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ItemsHierarchy/TopicEARLY VISIBILITY OF PROPOSED CONTENT CHANGES

Planned Release timing

(*this is provisional only and is subject to change)

1.Procedure

Update Hierarchy 363680008|Radiographic imaging Procedure (procedure)|and Descendants

A Briefing Note documenting the proposed changes for the hierarchy 363680008|Radiographic imaging procedure (procedure)| and descendants was shared with the Editorial Advisory Group, Clinical Leads Group, Member Forum, Content Managers Advisory Group, and other key stakeholders in July 2023.

Feedback was received from a wide range of stakeholders. In response to this feedback, the proposed changes to the hierarchy have been modified. These modifications will address issues raised in the feedback.

This Informational Briefing Note summarizes the changes that will be implemented.

Implementation of the content changes will commence in Q4 2023. The updates will be implemented in sub-hierarchies and promoted over a number of international monthly releases until complete.

Ongoing in phases across 2024 Expected completion Q1 2025 International Releases

Please see 28367004|Cholangiography (procedure)| below (item 16)


2.Content Improvement

Updates to the Inactivation Reason and Historical Association for 'On Examination' and 'Complaining of' Inactive Content

Many of the 'on examination' and 'complaining of' concepts were previously inactivated with the inactivation reason of |Moved elsewhere| with a historical association value |Extension Namespace 1000000|.

This content will be updated with an inactivation reason of |Non-conformance to editorial policy| and a historical association of |Alternative| to a suitable international concept. 

Q4 2024 Q1 2025 International Release
3.Clinical Finding/Procedure

Patient/Subject concepts in the Clinical finding and Procedure Hierarchies

Concepts in the Clinical finding and Procedure hierarchies that contain the explicit context of patient or subject will be inactivated and replaced with concepts without this explicit context. For further information please see briefing note.

On hold - to be determined
4.Clinical Finding

Inactivation of Complication Disorder Concepts (371 concepts)

The inactivation of concepts that reference “complication” without specifying the nature of the complication is planned. 

The primitive “Complication (disorder)” grouper was inactivated in 2022 due to a lack of consistency or definition of what would properly be assigned as a subtype.

The concepts will be inactivated with inactivation reason “Classification derived concept” and replacement by the parent concept. 

For further information please see this briefing note. 

Beginning June 2024 International Release and then subsequent releases until complete
5.

Procedure

Angioplasty procedures

In response to several enquiries from members about the apparent duplication of concepts and descriptions for procedures representing 'Percutaneous transluminal angioplasty' an analysis of the content in this area is underway. It is expected to result in inactivation of duplicates, updates to the descriptions of published concepts and remodeling to represent the imaging guidance aspect where appropriate.

After the analysis of the impact has been completed, a Briefing Note will be dispatched to provide details of the changes. Examples of potential duplication:

  • 3261007| Angioplasty of subclavian artery (procedure)
  • 418738003 | Fluoroscopic angioplasty of subclavian artery (procedure)
  • 175454003| Percutaneous angioplasty of subclavian artery (procedure)
  • 431485005 Percutaneous transluminal angioplasty of subclavian artery using fluoroscopic guidance (procedure) - correct term.

Review 1263452006 |Anesthesia and/or sedation procedure (procedure)|

A review of the 1263452006 |Anesthesia and/or sedation procedure (procedure)| hierarchy is in progress, the focus is on:

  • Inactivation of Classification derived components.
  • Review of the current model and possible addition of 363703001 |Has intent (attribute)| to the model.
  • Review of current classification of groupers.
Under review - expected completion by Q3 2025 Q4 2024 International Release
6.

Procedure

Review 1263452006 |Anesthesia and/or sedation procedure 48537004 |Bypass graft (procedure)| 

A review of the 1263452006 |Anesthesia and/or sedation procedure 48537004 |Bypass graft (procedure)| hierarchy is in progress, the focus is on:

  • Improving consistency of descriptions.
  • Improving definitions for different types of concepts in the hierarchy (bypass vs shunt)
  • Correct use of the term “graft” within the descriptions.
  • Correct modeling of 260686004 |Method
  • Inactivation of Classification derived components.
  • Review of the current model and possible addition of 363703001 |Has intent (attribute)| to in the modelhierarchy.
  • Review of current classification of groupers.
Under review - expected completion by Q3 2025 International Release7.

