Why SNOMED CT? New platform presents a refreshed case for investment

London, United Kingdom -- SNOMED International released today its refreshed SNOMED CT Case for Investment report. Available on a new interactive platform, the Case for Investment presents evidence that SNOMED CT adds measurable value to a broad range of primary and secondary health processes leveraging SNOMED CT encoded data to enable improved patient outcomes. Through the narrative, the report provides accessible and understandable answers to questions such as, “what is SNOMED CT?”, ‘what makes SNOMED CT unique?’, “how and where is it in use globally?” and “why invest in SNOMED CT?”

SNOMED CT, the most comprehensive and multilingual clinical healthcare terminology in the world, possesses unique characteristics that differentiate it from other classifications and terminologies. Among these characteristics are SNOMED CT’s position as a core reference terminology, its clinically comprehensive 350,000+ concepts supported by a machine-readable semantic network, broad use and mandate in select countries.

Showcasing real world use and outcomes of SNOMED CT is the best way to demonstrate its value, understanding that SNOMED CT must be embedded in a clinical information system, health data & analytics platform or an interoperability solution for it to function. Through the Case for Investment, 10 examples of SNOMED CT use across data entry and integration, clinical information sharing, point of care analytics, population and management analytics and research domains have been featured. Ranging across different countries such as Australia, Canada, China, United Kingdom, United States, continued collection of additional SNOMED CT case studies remains an ongoing priority.
 

SNOMED International CEO, Don Sweete, commented on the development and outcomes of the Case for Investment. “There has been a tremendous evolution in SNOMED CT over the past 10 years and this report demonstrates the value that it offers healthcare systems and stakeholders worldwide” said Sweete. “With a complement of 41 Members that represent health systems globally, continuously refreshed knowledge and analysis on the nature, utility and value of standards like SNOMED CT can’t be overstated. Health system decision-makers need to be equipped with clear knowledge of how their investments in SNOMED CT translate into positive outcomes for the health of their nation’s citizens.”
 
In terms of conclusions, the report presents SNOMED CT as a scalable and “fit for purpose” clinical terminology, adhering to international criteria, data quality and suitability requirements. A part of the bigger picture, SNOMED CT is one of many contributing factors to improving patient outcomes, and studies show that the use of SNOMED CT-embedded systems can provide significant qualitative and quantitative patient outcome benefits.
 
Looking forward, SNOMED CT must also contemplate how it enables the future needs of medicine and research. A healthcare industry that is ever evolving, the future opportunities for SNOMED CT will be driven by new healthcare data sources and new healthcare technologies such as national cohorts, big data and AI, clinical genomics, phenomics and environment, etc.
 
Experience the breadth of the SNOMED CT Case for Investment through the organization’s interactive value platform at value.snomed.org.