What is a Harmonization Body?
In order to deliver the first of the SNOMED SDO founding principles, to support the care of individual patients by clinical professionals, SNOMED CT needs to interoperate with other standards in the electronic health care environment. Each method of interoperation will have to be defined and conformed to if care delivery is to remain effective and safe. Effectively therefore, this defined interoperation is in itself a standard. However, this type of standard must be agreed both by the SNOMED SDO and the other standard. These agreements (or “allied standards”) may take the form of a specification, a service or a product. Regardless of format, definition and alteration can typically only be achieved through agreement between the SNOMED SDO and the associated standard. These collaborations are generally managed by a Harmonization Board. This creates a strong link to the governance processes of the Management Board of the SNOMED SDO, yet leaves sufficient flexibility for the Allied Standar