Procedure

Review 48537004 |Bypass graft (procedure)| 

A review of the 48537004 |Bypass graft (procedure)| hierarchy is in progress, the focus is on:

  • Improving consistency of descriptions.
  • Improving definitions for different types of concepts in the hierarchy (bypass vs shunt)
  • Correct use of the term “graft” within the descriptions.
  • Correct modeling of the need for 360021005 |Bypass - action (qualifier value)| and 424208002 |Shunt - action (qualifier value)|in the model and testing of 245854003 |Proximal anastomosis (qualifier value)| and 245855002 |Distal anastomosis (qualifier value)| as new 260686004 |Method (attribute)| values in the hierarchy.
  • Review of the need for 360021005 |Bypass for a consistent and appropriate usage of 425362007 |Surgical insertion - action (qualifier value)|and 424208002 129407005 |Shunt Grafting - action (qualifier value) | in the model and testing of 245854003 |Proximal anastomosis .
  • Review for re-classification of 129376004 |Construction - action (qualifier value)| and 245855002 |Distal anastomosis (qualifier value)| as new 260686004 |Method (attribute)| values in the hierarchy.Review for a consistent and appropriate usage of 425362007 |Surgical insertion - a direct subtype of 129284003 |Surgical action (qualifier value)|and 129407005 |Grafting - action (qualifier value) in the model.
  • Review for re-classification of 129376004 |Construction - action (qualifier value)| as a direct subtype of 129284003 |Surgical action (qualifier value)|.
  • .
  • Given the complexity of some Given the complexity of some concepts in the hierarchy, potential duplicate, erroneous, or outdated concepts will be identified.
Under review - expected completion by Q2 2025 International Release
87.

MRCM Change

Update to Procedure Content

MRCM change to Review Use of 424876005 | Surgical approach (attribute)A review to generalize 424876005 |Surgical

This change will be implemented in 3 phases:

  • Phase 1: Move 116688005 |Procedure approach (attribute)|
to allow non-surgical procedures to be modeled with a subtype of <<103379005 |Procedural approach (qualifier value)| is in progress. 
  • This issue is under review by the Editorial Advisory Group.
  • Currently, from the 408739003 |Unapproved attribute (attribute)| hierarchy to the 762705008 |Concept model object attribute (attribute)|. Make 424876005 |Surgical approach (attribute)| is restricted to subtypes of 387713003 |Surgical procedure (procedure)|.  However, the values represented by the 103379005 |Procedural approach (qualifier value)| subhierarchy are applicable to concepts that are not subtypes of Surgical procedure and could potentially be used to define "non-surgical" procedure concepts.The impact of MRCM rule for a subtype of 116688005 |Procedure approach (attribute)|. Identify and address Surgical procedures currently modeled with 424876005 |Surgical approach (attribute)| and batch change to model using 116688005 |Procedure approach (attribute)| with domain constraint:  << 71388002 |Procedure (procedure)| and range constraint:  << 103379005 |Procedural approach (qualifier value) is under review. This change would allow Non-surgical procedures to be modeled with a generic Procedure approach attribute.
Expected completion by Q2 2025 International Release
  • . Planned release time: April 2025.
  • Phase 2: Inactivation of surgical approach attribute and changes to MRCM rules. Planned release time: Q2 2025.
  • Phase 3: Identify and address procedures that could be modeled by 116688005 |Procedure approach (attribute)| Planned release time: Q3 2025.

Phase 1 - April 2025 International Release

Phase 2 - Q2 2025 International Release

Phase 3 - Q3 2025 International Release

89.

Procedure

Surgical Transplantation Procedures

Procedures in the 77465005 |Transplantation (procedure)| hierarchy remodeled following circulation of the Briefing note are still under review following feedback received and discussion at the Editorial Advisory Group. 

Note this project excludes procedures on the eye (for Ophthalmology CRG to revise), and hematopoietic cell transplants including bone marrow and stem cell procedures that are not surgical transplantations.

