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Development of a cross-thesaurus with Internet-based refinement supported by UMLS
S Dessena1, A R Mori, E Galeazzi
1Reparto Informatica Medica, Istituto Tecnologie Biomediche CNR, Roma, Italy.
International Journal of Medical Informatics
|March 13, 1999
Summary
A new tool, I-BROWSE, aids in creating cross-thesauri for healthcare information systems by analyzing terminological data. It leverages the Unified Medical Language System (UMLS) to enhance descriptor precision and flexibility in medical terminology.
Area of Science:
- Medical Informatics
- Health Information Systems
- Terminology Management
Background:
- Modern healthcare information systems require flexible and precise data representation.
- Combinatorial terminological systems are emerging to meet these demands.
- Developing a robust 'cross-thesaurus' is essential for these systems.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a tool (I-BROWSE) for producing cross-thesauri.
- To analyze existing terminological corpora for descriptor generation.
- To facilitate expert work and ensure re-usable results in terminology development.
Main Methods:
- Developed the I-BROWSE application for cross-thesaurus production.
- Utilized the Unified Medical Language System (UMLS) Knowledge Sources Server for internet-based interaction.
- Applied the tool to analyze 6372 surgical procedure dissections from the GALEN-IN-USE project.
Main Results:
- The I-BROWSE tool demonstrated promising support from UMLS for descriptors related to anatomy, pathological, and physiological processes.
- The system can assist domain experts with less frequent, pervasive modifiers.
- Successful application within a Quality Assurance Program for surgical procedures.
Conclusions:
- The I-BROWSE tool is effective in generating combinatorial terminological systems.
- Integration with UMLS enhances the precision and re-usability of terminological data.
- Future plans include applying the tool to develop CEN terminological standards and support global coding system convergence.