Dictionary

D

Depression EconomicsTermDepression Cost-Effectiveness, Depression HTA

The application of health economic evaluation to depression, comparing psychotherapy, pharmacological treatment, and combination approaches across varying disease severity.

Depression SymptomsTermDepressive Symptom Score, Depression Symptom Severity

A clinical outcome measure capturing the presence and severity of depression-related symptoms, commonly assessed using standardised, validated patient questionnaires.

Derived Demand for HealthcareConceptDerived Healthcare Demand, Demand Derived from Health

Derived demand for healthcare is the idea that people want medical care mainly as an input for producing health, the thing they actually value.

Dermatology EconomicsTermSkin Disease Economics, Economics of Dermatology

The broad application of health economic evaluation to skin conditions and treatment, covering both medical dermatology and skin cancer.

Descriptive EpidemiologyTermDescriptive Epi, Disease Distribution Analysis

A branch of epidemiology characterising disease distribution by factors such as person, place, and time, without directly testing causal hypotheses.

Descriptive StatisticsTermSummary Statistics, Data Summarisation

A branch of statistics concerned with summarising a dataset's basic features, such as central tendency and dispersion, without drawing inferences about a broader population.

Design EffectConceptDeff, Variance Inflation from Clustering

The design effect is the ratio of an estimator's variance under an actual sampling design to its variance under a comparable simple random sample of the same nominal size.

Designated Health ServicesTermDHS, Stark-Listed Services

A specific list of service categories subject to physician self-referral restrictions under US law, such as clinical laboratory services.

DeterminantTermDet, Matrix Scalar

A scalar value calculated from a square matrix that indicates properties including invertibility, scaling and the independence of its rows or columns.

Determinant of HealthTermHealth Determinant, Factor Influencing Health

In health economics and public health, a factor that influences the health of individuals or populations, spanning behavioural, social, environmental and biological causes, and shaping the burden of disease that interventions and policy aim to reduce.

Deterministic AnalysisTermFixed-Input Analysis, Point-Estimate Analysis

An analysis in which every model input is assigned a single, fixed value, producing one specific result rather than a distribution.

Deterministic ModelConceptFixed-Parameter Model, Point-Estimate Model

A deterministic model produces the same output whenever its specified inputs, structure, and calculation rules are unchanged.

Deterministic Sensitivity AnalysisConceptDSA

Deterministic sensitivity analysis evaluates how a model's results and decisions change when selected inputs or assumptions are assigned specific alternative values while all other stated conditions are controlled.

Development Assistance for HealthTermDAH, Health Aid

Financial resources provided by international donors to support health programmes in low- and middle-income countries.

Development Impact BondTermDIB, Outcome-Funded Bond

A financing mechanism where private investors fund a social programme upfront, repaid by an outcome funder only if predefined results are verified.

Deviance ResidualConceptDeviance Residuals, GLM Residual

A deviance residual is a signed measure of how poorly a generalised linear or survival model fits each patient; in a GLM its squares sum to the deviance.

Device TherapyTermDevice-Based Treatment, Therapeutic Device Use

A treatment approach using an implanted or external medical device rather than medication alone, such as a pacemaker or insulin pump.

DevolutionTermAuthority Transfer, Subnational Autonomy

A specific decentralisation form in which a central government formally transfers decision-making authority to subnational units with significant independence.

DFBETATermCoefficient Change Diagnostic, Delta-Beta

A regression diagnostic measuring how much a coefficient would change if a particular observation were removed, identifying disproportionately influential data points.

DFBETASTermStandardised DFBETA, Scaled Coefficient Change

A standardised version of the DFBETA diagnostic, scaled by its standard error, allowing influence of observations to be compared consistently across models.

DFLE CalculationConceptDisability-Free Life Expectancy Calculation, DFLE Estimation

The process of computing disability-free life expectancy using a life table combining age-specific mortality rates with age-specific disability prevalence.

Diabetes ComplicationsConceptDiabetic Complications, Sequelae of Diabetes

Long-term health consequences of poorly controlled diabetes, including cardiovascular disease, kidney disease, nerve damage, and eye disease.

Diabetes Control RateTermGlycaemic Control Rate, Diabetes Target Attainment

A measure of the proportion of diagnosed diabetes patients achieving recommended blood glucose control targets, an indicator of programme effectiveness.

Diabetes EconomicsTermDiabetes Cost-Effectiveness, Diabetes HTA

The application of health economic evaluation to diabetes prevention, diagnosis, and management, spanning medication, monitoring technology, and complication prevention.

Diabetes ScreeningTermDiabetes Case-Finding, Glucose Screening

Testing conducted to identify people with undiagnosed diabetes or at high risk, typically targeting populations with known risk factors.

