Definition....
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Ancestor | Any Concept that Any Concept that is located anywhere “above” a designated Concept in a Hierarchydesignated Concept in a Hierarchy. Compare to Descendantto Descendant. See also Generalizationalso Generalization, Parent Parent, and Superconceptand Superconcept. Example: In SNOMED CT, cardiovascular disease is an Ancestor of myocardial cardiovascular disease is an Ancestor of myocardial infarction. |
| Attribute | A general term used to describe any functional or descriptive data element associated with an element in a Terminology. |
| Authority | The organization responsible for the creation and/or maintenance of a Sourcea Source Vocabulary. Example Example: The International Health Terminology Standards Development organization (IHTSDO) is the Authority responsible the Authority responsible for SNOMED CT. |
| Child | Any Concept that is located immediately “below” a designated Concept designated Concept in a Hierarchy. Compare to Parentto Parent. See also Generalization, Descendant and Subconceptalso Generalization, Descendant and Subconcept. Example: In SNOMED CT, myocardial infarction is a Child of myocardial myocardial infarction is a Child of myocardial disease. |
| Classification | The Description Logic process by which Concepts are The Description Logic process by which Concepts are compared and structured into Hierarchiesinto Hierarchies. |
| Code | An identifier by which a Concept is a Concept is known, or named, usually for computer processing. A Concept will A Concept will typically have only one Codeone Code. Example: the SNOMED CT Code for myocardial infarction is CT Code for myocardial infarction is 22298006. |
| Code Set | A list of Terms and their related Codes of Terms and their related Codes (machine readable identifiers) that have gained acceptance in a healthcare domain [Gartner]. Usually has an associated Authority for associated Authority for creation and maintenance. See Vocabulary and Value See Vocabulary and Value Set. Example: The AMA’s CPT is a Code a Code Set. |
| Code System | A managed collection of Concepts and and their associated Attributes [HL7]. See also Code Set, Ontology, Terminology and and Vocabulary. Example: ICD-9-CM, LOINC, SNOMED CT. |
| Coordination/Composition | The process of creating a Concept by a Concept by combining other (more elemental) Concepts Concepts. Some terminologies,, e.g., SNOMED CT, may have specific rules under which coordination/composition may be applied. See also Pre-coordination and Postalso Pre-coordination and Post-coordination. |
| Concept | A unit of thought or meaning. A Concept represents A Concept represents the single meaning that encompasses the Terms used the Terms used to express the meaning. Concepts are Concepts are the base unit of representation in terminology Source terminology Source Vocabularies. |
| Controlled Medical Vocabulary (CMV) | A standard Code Set and standard Code Set and an associated Semantic Network that represents the information within a major domain of medicine. [Gartner] See Structured See Structured Terminology. |
| Descendant | Any Concept that Any Concept that is located anywhere “below” a designated Concept in a Hierarchydesignated Concept in a Hierarchy. Compare to Ancestorto Ancestor. See also Generalization, Child and Subconceptalso Generalization, Child and Subconcept. Example: In SNOMED CT, myocardial infarction is a Descendant of cardiovascular myocardial infarction is a Descendant of cardiovascular disease. |
| Description Logic | A formal, mathematical knowledge representation language used to create descriptions within a Structured a Structured Terminology. Description Logic also Description Logic also provides inference mechanisms and algorithms for efficient Classificationefficient Classification, retrieval, and comparisons of Conceptsof Concepts. |
| Exchange Terminology | A local organization is using a canonical terminology to map between interface and reference terminologies; working terminology used by an organization to exchange information; an Exchange Terminology may or may not be a Reference Terminology. |
| Extensional Definition | A methodology of specifying members of a Value Set a Value Set (or other composite structure) by enumerating each of the structure’s members. See also Intensional also Intensional Definition. Example: myocardial infarction + heart myocardial infarction + heart failure. |
