Mapping of Wound Infection Concepts

Area of Science:

• Health Informatics
• Clinical Terminology
• Wound Care

Background:

• Wound infection presents a significant healthcare challenge.
• Standardized clinical terminologies are crucial for accurate health data and early detection.
• Evaluating concept representation in terminologies aids in identifying gaps for improvement.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the representation of wound infection assessment and diagnosis concepts within SNOMED CT and the International Classification of Nursing Practice (ICNP).
• To utilize a synthesized procedural framework for a systematic and transparent mapping process.

Main Methods:

• A set of 26 wound infection assessment and diagnosis concepts was selected.
• Concepts were mapped to SNOMED CT and ICNP using a predefined procedural framework.
• Exact matches for concepts in both terminologies were identified and quantified.

Main Results:

• 50% (13/26) of assessment and diagnosis concepts had exact matches in SNOMED CT.
• 29% (2/7) of diagnosis concepts had exact matches in ICNP.
• The study indicated moderate representation of wound infection concepts in both terminologies.

Conclusions:

• SNOMED CT and ICNP offer moderate coverage for wound infection concepts.
• Enhancements are needed, particularly for the representation of specific diagnostic infection types.
• The utilized framework proved effective for systematic and repeatable concept mapping.