed.
- Reference range
- The range of results the laboratory considers normal for the test.
- Safety netting
- Telling patients what to look out for and what to do if things change or they do not hear back.
- Sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG)
- A protein in the blood that carries sex hormones and affects how much is available to the body.
- Standard Operating Procedure (SOP)
- A written, step-by-step instruction describing how a task is carried out consistently and safely.
- Suspected cancer pathway referral
- An urgent referral for people whose symptoms could be cancer, so they are assessed quickly.
- Total testosterone
- The total amount of testosterone in the blood, the measure used to monitor testosterone treatment.
- Transvaginal ultrasound
- An internal ultrasound scan that gives a clear view of the womb lining and ovaries.
- Turnaround time
- How long a laboratory or scan provider takes to report a result.
- UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR)
- The UK's main data protection law governing how personal information is collected and used.
- United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS)
- The national body that checks and accredits laboratories as competent.
- Welfare check
- A visit, usually by the police, to check that a person who cannot be contacted is safe.