SNOMED CT: Coding System vs. Medical Nomenclature - A Comprehensive Overview

In order to create a standardized understanding of information, the health care industry created coding classification systems and medical nomenclatures. The systems, like SNOMED, provide easier communication, documentation and retrieval of information.

Defining SNOMED

• The Systemized Nomenclature of Medicine, or SNOMED, was first created to organize information from pathology reports. Since then, multiple versions of SNOMED have been published and include thousands of terms. The most recent version is known as SNOMED-CT, Systemized Nomenclature of Medicine-Clinical Terms.

Understanding Coding Classification Systems

• Coding classification systems group together diseases and procedures using corresponding numeric or alphanumeric codes.

Understanding Medical Nomenclatures

• Medical nomenclatures are lists of preferred medical terms within the health care industry.

Classifying SNOMED

• SNOMED is a nomenclature system of medical terms considered to be the most "comprehensive, multilingual health care terminology in the world."

Purpose of SNOMED

• SNOMED creates a standardized vocabulary within the health care industry. This assists in not only communication between clinicians, but also the ability to easily store and retrieve data within a computerized medical record.