General guidance

Digital Social Care Records (DSRC) Data Standards are organised into Data Classes. Data Classes contain one or more Data Elements and/or child Data Classes. Data Elements contain a Data Type which specifies the input value of the element e.g. varchar or datetime.

The definitions, including rules and constraints for valid values for all Data Classes, Data Elements and Data Types are defined using the following metamodels:

Data Class

1. Name: the name of the data class

2. Description: a description of the data class

3. Cardinality: the number of times a data class can occur

4. Data Elements: data elements contained with the class

5. Relationships: related data classes or elements (which may reside in another standard)

6. Child Classes: data classes contained within the class

7. Metadata: any additional metadata associated with the data class

8. Level: Could, Should, Must

Open

Example of a Data Class

Data Element

1. Name: the name of the data element

2. Description: a description of the data class

3. Data type: this specifies the input value of the element e.g. varchar or datetime.

4. Metadata: any additional metadata associated with the data element

5. Cardinality: the number of times a data element can occur

6. Level: Could, Should, Must

7. Relationships: related data classes or elements (which may reside in another standard), including child/parent relationships

 

Open

 

Data Type

1. Name: the name of the data type

2. Description: a description of the data type (if applicable/available)

3. Type

   1. Simple - e.g. varchar, string, integer

   2. Enumerated - a list of possible values

   3. Reference - reference to another data type/element

4. Relationships: to other data types or data element (if applicable)
   
   

Examples of each type of Data Type can be found below: