Toward harmonising WHO International Classifications: a nursing perspective.

Area of Science:

• Health Informatics
• Medical Terminology
• Classification Systems

Background:

• The World Health Organization (WHO) Family of International Classifications (FIC) aims to standardize health data globally.
• Key components include the International Classification of Functioning, Disabilities and Health (ICF) and the International Classification for Nursing Practice (ICNP).
• Unambiguous communication across diverse health settings and professions is crucial for effective healthcare delivery.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the extent to which the ICF and ICNP can be mapped to each other.
• To identify challenges and opportunities for harmonizing these two major health terminologies.
• To facilitate clearer communication and data exchange in healthcare.

Main Methods:

• A systematic mapping process was conducted, linking 946 concepts from the ICF to primitive concepts within the ICNP.
• Machine-generated lexical matches were manually reviewed to identify false positives and confirm semantic equivalence.
• A reference terminology model was utilized to aid the mapping process.

Main Results:

• Semantic mapping efforts resulted in a 13% increase in exact and partial matches between ICF and ICNP concepts.
• A significant limitation was identified, with only 46% of ICF concepts successfully mapped to ICNP concepts.
• The ICF demonstrated greater granularity than the ICNP, particularly in domains related to human functioning and body structures.

Conclusions:

• Substantial differences in terminology structure, concept representation, and content specificity pose major challenges to mapping ICF and ICNP.
• The findings underscore the need for continued efforts in harmonizing healthcare terminologies.
• Further research and practical testing of integrated ICF and ICNP applications are recommended.