The majority of tissue transplant procedure concepts (nerves, muscle, tendon, skin etc), will be inactivated as duplicate to the grafting procedure concept where this exists (and the transplant procedure will be added as a synonym to the grafting procedure), or if an existing concept is not available then a new grafting procedure will be created.

Very high level groupers will be inactivated (eg 120158008 |Thorax transplantation (procedure)|). Approximately 100 concepts will be inactivated as part of this update.

Q1 2025 International Release
109.

Descriptions Update

Forward slash in FSN

A review has commenced of those concepts with a forward slash in their FSN.  Editorial guidance exists disallowing the use of forward slashes in FSNs, and we have commenced a systematic review of those existing terms containing them.

Many areas are excluded for example, medicinal products where strength /1 is the denominator, assessment scales, explicit "and/or", gene names, enzyme and other substance naming, organisms, ratios, per in units (or future consideration), intervertebral structures, content added with an Orphanet map and others. The review is ongoing.

If the meaning is clear i.e. single meaning there is no change but groupers, disjoint ('or)' terming and ambiguous terms will be reviewed and possibly inactivated or have a new replacement FSN without a forward slash. Subject matter experts are being consulted as part of this work.

Q4 2024 International Release

Q1 2025 International Release

1110.

Qualifier Value

Update for Existing AJCC (American Joint Committee on Cancer) Allowable Values and New UICC (Union for International Cancer Control) Staging System Content

For << 1222584008 |American Joint Committee on Cancer allowable value (qualifier value)| and its 584 subtypes the following changes will be made:

  • Preferred Term (PT) will be inactivated and a new PT added that contains the existing AJCC code with a new parenthetical addition of AJCC: (AJCC).
  • The existing text definition that contains the attribution to the AJCC Cancer Staging System, American College of Surgeons will be inactivated and re-created as an annotation.

New concepts for the UICC (Union for International Cancer Control) staging system will be added:

  • As a separate hierarchy, approximately 580 new concepts for the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) TNM staging system will be added. This work is being done under a collaboration agreement between SNOMED International and the UICC.

Q4 2024 Q1 2025 International Release

1211.

Procedure

Review of 129376004 |Construction - action (qualifier value)|

129376004 |Construction - action (qualifier value)| is a subtype of 257903006 |Repair - action (qualifier value) and sibling of 129377008 |Reconstruction - action (qualifier value)|.

Because some concepts modeled with 129376004 |Construction - action (qualifier value)| as target value concept for 260686004 |Method (attribute)| may not be considered a reparative procedure, a review of the 129376004 |Construction - action (qualifier value) and 410614008 |Construction (procedure)| hierarchies is being undertaken.

Expected outcomes may be the classification of 129376004 |Construction - action (qualifier value)| directly under 129284003 |Surgical action (qualifier value)| and the creation of new actions that better define the differences between reparative and construction procedures.

Content review - publication date to be determined

1312.

Disorder

SNOMED CT to Orphanet Map - Attribution of In Scope Content

Work has commenced to annotate new concepts added to SNOMED CT with attribution to 'Inserm Orphanet'. As part of this effort, textual definitions for concepts previously added for this project will be updated to align with the current published version of the Orphanet definition. This will result in published text definitions being inactivated and replaced.

Starting Q4 2024 International Releases until complete.

1413.

Disorder

Update for Gout, Hyperuricemia and Crystal-associated Arthropathies

A recent consensus document on terminology for gout, hyperuricemia and crystal-associated arthropathies (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31501138/) has been used to inform  the remodeling of gout in SNOMED CT. 

The prime definitional characteristic of gout is the deposition of monosodium urate crystals in tissues, with or without the presence of elevated levels of blood urate.  As elevated blood urates are no longer considered definitional, gout and its subtypes will no longer be subtypes of 269859006 |Blood urate above reference range (finding)|.  Gouty arthritis concepts have been re-termed in accordance with the consensus document and will be classified as subtypes of Crystal arthropathy.

December 2024 International Release

15.

Clinical Finding

Update of "Sample" to "Specimen" in FSN and PT of Clinical Finding Concepts

64 findings concepts which include "sample" in their FSN and/or PT will be updated to include "specimen" in place of "sample" in the FSN and/or PT. Descriptions will be inactivated and replaced; no concepts will be inactivated.

