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Standardized Terminology Types |
Last Updated: September 24, 2004
The American Nurses Association (ANA) recognized standardized nursing terminologies have a classification system as part of their structure. Interestingly, the languages themselves can be classified. The Ingenerf typology classifies the standardized terminologies themselves into four categories: Lists, Mono-axial Classifications, Multi-axial Classification, & Formal Languages. Standardized terminologies can also be categorized as to whether they are an interface or reference terminology. When standardized terminologies are classified, few fall into an exact category because the classifications represent more of a continuum than a black and white categories.
Interface vs. Reference Terminology
Unified Medical Language System
Uses of Standardized Terminologies
In simple terms, an interface terminology is one that is used by clinicians to record data. A reference terminology, is a set of terms to which the terminology in the interface terminologies is mapped so that comparisons can be made even when different terminologies are used. For example, a nursing diagnosis from the North American Nursing Diagnosis Association (NANDA) terminology can be mapped to a Problem in the Omaha System with relative assurance that they designate the same entities.
As described in the Standardized Terminologies for use in Computerizing Nursing document on this web site, minimum data sets, of which nursing has two that are recognized by the ANA, are not used as terminologies for data collection, but as the description and listing of what data should be collected. Work is now in progress to provide terminology for the nursing management minimum data set.
The interface terminologies that have been recognized by the ANA
are intended for entering data into a computerized clinical system and determining
outcomes (See the diagram below). The Unified Medical Language System (UMLS)
which is an ongoing project of the National Library of Medicine, has a different
purpose. Its goal is to enable the locating of literature and clinical records
about given topics. The terminologies from some of the ANA recognized languages
are a part of the UMLS and in the past have been referred to as the Unified
Nursing Language System (UNLS), although this term is not being currently used.
It is hoped that eventually the UMLS
will also link to clinical records.
Keep in mind that the use of standardized terminologies permits several operations. One, the use of data in an aggregated (the same data for many patients) format to determine outcomes and to plan on regional, state, national, and international levels for health care, and two, the ability to find information (literature or clinical records) about a given term. The diagram below is a simplified graphic intended to assist readers in understanding the relationships among the various entities that are involved in standardized terminologies.
SNOMED also has interface properties, but is not a true interface terminology while the ICNP is also a reference terminology.
When a terminology is mapped to another terminology, the term may be given a new name in the new terminology, but the meaning will remain the same.
NMDS - Nursing Minimum Data Set
NMMDS - Nursing Management Minimum Data Set|
NANDA - North American Nursing Diagnosis Association I
NIC - Nursing Intervention Classification
NOC - Nursing Outcome Classification
Omaha - Omaha System
HHCC - Home Health Care Classification (Georgetown System)
PtCareDSet - Patient Care Data Set
PNDS - Perioperative Nursing Data Set
ICNP - International Classification of Nursing Practice
SNOMED - Systematized Nomenclature of Medicine - Reference Terminology
LOINC - Logical Observation Identifiers Names & Codes
UMLS - Unified Medical Language System. (The Unified Nursing Language
System (UNLS) is a subset of the UMLS.
For a description of each of the ANA Recognized Languages see Chapter 13 in the text.
Werley, H. H., Devine, E. C. & Zorn, C. R. (1988). Nursing Minimum Data Set data collection manual. Milwaukee, WI: University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee School of Nursing.
Last Updated: March 18, 2003
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Copyright 2003/2008 Linda Q. Thede
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