Studio glossary
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The following Studio-specific terms are used throughout this documentation. Refer back to this glossary whenever you encounter an unfamiliar term.
Many items on the list provide links to documentation sections, articles, and core reference materials, offering deeper insights into the concepts and practical applications of the associated keyword.
ADL (Archetype Definition Language)
The formal language used to write openEHR archetypes. ADL defines the structure, data types, constraints, and terminology bindings for a clinical concept. Archetypes authored in ADL are exchanged and published via the Clinical Knowledge Manager (CKM). Studio users do not write ADL directly; it is used by clinical knowledge engineers.
API connector
An API connector in Better Studio is a project-level configuration object that defines how Studio connects to an external API in order to retrieve, send, or exchange data with systems outside the form itself. API connectors include the base URL, authentication, shared headers, shared parameters, and one or more API endpoint calls.
AQL (Archetype Query Language)
The query language used to retrieve and analyse data stored in openEHR-compliant EHR servers. AQL is similar in structure to SQL but is specifically designed to work with the hierarchical, archetype-based structure of openEHR data. It is used in Better Studio's AQL builder.
AQL view
A complete, tested AQL query saved to the EHR Server and exposed as a named API endpoint. Views are the bridge between the AQL builder and Form builder: Data connectors in forms call views by name to retrieve structured clinical data. Views can accept parameters and are updated without redeploying the application that calls them.
Archetype
A reusable, standardised clinical concept definition — for example, "Blood Pressure" or "Body Weight". Archetypes define what data can be collected and how it is structured. They are maintained in clinical knowledge repositories such as the Clinical Knowledge Manager (CKM).
Archetype designer
A web-based clinical modelling tool provided by Better, accessible as an external tool within Studio. It is used to browse archetypes, build and constrain templates, and export OPT files for import into Studio projects. The Archetype Designer is part of the Better Platform ecosystem, not part of Studio itself.
Better Design System
Better's internal design system used to ensure visual and interaction consistency across all Better products, including Studio.
Better Hive
Better's free online learning platform. It hosts onboarding courses, video tutorials, and community forums for Studio users. Several documentation pages link to specific courses on Better Hive for deeper learning on topics such as openEHR, AQL, and Studio basics.
Better Studio
Better Studio is an AI-enabled low-code platform, purpose-built for healthcare. It enables teams to design, test, and deploy clinical applications, forms, summaries, dashboards, and data views quickly and safely. Built on open standards like openEHR and FHIR, Studio ensures interoperability and compliance from the start.
Better Platform
The underlying clinical infrastructure on which Better Studio is built. Better Platform includes the EHR Server (openEHR CDR), terminology services, the Archetype Designer, and supporting APIs. Studio communicates with Better Platform to store and retrieve forms, templates, and compositions.
Better Portal
The clinical end-user portal built on top of Better Platform. It provides a ready-to-use interface for clinicians and healthcare professionals to manage patients, complete assessments, and review clinical data using the forms and data structures built in Better Studio. Better Portal uses Form renderer internally to display Studio forms.
Bundle
A packaged collection of Studio assets, such as forms, templates, or views, that can be uploaded to or installed from the Marketplace.
CKM (Clinical Knowledge Manager)
The global public repository maintained by the openEHR community where archetypes and templates are authored, reviewed, and published. Better provides its own Archetype Designer as an external tool within Studio for browsing and building templates. The openEHR CKM is available at ckm.openehr.org.
CDR (Clinical Data Repository)
The server-side store for openEHR-structured patient data. When a user submits a form built in Studio, the resulting composition is stored in the CDR connected to the project's EHR Server. Studio reads from and writes to the CDR using the EHR Server REST API.
Composition
In openEHR, a composition is a document that contains clinical data recorded at a specific point in time. When a user submits a form built in Studio, the data is stored as a composition on the EHR server.
Data connectors
A form-level connector that executes API calls or AQL views. It connects Better Studio to an external data source or API, allowing data to be pulled into or pushed out of forms dynamically.
Dependency
A rule in Form builder that controls the behaviour of one field based on the value of another — for example, showing a follow-up question only if a specific answer is selected.
