Downloading the IPS Terminology
The IPS Terminology is available in XXXXX. The package follows the RF2 (Release format 2) release file specification. Being an extraction from the complete SNOMED CT release, this package only includes active content in the SNAPSHOT format and does not include historical content or complete metadata values. All these features are available in any complete SNOMED CT Edition.
Download the zip package with the RF2 release, it will be used for importing into the terminology server in the following steps.
Downloading the Terminology Server
Snowstorm is the open-source terminology server developed and maintained by SNOMED International and will be used as an example in this guide. A similar process can be followed with other compatible terminology servers, please refer to each terminology server user's guide for specific instructions on installing and loading RF2 packages.
Download the most recent release of Snowstorm from the GitHub repository releases page, and follow the installation instructions.
Loading the IPS Terminology in Snowstorm
The IPS Terminology package is prepared to be loaded into an empty Snowstorm instance, instead of the complete International Edition of SNOMED CT. Follow the same steps described in the Snowstorm configuration guide to create a code system and import the IPS Terminology content.
After the import process is complete, the IPS terminology data will be available for access through the terminology server API.
Accessing the IPS Terminology via the Snowstorm API
The terminology server API will be exposed in the server the Snowstorm instance is running (i.e.):
Accessing this URL via a web browser will default to the server API documentation site (i.e.):
This page contains all the API calls that can be used to interact with the terminology server. Browsers like the one provided by SNOMED International use these calls to present the terminology content to the user. Clinical or analytics tools can use the same APIs to leverage the power of the IPS Terminology to support queries and run ECL Expressions.
For example, this URL uses the getConcept method of the API, providing a search string and an ECL constraint, displaying all the procedures that include words that start with the string "append":
https://snowstorm.ihtsdotools.org/snowstorm/snomed-ct/MAIN/concepts?activeFilter=true&term=append&ecl=%3C%3C%2071388002%20%7CProcedure%20(procedure)%7C&offset=0&limit=50
In this case, the search criteria are sent in the "term" and "ecl" URL Query parameters. The Swagger documentation is a guide to all the available API calls, parameters, and return formats.
Using the IPS Terminology in a software application
Using a terminology server is the recommended approach to the integration of the IPS Terminology in a software application. In a service-oriented architecture, software like Electronic Health Records and Data Analytics tools can offload all terminology operations on a terminology server. Consuming the APIS like the one described before, it's possible to allow the user to search for clinical elements in the IPS Terminology, constraining the search for a specific domain, like Conditions or Procedures, using the ECL Language.
An example of data entry fields bound to the IPS terminology can be seen on this demo page:
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If a terminology server is not available, it's possible to use the IPS Free Set (available at XXXXXX), but most advanced features described in this guide, like hierarchies or ECL constraints will not be available.
Updating to new versions of the IPS Terminology
The IPS Terminology is updated annually, following the evolution of SNOMED CT and the HL7 FHIR Terminology binding specifications. In each release, some concepts might be inactivated and some new concepts may appear. Only active concepts are represented in the IPS Terminology, and the complete history tracking, including inactive content and historical associations with proposed replacements, is available in the complete edition of SNOMED CT.
With each new release, it's necessary to update the IPS Terminology in the Snowstorm terminology server.
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- What do you do if you want codes added to the IPS?
Requesting new content in the IPS Terminology
The content of the IPS Terminology is defined by the terminology bindings decided in HL7 FHIR IPS group. The IPS Terminology will be updated to match new versions of this terminology binding definitions. All inquiries about content should be directed to: XXXXXXXXXXXXX
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