A Survey of Direct Users and Uses of SNOMED CT: 2010 Status

SNOMED CT is gaining momentum and endorsements as an international clinical terminology. However, many vendors await a clearer business case and clients' demand. We conducted a survey of direct users of SNOMED CT to determine the current profile of users, modes of use, and attitudes towards different aspects of the terminology. A web-base survey, consisting of 43 questions was distributed in January 2010, and 215 responses were elicited. This paper summarizes findings regarding profiles of users and their SNOMED CT use. The results indicate significant use by non-researchers and by industry and government sectors. Many users are relative newcomers with less than 3 years experience with SNOMED CT, and production-related use was reported by 39% of respondents. Most users are satisfied with the level of content coverage. The results indicate that SNOMED CT has a solid footing in production systems, and that SCT is mostly used for concept searches and clinical coding.