This follows similar work previously performed in the specimen hierarchy and noted in the Editorial Guide

Q4 2024 International Release

16.

Procedure

Update Hierarchy 363680008|Radiographic imaging Procedure (procedure)| - Review 28367004|Cholangiography (procedure)| and Descendants

As part of the work being undertaken for IHTSDO-161, 28367004|Cholangiography (procedure)| and descendants will be reviewed.

Where a procedure concept is modeled with method 278110001|Radiographic imaging - action (qualifier value)| but is performed using a subtype of that modality such as 312275004|Fluoroscopic imaging - action (qualifier value)|, the concept will be inactivated and replaced with a new concept that specifies the imaging modality and the use of contrast.

December 2024 International Release

Please see item 1 (above)

17.

Organism

Resolving Name Divergence for Subtypes of 398428002 |Salmonella enterica subsp. diarizonae (organism)|

One of the synonyms for many descendants of this concept is incorrect, e.g. "398387008 | Salmonella IIIb 61:c:z35 (organism) |" belongs to Salmonella IIIb i.e. "Salmonella  enteric subs. diarizonae" but has "Salmonella III arizonae 61:c:z35" as a synonym. 

A batch update will be performed to:

  • Remove any synonyms containing "Salmonella III arizonae" (if one exists), e.g “Salmonella III arizonae 61:c:z35” 
  • Add a similar synonym containing “Salmonella enterica subs. diarizonae”, e.g. “Salmonella enterica subsp. diarizonae 61:c:z35”.

December 2024 International Release

18.

Clinical Finding

Update Descriptions 169826009|Single live birth (finding)|

After consultation with the Content Managers Advisory Group, the descriptions for

169826009|Single live birth (finding)|

will be updated to

169826009 |Single live birth from singleton pregnancy (finding)|

A new concept will also be added 1351929005 |Single live birth from multiple pregnancy (finding)|

December 2024 International Release

19.

Clinical Finding

Changes to 365921005 | Weight change finding (finding) Hierarchy

Following multiple requests from members regarding overlaps and ambiguities in this hierarchy, the Nutrition and Dietetics Clinical Reference Group (CRG) conducted a systematic review. The requests highlighted confusion over similar and overlapping concepts, such as:

  • 89362005 | Weight loss (finding) |
  • 262285001 | Weight decreased (finding) |
  • 161832001 | Weight decreasing (finding) |
  • 426977000 | Recent weight loss (finding) |

The following changes will be implemented:

  1. Inactivation of 426977000 | Recent weight loss (finding) | and 427572007 | Recent weight gain (finding)
    These terms are considered ambiguous due to the subjective nature of the word "recent."
  2. Inactivation of 161832001 | Weight decreasing (finding) | and 161831008 | Weight increasing (finding)
    These terms will be inactivated because they do not align with editorial policy. They represent patterns or trends better handled by information models or statistical tools for data interpretation and analysis.
  3. Inactivation of 89362005 | Weight loss (finding)
    This term is a duplicate of 262285001 | Weight decreased (finding) |. The term "Weight loss" will, however, remain as a synonym for 262285001.

January 2025 International Release

20.

Disorder, Event, Physical Object

Update Concepts Relating to Missile

Missile as a generalized projectile and missile with the narrower meaning of a specific type of weapon have been conflated in the disorders, events and physical object hierarchy.

  1. 262572000 |Missile injury (disorder)| will be inactivated with reason ambiguous and historical association to 242999003 |Injury due to projectile (disorder)| and a new concept Injury due to missile weapon (disorder). The existing 52 subtypes of Missile injury (disorder)| will be remodeled to become subtypes of the two concepts.
  2. 44468009 |Missile, device (physical object)| will be inactivated with reason ambiguous and historical associations to new concept Projectile weapon device (physical object)| and new concept Missile weapon device (physical object). 29 previous subtypes of 44468009 |Missile, device (physical object)| will become subtypes of these two new concepts.
  3. 45224000 |Struck by missile (event)| will be inactivated with reason ambiguous and historical associations to new concept Struck by missile weapon (event)| and 63409001 |Struck by firearm discharge (event)|. Previous subtypes of 45224000 |Struck by missile (event)| all termed "Struck by object falling from x location" will become descendants of 71893005 |Struck by falling object (event)|.

