SNOMED CT and the Integrated Problem List: A Nursing Perspective

This discussion post focuses on SNOMED CT (Systematized Nomenclature of Medicine - Clinical Terms) and its role in enhancing healthcare interoperability. It highlights the benefits of standardized terminology for exchanging reliable clinical information between healthcare providers. The discussion em...Read More

Running head: DISCUSSION
SNOMED CT
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

1DISCUSSION
SNOMED CT refers to the ‘Systematized Nomenclature of Medicine -- Clinical
Terms’ and is commonly defined as a multilingual, standardized vocabulary that
encompasses clinical terminology (Cornet, Nyström & Karlsson, 2013). This is most often
used by healthcare providers and physicians for electronically exchanging relevant clinical
health information.
Standardized data that can be accessed from any location will directly benefit nursing
practice by increasing communication between physicians and service users who are located
at remote places. One major aspect of SNOMED CT is the use of electronic health records
that will increase the availability of relevant clinical information and will also facilitate
storage of information in a way that supports their easy retrieval (Ftp.ihs.gov, 2018). Another
benefit is related to the fat that the technique will provide a real time decision making
support and also facilitate the easy recognition of emerging health problems, thus monitoring
the health of the target population (Gøeg et al., 2014).
SNOMED CT is also beneficial in the respect that it has the potential of directly
reducing the costs of duplicative and inappropriate diagnostic tests and treatment.
Digitalizing the entire health information that pertains to all patients will allow the healthcare
providers to reduce costly errors by enabling consultations and review of the past medical
history. This in turn will increase the quality and the cost-effectiveness of the care that is
provided to the patient population, regardless of their location (Lee et al., 2013). Furthermore,
supporting the process of sharing information with all key stakeholders who are involved in
delivering appropriate care services to the patients will foster comprehensive and accurate
identification of patient health status, thus safeguarding their safety.
Owing to the fact that SNOMED CT encompasses multilingual terminology, the built-
in framework will effectively manage different dialects and language of the people who are

2DISCUSSION
using the service. Availability of the program in different languages such as, UK English, US
English, Danish, Spanish, and Swedish, besides other translations will provide accurate
description of the major concepts. IPL will also enhance nursing care plan by providing
assistance in the development of therapeutic treatment goals, enhancing communication,
displaying clinical summaries, and documenting follow-up instructions (Office of the
National Coordinator for Health IT, 2013).
To conclude, the major attribute of IPL is the ability of different systems to exchange
pertinent health information and use them for the benefit of the population. Adoption and
optimization of SNOMED CT will facilitate the process of evidence based healthcare
decisions.

3DISCUSSION
References
Ftp.ihs.gov. (2018). SNOMED CT® and the Integrated. Problem List (IPL) FAQ's.
Retrieved from
ftp://ftp.ihs.gov/pubs/EHR/MU_2014%20Presentations/SNOMEDCTandIPL_FAQs.p
df
Gøeg, K. R., Chen, R., Højen, A. R., & Elberg, P. (2014). Content analysis of physical
examination templates in electronic health records using SNOMED CT. International
journal of medical informatics, 83(10), 736-749.
Lee, D., de Keizer, N., Lau, F., & Cornet, R. (2013). Literature review of SNOMED CT
use. Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association, 21(e1), e11-e19.
Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT. (2013). The Path To
Interoperability. Retrieved from
https://www.healthit.gov/sites/default/files/onc_interoperabilityfactsheet.pdf.