PopulationCharacteristic
A demographic or clinical characteristic used to define population criteria (non-numeric traits like age groups, gender, conditions).
Properties
Properties from PopulationCharacteristic (in addition to properties inherited from Intangible and Thing):
| Property | Expected Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| characteristic | Text | The characteristic (e.g., "Female gender", "Postmenopausal status", "BMI > 35") |
| operator | Text | "AND" or "OR" for combining with other criteria |
| rationale | Text | Why this characteristic matters clinically |
Examples
Example 1: Age-Based Characteristic
JSON-LD
{
"@context": [
"https://schema.org",
{
"hs": "https://healthschema.org/",
"PopulationCharacteristic": "hs:PopulationCharacteristic"
}
],
"@type": "PopulationCharacteristic",
"characteristic": "Age 50 or older",
"operator": "OR",
"rationale": "Risk increases significantly with age, qualifying for screening"
}Example 2: Clinical Status Characteristic
JSON-LD
{
"@context": [
"https://schema.org",
{
"hs": "https://healthschema.org/",
"PopulationCharacteristic": "hs:PopulationCharacteristic"
}
],
"@type": "PopulationCharacteristic",
"characteristic": "Female gender and perimenopausal or postmenopausal status",
"operator": "OR",
"rationale": "Hormonal changes during menopause compound metabolic stress on hair follicles, significantly increasing susceptibility to telogen effluvium during rapid weight loss"
}Usage Notes
Use PopulationCharacteristic for non-numeric traits. For laboratory values or numeric thresholds, use LabValueCriterion instead.
Best Practices
- Be specific — Clearly define the characteristic
- Include rationale — Explain clinical relevance
- Use appropriate operator — Indicate how this combines with other criteria