How can SNOMED CT be used?
Good information is essential for effective health and health care. The safe and appropriate exchange of clinical information is necessary in order to ensure continuity of care for patients across different times, settings, and providers. Todays health information systems include functions to allow for collection of a variety of clinical information, linked to clinical knowledge bases, information retrieval, data aggregation, analyses, exchange, and other functions. SNOMED CT provides a standards-based foundation for these functions. Information systems can use the concepts, hierarchies, and relationships as a common reference point. The use of SNOMED CT also goes beyond direct patient care. The terminology can, for instance, facilitate functions such as decision support, statistical reporting, outcomes measurement, public health surveillance, health research, and cost analysis.
