2020-06-03 - Dentistry Clinical Reference Group Meeting

Introducing new editor assigned to group

Editor's Report

Nicola (Nicki) Ingram a Terminologist with the SNOMED CT Content team who has a background in the NHS and 8 years service at SNOMED International replaces Penni Hernandez, who has been our primary editor for the past few years.

Nicki reported that the work on completing the jaw/tooth structure anatomy issue is largely completed.  SNOMED is considering moving away from semi-annual releases towards “continuous releases”.  She also reported that the observables group has some work related to dental.  The lead for the observables, @Daniel Karlssen, would like to attend the Dentistry CRG meetings, when appropriate.  He will be invited to future meetings.  Daniel believes that, with this background, he might be able to better direct what and how the observables group should approach dental issues.

Jane can assist us in making our virtual meetings and the upcoming virtual business meeting most effective. If we have ideas or have used certain tools in other virtual settings that we feel were good, we should let Jane know and then ask for certain items to be considered.

Ian reported there is now a monthly webinar on various clinical issues. Ian is in the process of forming a Google group for clinicians and the ability to sign up for that will be on Confluence when it is ready to go. Clinicians would be able to identify areas of interest and receive appropriate notifications of discussions. There is also an effort to gain greater clinical involvement. A slide deck is already available on Confluence for those that wish to review it and there is a goal of providing a formal course to help clinicians understand the value of SNOMED and how they might get involved.

Jorn Andre acknowledges that there are still some gaps, but beyond the work Penni recently completed, we do not see other changes prior to the next release of the Odontogram Refset (September).

The basic periodontal disease concepts dealing with localized and generalized periodontitis have been submitted for each of the variations of stages and grades. 

Discussion

It may be necessary to add the names of the developers of this classification to the FSN’s.  The workgroup developing the concepts to match the classification system for the many other areas represented will continue with the areas where the system ahs relationships to other conditions as well as those related to dental implants.  It is anticipated that this will result in additional concepts for the January and July 2021 releases.  Efforts to properly define each of the individual pieces, or “building blocks” will be one of the very next steps for the work group.

Several days ago, SNOMED set up a meeting with the people in Malaysia working on their SNOMED dental project. Perhaps the primary issue they are confronting is developing a way to relate a dental procedure with all of the processes that must be done to complete the procedure

Discussion

A discussion concerning making this part of our work plan took place.  Jane Millar mentioned that the more detailed we could be with the work plan relating to what we may need for editorial support and where our efforts may cross into other SNOEMD development areas would be beneficial.  Jorn Andre identified that the procedures area in dental needs significant effort to make it work properly.  It is also recognized that SNOMED is making a big effort relative to quality improvement and, once they are completed with the findings area, procedures will be next.   Benoit further mentioned that the substance area also impacts this and asked where our early efforts in that area currently.  Mark mentioned that it has not been advanced beyond our in-person meeting several years ago.

• A Malaysian sub-project group will be set up to produce a work plan ready for approval by Head of Terminology, Dr James Case
  
  
• Mark will work with the group from Malaysia, Nicki, Benoit and then have Jorn Andre review a draft of a work plan along with an example or two of common dental procedures that can represent not only the request from Malaysia but also the possible alterations that might be needed to improve the procedures themselves.  We hope to bring this to the CRG for the August meeting for further discussion and determine next steps.

We will work with Joel Knutson and Nicki to make the changes previously discussed and resubmit them before the next meeting.

People were again informed that the fall business meeting and expo are moving to a virtual format. 

Discussion

We discussed having a meeting associated with the business meeting as we do whenever there are in person meetings.  The consensus seemed to be to definitely have a meeting and do so on one or more of the dates that the business meetings had been planned.  Jane Millar emphasized that we should ask SNOMED for any assistance we might need to get our meetings scheduled, possibly having some specific project groups meet and consider having more than a 60-90 minute meeting as we do with our “normal” virtual meetings.