SNOMED CT® acquired by an international standards organization

SNOMED CT® (Systemized Nomenclature of Medicine Clinical Terms) is considered to be the most comprehensive, multilingual terminology of its kind in the world.  It is a tool that allows clinical data to be electronically communicated clearly and accurately by linking multiple concepts and names with the same meanings, standardizing clinical terms that may vary (casual vs. scientific terms, variations from place to place).

In April of 2007, the intellectual rights to SNOMED CT were acquired by the International Health Terminology Standards Development Organisation (IHTSDO®), an international not-for-profit organization based in Denmark. The IHTSDO's Charter Members are organizations representing Australia, Canada, Denmark, Lithuania, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and the United States, and together they are responsible for the ongoing maintenance, development, quality assurance, and distribution of SNOMED CT®.

Common standards in terminology across Canada are essential for developing electronic health records (EHRs); this development promises standards in terminology across the globe!  Says Prof. Martin Severs of the IHTSDO, “Making SNOMED CT available this way is an example of how global health cooperation can benefit health systems, services, and products around the world.”

Canada is represented in the IHTSDO by Canada Health Infoway.  CHI's president Richard Alvarez calls this a "first step forward ensuring the sustainability of a standard that will provide long term benefits to the establishment of an interoperable pan-Canadian EHR."

Links:

IHTSDO press release-- Copenhagen, Denmark:

Ownership of SNOMED CT® transferred to new international organisation

Canada Health Infoway article-- Toronto, Canada:

Canada's EHR initialtives to benefit from SNOMED CT terminology standard