What term is used to describe the properties of a system's components?

The correct answer, attributes, refers specifically to the properties or distinguishing features of a system's components. In the context of health informatics, attributes can denote various aspects such as the functionality, quality, or specifications of components used within information systems. Understanding these attributes is essential when analyzing how each component interacts within the system, which can affect overall performance, efficiency, and the delivery of healthcare services.

While characteristics, features, and policies can also describe aspects of a system, they do so in broader or more specific contexts. Characteristics often refer to inherent traits or qualities but may not encapsulate the specific measurable properties that attributes imply. Features typically denote the functions or systems' capabilities, which could be considered less focused than a direct description of specific properties. Policies relate to the rules or guidelines governing the system's operation rather than the physical or functional properties of its components. Thus, attributes serve as the most precise term for describing the properties of a system's components in this context.