Abstract
This paper presents a psychological perspective on key issues related to medical vocabularies.
There have been rapid advances in the development of computer technology underlying
medical information systems. However, in keeping with technological progress, we must
also take into account advances in our understanding of human behaviour and learn
frOm failures in human performance. A central issue examined in this paper is the
extent to which we can develop generic vocabularies that are also flexible and adaptable
to specific situations. Empirical research indicates that variability in human performance
is much greater than what current medical classifications take into account. A related
challenge is that of how to best develop vocabularies that meet the needs of users.
Based on theoretical perspectives and research emerging from the domain of cognitive
psychology, we suggest that an understanding of the cognitive mechanisms underlying
the comprehension and application of terminology is required. It is argued that rather
than beginning with highly specified terminologies, i.e. the normative approach, we
might instead begin by examining the natural context of how health care workers acquire,
understand and negotiate knowledge in practice.
Keywords
Medical Vocabularies - Cognition - Knowledge Representation - Cognitive Evaluation