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Methods Inf Med 2001; 40(04): 298-306
DOI: 10.1055/s-0038-1634425
Original Article
Schattauer GmbH

Terminology Tools: State of the Art and Practical Lessons

J. J. Cimino
1   Department of Medical Informatics, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
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Further Information

Publication History

Received 19 March 2001

Accepted 21 May 2001

Publication Date:
08 February 2018 (online)

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Summary

Objectives: As controlled medical terminologies evolve from simple code-name-hierarchy arrangements, into rich, knowledge-based ontologies of medical concepts, increased demands are placed on both the developers and users of the terminologies. In response, researchers have begun developing tools to address their needs. The aims of this article are to review previous work done to develop these tools and then to describe work done at Columbia University and New York Presbyterian Hospital (NYPH).

Methods: Researchers working with the Systematized Nomenclature of Medicine (SNOMED), the Unified Medical Language System (UMLS), and NYPH’s Medical Entities Dictionary (MED) have created a wide variety of terminology browsers, editors and servers to facilitate creation, maintenance and use of these terminologies.

Results: Although much work has been done, no generally available tools have yet emerged. Consensus on requirement for tool functions, especially terminology servers is emerging. Tools at NYPH have been used successfully to support the integration of clinical applications and the merger of health care institutions.

Conclusions: Significant advancement has occurred over the past fifteen years in the development of sophisticated controlled terminologies and the tools to support them. The tool set at NYPH provides a case study to demonstrate one feasible architecture.

Keywords

Terminology - Vocabulary - Semantics - Hospital Information Systems

* This paper was originally presented at the International Medical Informatics Association Working Group 6 meeting, in 1999. It has been modified to reflect changes since that time in the field at large and at the New York Presbyterian Hospital.


 

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