Country / Region
EMEA
Tags
Clinical Practice, Collaboration, Data analytics, Data quality, Implementation, Mapping, Patient safety, Research
This project aims to enhance antibiotic stewardship and infection prevention through the use of SNOMED CT for structured indication registration in antibiotic prescribing. By linking each prescription to a standardized, SNOMED CT-based indication, we ensure precise and interoperable clinical data, which is essential for improving antibiotic use across healthcare systems.
As part of the early-phase HOST project, we are implementing SNOMED CT within the electronic health record (EHR) to systematically code clinical indications for every antibiotic prescription. This structured approach improves documentation of the clinical rationale behind antibiotic use, making it transparent and consistent. Beyond supporting better decision-making at the point of care, the indication registry also facilitates secondary uses of data for quality improvement, antimicrobial stewardship, and research.
While still in its initiation phase, we anticipate that this approach will enable the development of a data-driven antibiotic policy, reduce unnecessary antibiotic use, and help mitigate resistance. By using SNOMED CT, a standardized and globally recognized clinical terminology, we ensure both local and international interoperability, positioning the project to contribute to the long-term sustainability of integrated healthcare.
This work underscores the value of structured clinical terminology in an information-driven healthcare environment, helping create a more transparent, evidence-based approach to antibiotic prescribing while fostering the integration of health data across systems and institutions.
Description
This project focuses on enhancing antibiotic stewardship and infection prevention by implementing SNOMED CT for structured indication registration within antibiotic prescribing workflows. As part of the early-phase HOST initiative, our primary aim is to integrate SNOMED CT into our electronic health record (EHR), KWS, to systematically capture the clinical rationale behind each antibiotic prescription. By linking prescriptions to standardized SNOMED CT-based indications, we aim to support better clinical decision-making, ensure consistency in documentation, and enable meaningful secondary data use for quality monitoring, policy development, and research. Though currently in its initiation phase, the project is designed as a scalable, interoperable model for sustainable, evidence-driven antimicrobial management.
Scope
SNOMED CT was selected for its comprehensive clinical scope, standardized structure, and robust international interoperability, making it the most widely adopted clinical terminology system globally. As the mandated national standard in Belgium, its adoption aligns with strategic guidance from national healthcare bodies such as the eHealth Platform, while also ensuring seamless alignment with international standards such as HL7, ICD, and LOINC. This dual compliance guarantees consistency with both national policy and global healthcare interoperability frameworks, fostering cross-border data exchange and collaboration.
Using SNOMED CT ensures that antibiotic prescribing data are not only precise and clinically meaningful but also interoperable across systems and borders. Its structured approach supports data reuse for stewardship, research, and policy development, helping to address both immediate clinical needs and long-term public health goals such as combating antimicrobial resistance.
By adopting SNOMED CT, Belgium not only strengthens its national health data infrastructure but also positions itself as an active participant in the global digital health landscape, enabling cross-border patient care, interoperable EHR systems, and worldwide clinical research initiatives.
How SNOMED CT will be used
SNOMED CT is being implemented within the EHR as the standardized terminology for capturing the clinical indication behind each antibiotic prescription. Every prescribing action is linked to a coded indication, mapped to a corresponding SNOMED CT concept that accurately represents the clinical reason for treatment. The indication registry serves not only as a foundation for better care at the point of prescription but also enables robust secondary use of data for quality improvement, antimicrobial stewardship, surveillance, and research. The goal is to make this process embedded and streamlined within the clinical workflow, minimizing manual input while ensuring rich, standardized data capture.
Why SNOMED CT will be used
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