Glossary A-Z
AI refers to technological systems created to learn and solve problems in a human like way. To do so, AI systems are trained on large amounts of data and information. They learn how to identify patterns, and this means that they can carry out many different tasks like having conversations that sound human-like.
This refers to a type of generative AI that usually generate text that mimics human conversation. They can technically be prompted to generate text on most problems, like writing a blog post on a specific topic or creating suggestions and advice.
Source: Digital Care Hub
A process or set of rules to be followed in calculations or other problem-solving operations, especially by a computer.
A process through the application of one or more anonymisation techniques to render personal information anonymous. When this is done effectively, the anonymised information cannot be used by the recipient to identify the data subject either directly or indirectly, taking into account ‘all the means reasonably likely’ to be used by them. This is otherwise known as ‘a state of being rendered anonymous in the hands of the recipient’
Source: NHS: AI and Digital Regulations Service for health and Social Care
Technical equipment that might increase the range of activities and independence or well-being of disabled and older people – also referred to as Care technology (care tec) or Technology Enabled Care.
Source: Leicestershire County Council
A thorough examination or evaluation.
Source: Care Quality Commission (CQC)
The Care Quality Commission (CQC) regulates all health and social care services in England. The commission ensures the quality and safety of care in hospitals, dentists, ambulances, and care homes, and the care given in people’s own homes.
Source: Gov.uk
A person's agreement to, or permission for, a proposed action, particularly any form of examination, care, treatment, or support. Professionals have their own codes of practice that indicate how they should manage the consent they need from people who use services.
Source: Care Quality Commission (CQC)
The activity required to protect an organisation's computers, networks, programmes, and data from unintended or unauthorised access, change or destruction via the internet or other communications systems or technologies.
Source: NHS England
The Data Security and Protection Toolkit is an online self-assessment tool that allows organisations to measure their performance against the National Data Guardian’s 10 data security standards.
All organisations that have access to NHS patient data and systems must use this toolkit to provide assurance that they are practising good data security and that personal information is handled correctly. This system is subject to ongoing development.
Source: DSPT Toolkit
Provides free advice and support to the adult social care sector on technology, data protection and cyber security.
Source: Digital Care Hub
Digital champions are individuals who work in the adult social care sector, who support and empower staff to use digital tools more effectively themselves and have increased confidence, understanding and motivation.
Source: Skills for Care
An overarching term which encompasses a broad range of digital, technical and data systems. The broad range of people who work in this space are sometimes referred to as being in the DDaT profession, and having DDAT roles in their organisation.
A role that influences and implements digitally-enabled projects at an organisational level - this could be in a clinical role, a non-clinical role, a digital expert role or a combination.
Digital maturity refers to an organisation's ability to respond to changes and trends in technology. It can also be viewed as an organisation's 'state of readiness' to be able to adapt to, and integrate with, these technologies.
This is technology that allows digital recording of care information and care received by an individual, within a social care setting, replacing traditional paper records.
Source: NHS Transformation Directorate
The Digital Skills Framework is a free resource to help support the development of digital skills across the adult social care workforce.
The framework defines seven key areas of effective digital working, organised in two ‘levels’: ‘digital skills for all staff’, and ‘go further’ with digital skills. It can be used by social care employers to help with planning staff training or by individuals for their personal development.
Source: Skills for Care
The process of using technology to create new or modify existing ways of working. In the context of adult social care, digital transformation is the process of implementing technology to improve people’s care outcomes and experiences
The Digitising Social Care programme is funded by the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and is delivered by a joint unit of DHSC and NHS England staff. It aims to transform adult social care through digital innovation
Source: DiSC
The delivery of educational content through digital devices like computers, tablets, and smartphones. Unlike traditional learning methods, eLearning enables individuals to access courses anytime, anywhere, making it a flexible and efficient approach to learning.
A digital alternative to paper-based MAR charts.
Source: CQC
Machines and medical devices used to help, prevent, treat or monitor a person's condition or illness. The term 'materials' used in the regulated activity or by people employed by the service provider may refer to aids that could support a person's care, treatment, support, mobility or independence. For example, a walking frame, hoist, or furniture and fittings. It excludes machinery or engineering systems that are physically affixed and integrated into the premises. The definition of medical devices above does not include items such as sheets, curtains, pillows and towels.
Source: Care Quality Commission (CQC)
Face recognition is a type of computer vision that uses optical input to analyse an image.
