Kaiser Permanente's Convergent Medical Terminology

Area of Science:

• Health Informatics
• Medical Terminology Management
• Clinical Data Standardization

Background:

• Electronic health records require standardized medical terminology for effective data management.
• Kaiser Permanente developed Convergent Medical Terminology (CMT) to address the need for a unified terminology across its enterprise.
• Existing systems lacked a common language for interoperability and consistent data analysis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe Kaiser Permanente's enterprise-wide medical terminology solution, Convergent Medical Terminology (CMT).
• To highlight CMT's evolution from a regional EHR tool to a core organizational asset.
• To outline the key components and functionalities of CMT, including its role in interoperability and data analysis.

Main Methods:

• Integration of core terminologies: SNOMED CT, laboratory LOINC, and First DataBank drug terminology.
• Creation of a single, poly-hierarchically structured knowledge base.
• Development of cross-map sets for bi-directional translations and context sets for specific subsets.

Main Results:

• CMT serves as the definitive source for concept definitions and a consistent access method for all organizational codes.
• CMT facilitates interoperability by providing cross-mappings to ancillary systems and administrative billing codes.
• The solution enables clinician-acceptable data analysis and reporting through standardized terminology.

Conclusions:

• Successful terminology solutions prioritize usability and differentiate between interface and reference terminologies.
• Clinician ease of concept retrieval and the apparent value of coded data are crucial for adoption.
• A defined approach to terminology extensions is essential for maintaining a robust and evolving system.