| Generalization | A structural methodology by which concepts are arranged in hierarchies (trees) based on class or type characteristics (also known as “Is-A” relationships). Example: hepatitis is-a liver hepatitis is-a liver disease. |
| Hierarchy | A tree-like structure that groups Concepts according to Relationships. Hierarchies are found in Taxonomies, Terminologies, and Structured Terminologies. Hierarchies are to Relationships. Hierarchies are found in Taxonomies, Terminologies, and Structured Terminologies. Hierarchies are generally thought of as “growing” down. Thus, Parents and Ancestors are Parents and Ancestors are typically spoken of as being located “above” their corresponding Children or Descendants. A Polyhierachy is a Hierarchy in which a Concept is corresponding Children or Descendants. A Polyhierachy is a Hierarchy in which a Concept is allowed to have more than one Parentone Parent. SNOMED CT is a Polyhierarchya Polyhierarchy. |
| Hierarchical Relationship | A Relationship that A Relationship that serves as the basis for arranging Concepts into a Hierarchyarranging Concepts into a Hierarchy. |
| Inheritance | The process by which attributes of one Concept are one Concept are associated with that Concept’s subordinate that Concept’s subordinate (descendant/child) Concepts Concepts. |
| Intensional Definition | A methodology of specifying members of a Value Set a Value Set (or other composite structure) by defining an algorithm which, when executed, yields the structure’s members. See also Extensional also Extensional Definition. Example: all the Children of myocardial of myocardial infarction. |
| Interface Terminology | An Interface Terminology is a terminology, or simply a set of Terms, used by a clinical application to describe a domain of knowledge. These are terms or phrases which users want to see in the application. AKA “source terminology”. These may include unique codes and descriptions, or just be terms. Interface terminologies can be used to present “surface” lexical forms to an end-user application such as an EHR, and may be the form exported in data exchange messages. An Interface Terminology may support “mappings” or relationships to Reference Terminologies. |
| Mapping | A type of Relationship that connects Concepts in two different Source of Relationship that connects Concepts in two different Source Vocabularies. Usually designates some type of “equivalence” or computationally useful correspondence: a Mapping from an Interface Terminology to a Reference Terminology can facilitate Subsumption Queries for a Mapping from an Interface Terminology to a Reference Terminology can facilitate Subsumption Queries for Decision Support and Analytics. Example: In SNOMED CT, Anemia maps to 285 Anemia maps to 285.9 – Anemia, unspecified in unspecified in ICD-9-CM. |
| Modeler | A knowledge worker who participates in the creation and maintenance of a Terminologya Terminology. |
| Ontology | An explicit, formal specification of Concepts and of Concepts and other entities within a domain, and the Relationships among the Relationships among them. Also known as Structured as Structured Terminology. |
| Parent | Any Concept that Any Concept that is located immediately “above” a designated Concept in a Hierarchydesignated Concept in a Hierarchy. Compare to Childto Child. See Generalization, Ancestor and SuperconceptSee Generalization, Ancestor and Superconcept. Example: myocardial disease is a Parent of myocardial myocardial disease is a Parent of myocardial infarction. |
| Partonomy | That Relationship That Relationship (or Roleor Role) that designates one Concept is one Concept is physically included in or “part-of” another Conceptanother Concept, e.g., the Mitral Value isthe Mitral Value is-part-of the Heartthe Heart. May also refer to the Hierarchy resulting from Partonomy Relationshipsthe Hierarchy resulting from Partonomy Relationships. |
| Post-coordination | The creation of a new Concept new Concept outside of a Terminology by a Terminology by bringing together two or more existing Concepts from that Terminologyexisting Concepts from that Terminology. |
| Pre-coordination | The creation of a new Concept within a Terminology by new Concept within a Terminology by bringing together two or more existing Concepts from that Terminologyexisting Concepts from that Terminology. |
| Reference Terminology | A Reference Terminology is a formal terminology Terminology, usually created and maintained by a sanctioned Standards Development Organization (SDO), that can be used as the basis for semantic interoperability Semantic Interoperability of information drawn from different data source systems. Each element in the terminology Terminology usually includes a unique identifier (AKA Code) and a textual description (AKA Name). It may be concept-based (usually) or lexical-based. It may include relationships Relationships between reference terms such as a hierarchy Hierarchy. |
