HealthJuly 10, 2026

custodian

/kʌˈstoʊdiən/

Definition

An individual or organization responsible for protecting, managing, and controlling access to sensitive or restricted data sets.

Etymology

Derived from the Latin 'custos', meaning 'guardian' or 'warden', which evolved through the Middle French 'custodien' to refer to someone entrusted with the care or custody of something valuable.

In the news

In this article, researchers noted they could not share raw hospitalization data because access must be requested from the specific data custodians who hold legal responsibility for maintaining and securing those records.

Mental health hospitalizations associated with sustained extreme heat in multiple countries

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Nature

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