Mapping Legacy Terminology to SNOMED CT
Author Information
Author(s): Wade Geraldine, Rosenbloom S Trent
Primary Institution: Vanderbilt University
Hypothesis
How can legacy interface terminology be effectively mapped to the SNOMED CT standard?
Conclusion
The methodology and lessons learned from this mapping exercise may assist other terminologists in migrating their legacy terminology to SNOMED CT.
Supporting Evidence
- 2002 legacy interface terms were evaluated for mapping.
- 1510 concepts were rated as having semantically equivalent matches.
- Mapping involved collaboration between two terminologists over several iterations.
Takeaway
This study shows how to change old medical terms into a new standard so that different health systems can understand each other better.
Methodology
The study involved extracting legacy terms, establishing mapping rules, and iteratively validating the mappings between legacy and SNOMED CT concepts.
Potential Biases
Differences in semantic interpretation between terminologists could introduce bias.
Limitations
The initial lack of clinical context for legacy concepts led to some mapping errors.
Participant Demographics
Terminologists from Vanderbilt University Medical Center and Hewlett-Packard Company.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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