Key terms for the secondary use of health data
This glossary provides simple explanations of key terms used throughout the CY-EHDS-2ND portal. It is designed to help citizens, health data users, health data holders and stakeholders better understand the national and European health data ecosystems.
A
Access conditions
Rules that determine whether and how a dataset can be requested and used for secondary purposes.
Accreditation
A process through which a person or organisation is recognised as eligible to perform specific roles or activities within the national framework.
Application
A formal request submitted by a health data user to access health data for an approved secondary-use purpose.
D
DAAMs (Data Access Application Management Solution)
The national digital platform for managing health data access requests, permits, decisions, communication and status tracking.
Data Holder
An organisation that holds or manages health data and supports data quality, metadata preparation and secure data provision.
Data Minimisation
The principle of accessing and processing only the data necessary for a specific approved purpose.
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Data Permit
An official authorisation allowing a health data user to access and analyse approved data under defined conditions.
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Data Request
A request for approved aggregated, statistical or controlled outputs, rather than direct access to a dataset.
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DQUL (Data Quality and Utility Label)
Information describing a dataset’s quality, documentation, coverage, access conditions and technical characteristics.
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Dataset
A structured collection of data created, collected or maintained for a specific purpose.
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Dataset Description
Public information describing a dataset’s content, origin, quality, coverage and access conditions without revealing personal health data.
E
Electronic Health Data
Health-related information in electronic form that can support healthcare, research, public health, innovation and policymaking.
EHDS (European Health Data Space)
The European framework supporting the secure and responsible use of electronic health data for both primary and secondary purposes.
ESPE (External Secure Processing Environment)
A secure environment where authorised users analyse approved data under a valid data permit.
H
Health Data@EU
The European infrastructure that enables cooperation and cross-border secondary use of health data among Member States.
HDAB (Health Data Access Body)
The national authority responsible for assessing requests and overseeing the lawful secondary use of health data.
Health Data User
A person or organisation that requests or has obtained access to health data for an approved secondary-use purpose.
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HealthDCAT-AP
A European metadata standard used to describe health datasets consistently and improve discoverability.
I
ISPE (Internal Secure Processing Environment)
A secure workspace used by authorised HDAB personnel for data ingestion, preparation and transformation before analysis.
M
Metadata
Structured information describing a dataset, such as its title, content, origin, quality, format and access conditions.
N
nHDsC (National Health Dataset Catalogue)
The national catalogue that enables users to discover publicly available descriptions of health datasets available for secondary use.
O
Output Checking
The review of analytical results before they leave a Secure Processing Environment to prevent disclosure or re-identification risks.
P
Pseudonymisation
A technique that removes or replaces direct identifiers, making individuals harder to identify without additional protected information.
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Public Health
Activities aimed at protecting and improving population health through prevention, monitoring, research and health system planning.
S
Secondary Use of Health Data
The use of health data beyond direct patient care for purposes such as research, innovation, public health, policymaking, statistics and regulation.​
SPE (Secure Processing Environment)
A protected technical environment where authorised users analyse approved health data under strict security and access controls.