Q1 2025 International Release

21.

Clinical Finding

Review Model for Descendants of 118240005|Finding by method (finding)|

Descendants of 118240005 |Finding by method (finding)| are currently being reviewed to ensure 418775008 |Finding method (attribute)| is appropriately grouped with other attributes.

Q1 2025 International Release

22.

Clinical Finding

Genomic Community Content

Phenotype concepts that currently exist in the genomics community content area are being gradually promoted to the International edition release.  All content is being reviewed and revised based on the current international editorial guidelines and publication will occur incrementally over several releases.

Q4 2024/Q1 2025 International Release

Clinical Finding

Changes to 365921005 | Weight change finding (finding) Hierarchy

Following multiple requests from members regarding overlaps and ambiguities in this hierarchy, the Nutrition and Dietetics Clinical Reference Group (CRG) conducted a systematic review. The requests highlighted confusion over similar and overlapping concepts, such as:

  • 89362005 | Weight loss (finding) |
  • 262285001 | Weight decreased (finding) |
  • 161832001 | Weight decreasing (finding) |
  • 426977000 | Recent weight loss (finding) |

The following changes will be implemented:

  1. Inactivation of 426977000 | Recent weight loss (finding) | and 427572007 | Recent weight gain (finding)
    These terms are considered ambiguous due to the subjective nature of the word "recent."
  2. Inactivation of 161832001 | Weight decreasing (finding) | and 161831008 | Weight increasing (finding)
    These terms will be inactivated because they do not align with editorial policy. They represent patterns or trends better handled by information models or statistical tools for data interpretation and analysis.
  3. Inactivation of 89362005 | Weight loss (finding)
    This term is a duplicate of 262285001 | Weight decreased (finding) |. The term "Weight loss" will, however, remain as a synonym for 262285001.

January 2025 International Release

14.

Clinical Finding

Review Model for Descendants of 118240005|Finding by method (finding)|

Descendants of 118240005 |Finding by method (finding)| are currently being reviewed to ensure 418775008 |Finding method (attribute)| is appropriately grouped with other attributes.

January 2025 International Release

15.

Clinical Finding

Genomic Community Content

Phenotype concepts that currently exist in the genomics community content area are being gradually promoted to the International edition release.  All content is being reviewed and revised based on the current international editorial guidelines and publication will occur incrementally over several releases.

Q4 2024/Q1 2025 International Release

16.

Descriptions Update

Update for Description Concept Non-Current Indicators

Concept Non Current (CNC) indicators are a type of inactivation indicator that are applied to active descriptions, when the concept they are attached to is made inactive. They are intended to allow implementers to show some visual cue to alert users that a description they have searched for relates to an inactive concept.

A bulk update will be implemented to inactivate CNC indicators where they are no longer required either because:

  • The concept has since been re-activated or,
  • The description itself has now been inactivated

This will result in a change to approximately 30,000 descriptions for the international edition release for January 2025.

January 2025 International Release

17.

Association Relationships File

Association Relationships File

In the Modeling Advisory Group (MAG) the requirement for the new Association Relationships records (previously called "Additional Relationships") was identified. Although they will take the same form as the Inferred Relationships, and therefore be stored in the same format as the Inferred Relationships in the RF2 package, there has been discussion on whether they should be held in the Inferred Relationship file or a completely separate file. After consultation there is a preference for additional relationships to be held in new files. The naming and packaging conventions for new files will be discussed further.

To be determined - 2025 International Release

18.

MRCM

MRCM Update <<540091010000105 |Calculation (calculation)|

The range for Component Attribute will be extended to Include <<540091010000105 |Calculation (calculation)|

February 2025 International Release

19.

Physical Object

Hierarchy Improvement 272185007 |Meters (physical object)| and Descendants

To support the addition of Gravity provision of device finding content, an improvement will be made to << 272185007 |Meters (physical object)|. 

January 2025 International Release

20.

New Semantic Tag

New Semantic Tag - Calculation

A new semantic tag of (calculation) will be added as a descendant of (qualifier value). This will enable representation of concepts that are derived from calculations on other observations (e.g., “Anion gap in blood,”  “Anion gap in urine”) with a relationship of Component (attribute) and value from the (calculation) sub-hierarchy.

