Transformations between SWEC and FHIR
Transforming information between the SNOMED concept model and a FHIR representation is a clear use case for interoperability or analytics. Creating a set of rules to reproducibly perform these transformations safely in real-world scenarios is possible.
We represent these rules as a decision table to offer a clear and structured approach to handling the heterogeneity between terminologies and information models. Although the list provided is not exhaustive and serves only as an example, it effectively demonstrates the critical considerations and steps involved in the transformation process. This approach helps readers understand not just the theoretical aspects but also the practical implementation of transformation rules, enabling them to apply similar strategies within their own systems to achieve seamless interoperability.
Example of a set of transformation rules from SNOMED Situations to FHIR Resources
417662000 |History of clinical finding in subject (situation)|
Known present
Subject of record
In the past
Condition
clinicalStatus = inactive
416471007 |Family history of clinical finding (situation)|
Known present
Person in the family
Current or past
FamilyMemberHistory
relationship = << 303071001 |Person in the family (person)|
1260502004 |History of event in life of subject (situation)|
Known present
Subject of record
In the past
Condition
clinicalStatus = inactive
373572006 |Clinical finding absent (situation)|
Known absent
Subject of record
Current or specified time
Observation
observation.code = associated finding observation.value = known absent
373573001 |Clinical finding present (situation)|
Known present
Subject of record
Current
Condition
verificationStatus = confirmed
443859009 |Possible clinical finding (situation)|
Known possible
Subject of record
Current or specified time
Condition
verificationStatus = unconfirmed
To further illustrate the practical application of these transformation rules, we have developed a demonstration tool that performs real-time conversions from SNOMED CT to FHIR. This tool serves as a concrete example of how context information can be effectively translated between different models using a similar set of rules. It is open source, and the code is publicly available for anyone to review, use, or modify.
https://ihtsdo.github.io/sct-implementation-demonstrator/#/context
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