3.2.6.3. Managing Component Inactivation

When components in SNOMED CT are inactivated, it is useful to understand the reason for the inactivation, to support appropriate change management.

The following figure and subsequent description introduce the overall process for identifying inactive components and using released reference sets to determine reasons for activation and potential replacements. 

  Illustration of the process of determine reasons for inactivation and alternative replacements

1.  One approach to identify the components that have been inactivated since the last release, is to compare snapshot of previous release with current delta release.

2.  The reasons for inactivation can be looked up in the 900000000000480006 |Attribute value type reference set|  for the particular component type, for example the 900000000000489007 |Concept inactivation indicator attribute value reference set| . The reason is represented by the value of the valueId attribute. For further information, see 3.2.6.3.1. Representing Reasons for Component Inactivation.

3. The possible replacements for the components that have been inactivated can be determined in the appropriate  900000000000522004 |Historical association reference set| . For further information, see 3.2.6.3.2. Representing Historical Associations. 

4. The preferred approach to manage inactivation of a component depends on the situation and the use of the reference set. However, a typical approach would be to update the reference set to apply the replacement concept instead of the inactivated concept. Please note, that some changes to the reference set may require additional updates to be performed to ensure correct use, see 6.6.2. Managing Reference Set Changes.