Country / Region
Americas
Tags
Collaboration, Data quality, Implementation, Innovation, Tooling
In 2024 Canada Health Infoway launched a fully FHIR enabled Terminology Server to replace the legacy terminology system with a modern, cloud-based platform that supports the evolving needs of digital health in Canada.The Terminology Server enhances the capacity to support health terminology and messaging standards, enabling faster, more collaborative development of interoperable digital health solutions across provinces and jurisdictions.
It plays a key role in supporting the creation, implementation, and maintenance of pan -Canadian specifications the that are fundamental to achieving the goals of the Shared Pan-Canadian Interoperability Roadmap.
In addition to SNOMED CT Canadian Edition (SNOMED CT CA), the server offers programmatic access to additional Canada-specific CodeSystems and ValueSets such as Pan-Canadian LOINC (pCLOCD), Canadian Clinical Drug Data Set (CCDD) and Pan-Canadian ValueSets.
Fully integrated with HL7 FHIR tools, the server eliminates manual updates and enables instant access to the most up-to-date Canadian content, streamlining processes like IG development, code validation, and testing at Connectathons or Projectathons.
By becoming the third country in the world to adopt this model, Canada is taking an exciting step forward in digital health. It not only simplifies interoperability but also showcases how we are advancing local innovation while staying connected to global best practices.
Description
Canada Health Infoway's Canadian Standards Release Centre launched a formal project in April 2024 to implement a world class Pan-Canadian Managed Services Terminology Server Solution to support clinical terminology implementation and adoption in Canada. In partnership with Dedalus, our innovative Terminology Server aims to be a key resource for standards subject matter experts, developers, healthcare organizations, vendors, healthcare data providers, and terminology standards consumers nationwide
The terminology solution was first launched in July 2024 and includes the following technologies and services in the form of a managed service model:
1. A software application using Ontoserver (FHIR native terminology server) developed by the Australian e-Health Research Centre, CSIRO).The Ontoserver product is a world-leading clinical terminology solution implementing FHIR terminology services and supporting syndication-based content. This advanced technology ensures that our Terminology Server is equipped to meet the highest levels of healthcare interoperability and improved healthcare delivery across Canada
2. A robust cloud native hosting platform to host and accommodate high quality international and Pan-Canadian terminologies, code systems and value sets and terminology maps that can be leveraged and shared across various digital solutions, systems, and providers.
Infoway's Terminology Server is a fully HL7 FHIR-compliant, cloud-based solution that stores, maintains, and distributes international and nationally approved terminologies. It offers scalability, security, reliability, and flexibility for secure access. The server hosts high-quality international and Pan-Canadian terminologies, as well as value sets, making these resources accessible and shareable across digital health solutions, systems, and healthcare data providers to facilitate standardization of health data. This fosters interoperability and semantic consistency. The solution serves as the source of truth for access to the approved terminology code systems and value sets for use in digital health solutions in Canada as provided by Infoway, as well as other other federal, jurisdictional, provincial and territorial partners such as PrescribeIT, Health Canada, the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI).
Scope
SNOMED CT has been endorsed by Canada since 2006, and it has been recognized as the preferred clinical terminology to support meaningful data exchange that is consistent, timely and accurate. It is the approved terminology standard for use in national digital health solutions such the National Vaccine Catalogue, Canadian Clinical Drug Data Set, the Pan-Canadian Organ Donation and Transplantation repository, laboratory information systems and well as in several provincial clinical data repositories as well as chosen for data standardization in information models such as the Pan-Canadian Health Data Content Framework and Canadian Core Data for Interoperability. The richness of the polyhierarchical concept model, with access to multiple descriptions, multi-language options, ability to localize content based on Canadian requirements and the frequent publication cycle makes this reference terminology integral to the success of the interoperability roadmap in Canada. The SNOMED CT Canadian Edition is considered a key enabler of semantic interoperability supporting the “collect once and use many” data capture paradigm for digital health solutions across the country. This allows for seamless exchange of data that is standardized at point of care capture, optimizing clinical decisions with access to quality data that ensures safe and timely health care delivery, as well as other secondary uses such reporting and analytics.
How SNOMED CT will be used
Infoway's Terminology Server provides access to code systems and value sets for International and Canadian terminologies including the Canadian Edition of SNOMED CT (SNOMED CT CA).
All SNOMED CT CA RF2 releases and reference sets/value sets are made available for browsing as well as through FHIR APIs to enable rich integration with the Terminology Server, facilitating both the subscription to and download of the latest content, as well as enabling runtime use of the terminology. This unlocks the full potential of the terminology, driving improvements in consistent data representation through the ability to collect standardized data.
SNOMED CT CA is a nationally approved standard for clinical data that is used in many applications and implementations including but not limited to : the Pan-Canadian Health Data Content Framework, the Canadian Core Data for Interoperability (CACDI), the Canadian National Vaccine Catalogue (NVC),the Canadian Clinical Drug Data Set (CCDD), the Canadian Organ Donation and Transplantation reporting system, as well as in numerous other provincial and national information models, digital health solutions and implementations.
Why SNOMED CT will be used
Contact
