Keeping up with changing source system terms in a local health information infrastructure: running to stand still

Stud Health Technol Inform. 2007;129(Pt 1):775-9.

Abstract

Keeping up with changes in source system terms in a local health information infrastructure requires substantial effort. I developed a program to assist us that returns candidate mappings based on string similarities between newly encountered source test names, existing source test names, and our master dictionary term names. I evaluated this program's performance in identifying correct mappings through a retrospective study of term mappings to our master dictionary from four radiology systems. For source terms created after the initial system integration, the semi-automated mapping program identified correct mappings for 76.3% of terms from all systems. Overall, the program correctly identified mappings for 45.6% of all terms by exact string match to an existing term. The program identified correct mappings for 36.9% of the terms without an exact string match by string comparison to existing source terms, and for 54.4% of the remaining unmapped terms by string comparison directly to master dictionary terms. Because managing vocabulary mappings is resource-intensive, accurate automated tools can help reduce the effort required for ongoing health information exchange among disparate systems.

Publication types

  • Evaluation Study
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Algorithms
  • Humans
  • Medical Records Systems, Computerized
  • Natural Language Processing*
  • Radiology Information Systems*
  • Retrospective Studies
  • Vocabulary, Controlled*