When implementing SNOMED CT in a clinical software system, such as an EHR, the use of SNOMED CT will typically involve customization. For example, selecting a subset of SNOMED CT components to be used for a particular purpose is a typical way of customizing SNOMED CT for use. Subsets of SNOMED CT components can be used to constrain the use of SNOMED CT by either including, excluding or prioritizing specific components. An extensionally defined subset of components, whether it is a subset of concepts, descriptions or relationships, can be represented as a simple reference set. The definition of an intensionally defined subset of components can be represented using a query specification reference set , while its expansion can be represented using a simple reference set. A subset of components may be required to support a range of different uses, as illustrated in the table below.
| Requirement | Description | Example uses | Reference Set |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Subset of concepts
|
An extensionally defined set of references to SNOMED CT concepts |
|
|
| An intensionally defined set of references to SNOMED CT concepts | Query specification reference set | ||
|
Subset of descriptions |
A set of references to SNOMED CT descriptions |
|
Simple reference set |
|
Inclusion/Exclusion of content
|
A set which contains the components to be included/ excluded |
|
For more detailed use case examples, please refer to the following sections:
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