Source: Microsoft Azure
UK GDPR is the law that determines how your personal data is processed, kept safe and the legal rights that you have in relation to your own data.
Source: NHS England
This is a type of AI that has been trained using vast amounts of text, images etc. to create new text, photos, videos etc. that read, look or sound like they have been produced by a human.
Source: Digital Care Hub
Large language models (LLMs) are sophisticated AI systems trained on vast amounts of text data to understand and generate human-like language.
Source: LeadingAge
A field of artificial intelligence involving computer algorithms that can ‘learn’ by finding patterns in sample data. The algorithms then typically apply these findings to new data to make predictions or provide other useful outputs, such as translating text or guiding a robot in a new setting. Medicine is one area of promise: machine learning algorithms can identify tumours in scans, for example, which doctors might have missed.
Source: The Alan Turing Institute
A portable piece of technology which can connect to the internet e.g. smart phones and tablets
Software and data that are free to edit and share. This helps researchers to collaborate, as they can edit the resource to suit their needs and add new features that others in the community can benefit from. Open source resources save researchers time (as the resources don’t have to be built from scratch), and they are often more stable and secure than non-open alternatives because users can more quickly fix bugs that have been flagged up by the community. By allowing data and tools to be shared, open source projects also play an important role in enabling researchers to check and replicate findings.
Source: The Alan Turing Institute
A national service for managing reference information about organisations that are involved in health and social care in England and beyond.
ODS holds and publishes unique identification codes and accompanying reference data for organisations and their sites across health and social care. It covers a wide variety of NHS and non-NHS organisations
Source: NHS England
Output data is new data an artificial intelligence (AI) creates or synthesizes based on input data and the AI’s algorithm.
Source: Lexicology
Being person-centred is about focusing care on the needs of individual. Ensuring that people's preferences, needs and values guide clinical decisions, and providing care that is respectful of and responsive to them.
Health and wellbeing outcomes need to be co-produced by individuals and members of the workforce working in partnership, with evidence suggesting that this provides better patient outcomes and costs less to health and care systems.
Source: NHS England
A legal term defined in the UK General Data Protection Regulation. Refers to information that relates to an individual, defined as an ‘identified’ or ‘identifiable’ natural person (data subject), which can directly or indirectly identify that person when presented either singly or in combination. Often an individual’s name together with some other information will be sufficient to identify them. Other potential identifiers include identification number, location data or an online identifier. An individual might also be identifiable from physical, physiological, genetic, mental, economic, cultural or social information.
Source: NHS: AI and Digital Regulations Service for health and Social Care
This is when the person using the service leads, with choice being the defining principle in relation to the care or treatment provided to meet their particular needs and preferences.
Source: Care Quality Commission (CQC)
To respect a person's privacy is to recognise when they wish and need to be alone (or with family or friends) and be protected from others looking at them or overhearing their conversations. It also means respecting their confidentiality and personal information.
Source: Care Quality Commission (CQC)
The protected equality characteristics are defined in the Equality Act 2010 and are:
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Age
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Disability
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Gender reassignment
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Marriage and civil partnership
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Pregnancy and maternity status
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Race
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Religion or belief
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Sex
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Sexual orientation
Source: Care Quality Commission (CQC)
A formal written report or statement of facts, events or information, usually collected over a fairly long period. The act of maintaining individual records is called recording.
Source: Care Quality Commission (CQC)
The process of identifying all the risks to and from an activity and assessing the potential impact of each risk.
Source: Care Quality Commission (CQC)
Home sensors are usually devices that are used to monitor a person’s environment (e.g. temperature, doors opening, kettle boiling, fridge being opened) or the person themselves (e.g. heart rate, movement). They can be used to alert of behaviours that require an urgent response (e.g. a fall or lack of movement) or they can identify patterns over time (e.g. sleeping, eating or toilet behaviours).
Source: RAND Europe
Several individuals in your staff teams who have agreed to be ‘super users’ of any new AI applications within the organisation. They typically receive additional training on the systems and are given an opportunity to feedback issues and recommendations on improvement. Crucially, they are given the time to be available to help other colleagues with their questions and issues on the systems.
The What Good Looks Like (WGLL) programme draws on local learning. It builds on established good practice to provide clear guidance for health and care leaders to digitise, connect and transform services safely and securely. This will improve the outcomes, experience and safety of our citizens.
Source: NHS Transformation Directorate