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Logical ontology for mediating between nursing intervention terminology systems
1Salford Health Informatics Research Environment, University of Salford, Manchester, UK. n.r.hardiker@salford.ac.uk
Methods of Information in Medicine
|July 23, 2003
Summary
Developing a logical ontology for nursing interventions using labels shows promise for unifying terminology systems. Further development using consensus methods may improve harmonization across the nursing profession.
Area of Science:
- Nursing Informatics
- Medical Terminology
- Knowledge Representation
Background:
- Logical ontologies are proposed as reference terminologies for nursing interventions.
- Unresolved issues exist in the application of ontologies in this domain.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a logical ontology for nursing interventions.
- To evaluate the developed ontology's effectiveness.
Main Methods:
- Two experimental ontologies were developed: one based on informal definitions and another on labels of nursing interventions from the Nursing Interventions Classification.
- The label-based ontology was extended to include components from the Home Health Care Classification System and the Omaha System.
- Both bench-testing and external evaluation were conducted.
Main Results:
- The label-based ontology generated a significantly richer hierarchy (2861 relationships) compared to the definition-based ontology (3 relationships).
- Bench-testing results were favorable.
- External evaluation yielded mixed results with low inter-reviewer agreement.
Conclusions:
- A logical ontology based on labels can be a valuable tool for mediating between nursing intervention terminology systems.
- A consensus-driven development methodology could enhance future ontology development by addressing ideological differences.