DocGPT
The AI-powered documentation assistant built into the Studio documentation. Users can ask DocGPT questions in natural language and it searches across the documentation to return relevant answers. DocGPT is accessible via a button in the documentation header.
EHR (Electronic Health Record)
A digital record of a patient's health information. Better Studio connects to openEHR-compliant EHR servers to store and retrieve clinical data.
EHR server
The server that stores openEHR-structured patient data. Better Studio communicates with an EHR server to save form submissions (compositions) and retrieve existing data.
Expression
A formula or logical condition used in Form builder to calculate values, show or hide fields, validate inputs, or define dependencies. Expressions use a built-in syntax supported by the Expression assistant.
Form
A digital clinical data entry interface built using Better Studio's Form builder. Forms can be based on openEHR archetypes and templates, as well as generic components, and can be rendered in external applications using the Form renderer.
Form renderer
A framework-agnostic JavaScript library that allows you to embed and render Better Studio forms within your own web application, whether built with Angular, React, Vue, or plain JavaScript.
Generic field or element
A form field or element that is not tied to a specific openEHR archetype — for example, a text label, an image, or a layout divider. Generic fields or elements add structure and supporting content to a form without storing clinical data.
Internal variable
A named slot defined within a single form that holds a value during the form session. Internal variables are not stored in the CDR on submission. They are used to hold calculated values, temporary flags, or values that need to pass between pages within a multi-page form.
Marketplace
The built-in library of shareable Studio assets, including widgets, forms, summaries, templates, and views, that can be installed into your project or uploaded for others to use.
Multiplicity
In openEHR, multiplicity defines how many times a data element or container can appear within a composition. A field with a minimum multiplicity of 1 is required; one with a maximum greater than 1 can repeat. In Form builder, repeating containers (for example, a list of medication entries) use multiplicity to allow multiple instances of the same data structure.
ODR (Operational Data Repository)
The server-side store for FHIR-structured data. Better Platform supports both an openEHR CDR and a FHIR ODR. Studio forms can connect to the ODR for FHIR-based integrations such as patient demographics.
openEHR
An open standard for electronic health records that defines how clinical data should be structured, stored, and shared. Better Studio is built on the openEHR standard. Learn more at openehr.org.
OPT (Operational Template)
The file format used to export and import openEHR templates. An OPT file packages the full template structure, including the archetypes it constrains, into a single exchangeable file. OPT files are exported from the Archetype Designer and imported into Studio projects.
Post-response script
An optional JavaScript script attached to a data connector that runs after the API call returns. Used to reshape or transform the response before it is passed to the form.
Pre-request script
An optional JavaScript script attached to a data connector that runs before the API call is made. Used to prepare data the call depends on, such as retrieving an authentication token and setting it as a request header.
Resource server
An optional separate server in a Better Platform deployment that stores non-clinical resources: forms, global variables, images, and other files. If no resource server URL is provided when configuring a project, Studio uses the EHR Server URL for these requests.
Script / Script API
A set of JavaScript-based APIs available in Better Studio that allow advanced users to write custom logic directly within forms — for example, to manipulate field values, trigger actions, or interact with external services programmatically.
Static variable
A read-only variable calculated automatically by the Form renderer library at runtime and available in every form. Examples include the current date and time, the form name and version, and whether the form has been pre-filled with existing composition data. Static variables cannot be added, removed, or modified by form authors.
Studio project
A top-level primary workspace in Better Studio. A project connects you to a specific EHR server and contains all the forms, summaries, templates, AQL queries, APIs, views, variables, configurations, and settings for a specific clinical initiative or organisation. Studio requires one project per EHR server.
Summary
A customisable view that displays calculated or aggregated values from the form's data — for example, a risk score or a clinical assessment result. It can live as a stand-alone resource or within a form.
Template
In the openEHR context, a template is a clinical specification that combines one or more archetypes into a structured form for a specific clinical use case. Templates define the structure of the data that will be collected and stored.
Variable (external variable)
A dynamic value that can be defined in Studio content sections and referenced across multiple forms. Variables allow consistent data, such as a server URL or a shared configuration value, to be managed in one place
Widget
A reusable, configurable UI component in Form builder. Widgets range from simple text fields and dropdowns to complex visual elements like charts or canvas tools. Advanced users can build custom widgets.