Glossary of Terms

Definitions for common industry and technology terms used throughout IVONNE®'s programs and services.

Browse Terms

Filter by Category

All Terms Clinical Technology Scheduling Operations Communication Security Compliance Finance Benefits

View As

Accordion Cards Table

Glossary of Terms

Definitions for common industry and technology terms used throughout our programs and services.

Term	Definition	Category
Interactive Voice Response IVR	Our automated phone system that helps direct your call or answer simple questions.	Communication
Marketing Email marketing email	Promotional emails about offers, news, and updates (only sent with your permission).	Communication
Recall / Follow-up Reminder recall	A friendly reminder we send when it's time to schedule your next appointment.	Communication
Text Message (SMS) SMS	Text messages we send to your phone for reminders and updates.	Communication
Transactional Email transactional email	Automatic emails like appointment confirmations and receipts.	Communication
CASL (Anti-Spam Law) CASL	Canadian law that requires your permission before we send you marketing emails.	Compliance
HIPAA	US healthcare privacy law that sets standards for protecting your health information.	Compliance
Informed Consent informed consent	The form you sign confirming you understand your treatment, including what to expect and any risks.	Compliance
Protected Health Information PHI	Your private health and treatment information that we are legally required to protect.	Compliance
PIPEDA	Canadian privacy law that protects your personal information.	Compliance
Client Acquisition Cost CAC	Our investment in reaching new clients like you through advertising and outreach.	Finance
Client Lifetime Value (CLV/LTV) client lifetime value	The long-term relationship we build with you as a valued client over many visits.	Finance
Client Credit / Account Balance credit	Money or treatment value stored on your account for future use.	Finance
Pre-Authorization / Deposit pre-authorization	A deposit or card hold that secures your appointment time, often applied to your final payment.	Finance
Customer Relationship Management CRM	A system that helps us keep track of our communications and relationship with you.	Operations
Digital Signage digital signage	The screens in our clinic that display information, promotions, and educational content.	Operations
Key Performance Indicator KPI	Measurements we track to ensure we're providing the best possible service and value.	Operations
Treatment Package package	A bundle of treatments purchased together at a savings, used over multiple visits.	Operations
Practice Management System PMS	The system we use to manage appointments, billing, and daily operations.	Operations
Point of Sale POS	The system we use to process your payments and purchases.	Operations
Rebooking Rate rebooking rate	How often clients schedule their next visit - a sign of satisfaction with their experience.	Operations
Utilization Rate utilization rate	How fully booked our schedule is - we aim to have availability while minimizing wait times.	Operations
DKIM (Email Signing) DKIM	A digital signature that proves our emails are authentic.	Security
DMARC (Email Authentication) DMARC	Security technology that ensures emails from us are genuine and not from imposters.	Security
Mobile Device Management MDM	Security software that protects the devices we use to serve you.	Security
SPF (Email Sender Policy) SPF	A security setting that tells email providers which servers are allowed to send email on our behalf.	Security
Secure Sockets Layer (SSL/TLS) SSL	Security technology that encrypts your data when you use our website (shown by the padlock icon).	Security
Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) two-factor authentication	An extra security step that protects your account by requiring both your password and a code sent to your phone.	Security
SPF (Sun Protection Factor) SPF (Sun)	SPF stands for Sun Protection Factor — a number on sunscreen that tells you how much UVB protection it offers. SPF 30 blocks about 97%% of UV rays, and SPF 50 blocks about 98%%. No sunscreen blocks 100%%, and all sunscreens need to be reapplied every 2 hours. Look for "broad spectrum" on the label to ensure protection against both UVA and UVB rays.	Skincare
UV Index (Ultraviolet Index) UV Index	A number from 0 to 11+ that measures how strong the sun's UV rays are at a given time. The higher the number, the faster unprotected skin can burn. In Ottawa, UV is highest in June and July (7-8) and lowest in winter (1-2). Even on cloudy days, UV rays reach the ground — so daily sunscreen is recommended year-round.	Skincare
Application Programming Interface API	A way for different software systems to talk to each other and share information automatically.	Technology
Content Delivery Network CDN	A network of servers that helps our website load faster for you, no matter where you are.	Technology
Content Management System CMS	The system we use to manage and update our website and digital content.	Technology
Domain Name System DNS	The system that lets you type our website name instead of a string of numbers.	Technology
DNS Records DNS records	Every website has a domain name (like ivonne.ca), and DNS records are the behind-the-scenes settings that make it all work. You will almost never see them, but they are the reason typing a website name takes you to the right place. There are a few common types: one tells the internet where your website lives, another tells it where to deliver your email, and another lets you prove to services like Google that you actually own the domain. If you have ever been asked to "update your DNS" or "add a record" when setting up a website, email, or online tool — that is what they are talking about. You usually change them through whoever you bought your domain from (like GoDaddy or Google Domains).	Technology
Geolocation geolocation	Technology that determines your approximate location to provide relevant local information.	Technology
Google Workspace	Google Workspace is Google's business suite that gives your team professional email using your own domain (e.g., you@yourbusiness.com), shared calendars, cloud file storage with Google Drive, video meetings with Google Meet, and tools like Docs and Sheets — all managed from one place. It replaces the need for separate email hosting, file servers, and collaboration tools.	Technology
Identity Provider IdP	The system that manages your work login. When you sign in to your work email and that same login lets you access other work apps automatically, that's your identity provider doing the work behind the scenes. Think of it as the master key system for your organization.	Technology
Internet of Things IoT	Smart devices like our automated lighting and climate control that enhance your experience.	Technology
Middleware / Integration Layer middleware	Behind-the-scenes software that helps our different systems talk to each other.	Technology
OAuth	A secure way to connect different online accounts without sharing passwords.	Technology
Optical Character Recognition OCR	Technology that reads text from photos or scanned documents automatically.	Technology
Rate Limit rate limit	A limit on how quickly systems can exchange information.	Technology
Responsive Design responsive design	Website design that automatically adjusts to look great on your phone, tablet, or computer.	Technology
Software as a Service SaaS	Online software that we subscribe to rather than install on our computers.	Technology
Search Engine Optimization SEO	Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is the process of making your website easier for Google and other search engines to find, understand, and recommend to people searching for what you offer. It includes things like having the right words on your pages, making sure your site loads quickly, and keeping your Google Business Profile accurate and up to date.	Technology
Data Synchronization sync	The automatic sharing of information between our different systems to keep everything up to date.	Technology
Virtual Private Server VPS	A dedicated portion of a powerful computer in the cloud that runs our systems.	Technology
Webhook webhook	An automatic notification that instantly tells our other systems when something happens.	Technology

Need More Help?

Reach out to our team if you have questions about any of these terms.