https://www.snomed.org/news/new-tool-makes-it-easy-for-non-snomed-ct-use...
When we were giving patients their coded records on CD's (in 1998!) we created gave them software that utilised the stem codes of their Read codes (similar to SNOMED or ICD 11 codes) to create a simple pictorial view of their record. This is the same principle that commercial search engines use:
For instance when searching for a new garden tool search engines utilise search tools to quicken the search and to make the search accurate. When searching through a patient's records SNOMED codes allow accurate searches but they also allow accurate documentation for patients, clinicians, researchers and planners.
So, for instance, the codes are used to search for patients who have special risk factors if affected by covid when the The NHS [National Health Service] is offering treatments to those people with COVID-19 who are at highest risk of becoming seriously ill and who are aged 12 years or above. Not all treatments are suitable for people aged 12 to 17 years.
The list of eligible people who are offered these treatments is regularly reviewed and currently includes some people who have:
- Down’s syndrome, or another chromosomal disorder that affects their immune system
- certain types of cancer or have received treatment for certain types of cancer
- sickle cell disease
- certain conditions affecting their blood
- chronic kidney disease (CKD) stage 4 or 5
- severe liver disease
- an organ transplant
- certain autoimmune or inflammatory conditions (such as rheumatoid arthritis or inflammatory bowel disease)
- HIV or AIDS who have a weakened immune system
- inherited or acquired conditions affecting their immune system
- rare neurological conditions: multiple sclerosis, motor neurone disease, Huntington’s disease or myasthenia gravis
SNOMED can also be used for other purposes and now a simle tool has been created to facilitate its use by citizens and other parties:
"The SNOMED CT look up tool <https://lookup.snomedtools.org/> is basically a tool to allow people the quickest and most efficient way possible to find the concept associated with a code. It's intended to be a very quick and easy-to-understand utility for people who are not SNOMED CT experts who just want to know what this code they’ve received is and what it points to.
One of the really nice things about it is that it looks across all extensions and editions, not just the International Edition, so whether you are from Canada, the US, Belgium, Norway or wherever, it will actually show the concept and where it’s from, and give the translations where applicable/available.
HIFA profile: Richard Fitton is a retired family doctor - GP. Professional interests: Health literacy, patient partnership of trust and implementation of healthcare with professionals, family and public involvement in the prevention of modern lifestyle diseases, patients using access to professional records to overcome confidentiality barriers to care, patients as part of the policing of the use of their patient data Email address: richardpeterfitton7 AT gmail.com