| Relationship | A named connection or correspondence (an Attribute) between Concepts or Termsan Attribute) between Concepts or Terms. |
| Role | [IHTSDO ] An Attribute defines defines a formal Description Logic RelationshipLogic Relationship between two Concepts. Roles are are used in Classification. Example: in SNOMED CT, the Role “Finding “Finding site” connects Myocardial infarction with Myocardium structure. |
| Root (Concept) | A Concept in a Source Vocabulary that has no ParentA Concept in a Source Vocabulary that has no Parent. |
| Semantic Interoperability | A level of data interoperability that supports comparability and understanding by the “meaning”, not just the format, of messages and data. |
| Semantic Network | A set of Concepts and of Concepts and a defined set of named Relationships designed named Relationships designed to express the known or relevant interrelationships between Concepts in between Concepts in a domain of knowledge (or Structured or Structured Terminology). |
| Source Vocabulary | A set of Concepts all of Concepts all relating to a specific body of knowledge; informally, the name of the set of Concepts or the Authority for of Concepts or the Authority for that set. Example: ICD-9-CM. |
| Structured Terminology | A Terminology based A Terminology based on well-defined, formal characteristics that consists of Conceptsof Concepts, Attributes, and a rich set of Relationshipsof Relationships, aka an Ontologyan Ontology. Example: SNOMED CT. |
| Subconcept | A Child Concept |
| Superconcept | A Parent Concept |
| Subsumption | The relationship between a Superconcept and its Subconceptsa Superconcept and its Subconcepts. Typically, a Superconcept is a Superconcept is said to subsume a Subconcept a Subconcept, while a Subconcept is said to have an “Is-A” relationship to its Superconceptits Superconcept(s). Subsumption is frequently used in decision support and analytics applications: acetaminophen is acetaminophen is subsumed by (is an example of) an analgesican analgesic. |
| Subsumption Query | A terminology Terminology query which tests or queries the Subsumption relationship the Subsumption relationship between Concepts: Is acetaminophen an analgesicIs acetaminophen an analgesic? What are the descendants of analgesicof analgesic? |
| Synonym | A Term by which a Concept is A Term by which a Concept is known, or named, usually for people. A Concept will A Concept will often have multiple Synonymsmultiple Synonyms. Example: Synonyms of Myocardial infarction include Synonyms of Myocardial infarction include “MI”, “heart attack”, and “infarction of the myocardium”. |
| Taxonomy | A Terminology that consists of Concepts placed in a Hierarchy of Generalization Relationships A Terminology that consists of Concepts placed in a Hierarchy of Generalization Relationships (aka, Generalization Hierarchy). Example: ICD-9-CM. |
| Term | A word or phrase used to refer to a Concepta Concept. Sometimes used as an alternative to Synonym. A Concept will to Synonym. A Concept will often have multiple Terms associated multiple Terms associated with it, and a Terma Term, for example “cold”, can be associated with multiple Concepts. Terms are multiple Concepts. Terms are called Descriptors in SNOMED CT. |
| Terminology | A Source VocabularySource Vocabulary that consists of a set of Concepts and and Attributes. |
| Terminology Knowledgebase | A database of terminology information consisting of one or more Source Vocabularies in more Source Vocabularies in a consistent structure. |
| Terminology Services | A Terminology Service is a networked component of an HIE that centralizes terminology knowledge (e.g. interface and reference terminologies, mappings, etc.) for the HIE and provides terminology services to other HIE applications. |
| Value Set | A set of Concepts used of Concepts used to constrain permissible terminology content for a particular use [HL7]. Value Set Concepts may Value Set Concepts may be drawn from multiple Code multiple Code Systems. See Extensional See Extensional Definition, Intensional Intensional Definition. Example: HL7’s Value Set for HL7’s Value Set for Gender |
| Vocabulary | A Source Vocabulary that A Source Vocabulary that consists of a set of (non-interrelated) Concepts or Terms Concepts or Terms. |