The following information is applicable to data elements only.
A short or common name or designation by which the data element is known and might be identified.
Mandatory completion.
Short name should be a single unique name by which a data element can be identified. To ensure uniqueness, the name may be qualified to distinguish this data element from other similar data elements.
For example, the data element technically named Adult—body mass index (measured), ratio NN[N].N[N] is commonly referred to simply as ‘Body mass index’. This is not a sufficient short name however as there are 3 other data elements which are also commonly known by the same name (Adult—body mass index (self-reported), ratio NN[N].N[N], Child—body mass index (measured), ratio NN[N].N[N] and Child—body mass index (self-reported), ratio NN[N].N[N]). The short name for this data element must distinguish this data element from the other 3 data elements through qualification. E.g., Body mass index-adult (measured).