Introduction to SNOMED CT

As a general introduction to the SNOMED CT clinical terminology code system, the book explains in simple terms a wealth of key aspects, including the fundamentals of SNOMED CT, the various ways in which it can be used, and the methods by which it may quickly be deployed for use within an electronic documentation system that deals with clinical and clinics-related data. Further considerations include how end users can employ the system, how healthcare IT designers and developers can build highly ergonomic systems, and how health informatics experts and clinical analysts can successfully harness the various features that the clinical terminology code system provides in order to unleash the hidden potentials of clinical data.

The book brings together material from various sources, presenting it in an easy-to-follow manner and supplemented by analyses of a number of different (imaginary) scenarios including case summaries from the author’s experience and knowledge. The book will greatly benefit all stakeholders involved: clinicians, nurses, paramedics, dentists, public health professionals, health informatics professionals and healthcare IT engineers involved in the design and development of information systems for healthcare. Students at both the undergraduate and postgraduate levels seeking a practical introduction to SNOMED CT will find this book to be a valuable guide.

Dr SB Bhattacharyya, is a practising family physician and health informatics professional. He studied at Medical College, Bengal (aka Kolkata Medical College), graduating with MBBS from Calcutta University in 1986, before completing his MBA studies in 1997 with capstone thesis on telemedicine.

He has been associated with a number of MNCs in India as a domain expert in the field of Health Informatics that include iSOFT India, Oracle, GE Healthcare, and currently, Tata Consultancy Services. In this capacity he primarily functions as business solutions architect for IT systems in the healthcare, pharmaceutical and medical devices domains. In the past he has also been medical administrator of several small and medium-sized hospitals, besides being a practising family physician.

He is Member, National EHR Standardisation Committee, MoH&FW, Government of India, Healthcare Informatics Standards Committee, Bureau of Standards for India, and Honorary State Secretary, Indian Medical Association Haryana State

for 2015 IMA Year. He was President, Indian Association for Medical Informatics for the 2010 – 2011 session, having previously served as Treasurer and Secretary of that association.