March 2025 International Release

21.

Regime/therapy

Restructure of 384760004 |Feeding and dietary regime (regime/therapy)| 

Following a review by the Nutrition and Dietetics Clinical Reference Group (CRG), in consultation with the Nursing CRG, a restructuring of this hierarchy is underway. The content will be reorganized more logically, identifying and addressing duplicate concepts (e.g. 414096000 |Enteral hyperalimentation (regime/therapy)| and 229912004 |Enteral feeding (regime/therapy)|) and removing outdated content (e.g. 37041007 |Forced feeding of patient (regime/therapy)|). Where possible, content will be sufficiently defined. 

Additionally, the top-level grouper concept 384760004 |Feeding and dietary regime (regime/therapy)| will be inactivated due to its ambiguity as it is unclear what a combined regime would represent or what the logical subtypes would be.  

23.

Descriptions Update

Update for Description Concept Non-Current Indicators

Concept Non Current (CNC) indicators are a type of inactivation indicator that are applied to active descriptions, when the concept they are attached to is made inactive. They are intended to allow implementers to show some visual cue to alert users that a description they have searched for relates to an inactive concept.

A bulk update will be implemented to inactivate CNC indicators where they are no longer required either because:

  • The concept has since been re-activated or,
  • The description itself has now been inactivated

This will result in a change to approximately 30,000 descriptions for the international edition release for January 2025.Image Added

January 2025 International Release

...

Project Information and Work in Progress

Item

Hierarchy/Topic

INFORMATION ABOUT PROJECTS AND WORK IN PROGRESS

Planned Release timing

(*this is provisional only and is subject to change)

1.General Information

Browse Content Changes for the International Release

For content changes that are ready for publication in the next release please browse here

Concept Inactivation

For concept inactivations that are for publication in the next release please browse here

MRCM Changes

Forthcoming MRCM changes can be viewed here

Content Request Service (CRS)

For information please see here

2.Project Information

Cancer Synoptic Reporting

Concepts representing cancer synoptic reporting content will be added to the International release starting with the July 2021 release. 

Cancer synoptic reports are used by many member countries to record pathology examination of cancer specimens including the College of American Pathologists (US and Canada), Royal College of Pathology (UK), Royal College of Pathology Australasia (Australia, New Zealand), PALGA (The Netherlands), Swedish Society of Pathology, and others.

This content primarily encompasses observable entity concepts and also includes supporting concepts from other hierarchies, e.g. property values.

For more information about this project, please see the Cancer Synoptic Reporting Clinical Project Group here

2024 International Release and future releases

3.Project Information

Epilepsy Content ILAE Collaboration

Review of << 313287004 |Seizure related finding (finding)| and << 84757009 |Epilepsy (disorder)| (excluding Orphanet related content) for currency and clinical correctness with the addition of missing clinically relevant content. 

Please refer to the project status report for further information.

2024 International Release and future releases

4.Content Improvement

Implementation of the new anatomy concept model

The completion of the revision of hierarchical relationships provides stable anatomy content and improves the quality of classification results in other hierarchies.

Over forthcoming releases, the plan is to implement the new anatomy concept model. There are almost 35,000 anatomy concepts and they will be modeled by different types of 'part of' relationships. The new model will enable us to automatically generate hierarchies to further improve quality and consistency. 

Information about the work completed in previous release for revision of IS_A relationships can be viewed here

2024 International Release and future releases

5.Procedure/Observable Entity

Evaluation Procedure vs Observable Entity

Member feedback and subsequent discussion on the 2023 briefing note containing a proposed solution to resolve the duplication between the evaluation procedure and observable entity hierarchies has resulted in reconsideration of the resolution. Actions as described in the briefing note will not be instituted. Instead, the existing evaluation procedure hierarchy will be retained to support existing use cases. No new content will be added in the international release in the evaluation procedure hierarchy for content that logically belongs in the observable entity hierarchy. If new content is needed in the evaluation procedure hierarchy to satisfy existing use cases, it can be created in national extensions. 

The SNOMED CT Editorial Guide is being updated to reflect this decision.