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Glossary of terms used in health research - W

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  • Waiting list
    • MeSH
      The number of people awaiting admission to hospital as inpatients.
      Prospective patient listings for appointments.
  • Waiting time
    • The time which elapses between 1) the request by a general practitioner for an appointment and the attendance of the patient at the outpatients’ department, or 2) the date a patient’s name is put on an inpatients’ list and the date he is admitted.
  • Washout period/phase
    • In a cross-over trial: the stage after the first treatment is withdrawn, but before the second treatment is started. The washout period aims to allow time for any active effects of the first treatment to wear off before the new one gets started.
  • Weighted kappa
    • Wikipedia
      A measure of the extent to which observers achieve agreement beyond the level expected to occur by chance alone. Kappa can take values from 0 (poor agreement) to 1.0 (perfect agreement).
  • Weighted least squares regression
    • Wikipedia
      In meta-analysis: a meta-regression technique for estimating the parameters of a regression model, wherein each study's contribution to the sum of products of the measured variables (study characteristics) is weighted by the precision of that study's estimate of effect.
  • Weighted mean
    • Wikipedia
      The weighted mean is similar to an arithmetic mean (the most common type of average), where instead of each of the data points contributing equally to the final average, some data points contribute more than others.
  • Weighted mean difference
    • Wikipedia
      A measure of effect size used when outcomes are continuous (such as symptom scores or height) rather than dichotomous (such as death or myocardial infarction). The mean differences in outcome between the groups being studied are weighted to account for different sample sizes and differing precision between studies. The WMD is an absolute figure and so takes the units of the original outcome measure.
  • Weighted sample
    • A sample that is not strictly proportional to the distribution of classes in the total population. A weighted sample has been adjusted to include larger proportions of some other parts of the total population, because those parts accorded greater “weight” would otherwise not have the sufficient numbers in the sample to lead to generalizable conclusions.
  • Well-being of the trial subjects
    • The physical and mental integrity of the subjects participating in a clinical trial.
  • Wellness
    • Wellness is the optimal state of health of individuals and groups. There are two focal concerns: the realization of the fullest potential of an individual physically, psychologically, socially, spiritually and economically, and the fulfillment of one's role expectations in the family, community, place of worship, workplace and other settings.
  • Women's health services
    • MeSH
      Organized services to provide health care to women. It excludes maternal care services for which maternal health services is available.
  • Women's rights
    • MeSH - Wikipedia
      The term women's rights refers to freedoms and entitlements of women and girls of all ages.
      The rights of women to equal status pertaining to social, economic, and educational opportunities afforded by society.