Diabetic NephropathyTermDiabetic Kidney Disease, DKD

A serious diabetes complication involving progressive kidney damage, potentially leading to kidney failure requiring dialysis or transplantation.

Diabetic NeuropathyTermDiabetic Nerve Damage, Diabetic Polyneuropathy

A diabetes complication involving nerve damage, most commonly in the feet and legs, risking pain, numbness, and foot ulcers.

Diabetic RetinopathyTermDiabetic Eye Disease, Retinal Diabetic Damage

A diabetes complication involving damage to the retina's blood vessels, potentially causing vision loss if not adequately monitored and treated.

Diagnosis CoverageTermDiagnosis Rate, Detection Coverage

A measure of the proportion of people with a specific condition who have actually been diagnosed, capturing the gap between prevalence and recognition.

Diagnosis Related GroupTermDRG, Inpatient Case Grouping

A patient classification system grouping hospital inpatient stays expected to need similar levels of resources, based on diagnosis and procedures.

Diagnosis-Based Risk ScoreConceptDxCG, Condition-Based Risk Score

A diagnosis-based risk score combines coded health conditions, often with demographic factors, to predict an outcome such as future healthcare spending relative to a model-specific reference.

Diagnostic AccuracyConceptTest Accuracy, Diagnostic Correctness

Diagnostic accuracy is how well a test agrees with a reference standard in detecting a target condition, usually reported as sensitivity and specificity.

Diagnostic AnalyticsTermDiagnostic Data Analysis, Analytics for Diagnosis

The application of data analysis techniques to support diagnostic decision-making, from statistical risk prediction models to machine learning algorithms trained on clinical data.

Diagnostic ModelTermDiagnosis Prediction Model, Diagnostic Classifier

A statistical or computational model predicting the presence or likelihood of a medical condition based on patient characteristics or test results.

Diagnostic SafetyTermDiagnostic Error Prevention, Safe Diagnosis

A patient safety dimension concerned specifically with preventing errors in diagnosis, such as missed, delayed, or incorrect diagnoses.

Dialysis CentreTermDialysis Unit, Renal Dialysis Facility

A specialist facility providing dialysis treatment for kidney failure patients, typically offering haemodialysis on a recurring, scheduled basis.

Dialysis EconomicsTermDialysis Cost-Effectiveness, Renal Replacement Economics

The application of health economic evaluation to dialysis for kidney failure, comparing haemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis modalities and treatment settings.

Difference-in-DifferencesConceptDiD, Diff-in-Diff

Difference-in-differences (DiD) estimates a policy's causal effect by comparing outcome changes over time in an exposed group and a comparison group.

Differential DiscountingConceptDifferential Discount Rates, Split-Rate Discounting

Differential discounting applies a lower annual discount rate to future health effects, such as QALYs, than to future costs in an economic evaluation.

Differential PricingTermPrice Differentiation, Market-Specific Pricing

A pricing strategy selling the same product at different prices in different markets, typically reflecting differences in ability to pay.

DiffusionTermInnovation Spread, Population Uptake, Technology Diffusion

The process by which a new technology, treatment, or practice spreads through use within a population or health system.

Diffusion of InnovationTermRogers Diffusion Theory, Innovation Adoption Theory

A theoretical framework describing how a new idea or practice spreads through a population over time, via distinct categories of adopters.

Digital AdherenceTermDigital Health Adherence, App Engagement Adherence

The degree to which patients engage with and consistently use a digital health technology, such as an app or monitoring device, as intended.

Digital AdoptionTermDigital Technology Adoption, Digital Uptake

The process by which a digital health technology becomes accepted and integrated into routine use by patients, clinicians, or health systems.

Digital Budget ImpactTermDigital BIA, Digital Health Budget Impact

The application of budget impact analysis to digital health technologies, such as remote monitoring platforms or software-based interventions.

Digital Cost-EffectivenessTermDigital CEA, Digital Health Cost-Effectiveness

The application of cost-effectiveness analysis to digital health interventions, such as mobile health apps or remote monitoring platforms.

Digital DivideTermDigital Access Gap, Technology Access Divide

The gap between those with access to and effective use of digital technologies and those without, often correlating with existing socioeconomic disparities.

Digital EngagementTermDigital Health Engagement, User Interaction with Digital Tools

The degree to which patients or users actively interact with and use a digital health technology, such as an app or portal.

Digital EquityTermDigital Health Equity, Fair Digital Access

The principle that all individuals should have fair and adequate access to digital technologies and the skills to use them effectively.

Digital Evidence FrameworkTermDigital Health Evidence Standard, Evidence Framework for Digital Tools

A structured methodology determining the type and quality of evidence required to evaluate a digital health technology, calibrated to its risk and complexity.