Introduction
Background
SNOMED CT is a comprehensive clinical terminology maintained by SNOMED International and used globally to support interoperable clinical data. Access to the full SNOMED CT terminology, including its hierarchies and logical definitions, requires membership or an Affiliate License.
To support global interoperability across licensing boundaries, SNOMED International provides the Global Patient Set (GPS).
The GPS makes all SNOMED CT concepts accessible worldwide, including in non-Member countries, without compromising the SNOMED CT licensing model.
Objective
The objective of this guide is to:
Describe the scope and purpose of the Global Patient Set
Clarify permitted and non-permitted uses of SNOMED CT content when using the GPS
Provide implementation guidance for receiving, storing, validating, and exchanging SNOMED CT identifiers
Support consistent international implementation of the GPS
Scope
This guide applies to:
Use of the GPS as a standalone, permissively licensed artifact
Systems that exchange SNOMED CT identifiers without access to the full SNOMED CT release
Interoperability scenarios involving Member and non-Member countries
This guide does not provide guidance on clinical modeling or terminology authoring.
Audience
This guide is intended for:
National and regional health authorities
International health programmes and organisations
Health information system implementers and vendors
Terminology, standards, and interoperability specialists
Guide Overview
This guide is organised as follows:
Use Cases describes key interoperability use cases
Global Patient Set Content defines the content and structure of the GPS
Information Models and Terminology Binding provides information model and terminology binding guidance
Technical ApplicationTechnical Application describes technical implementation considerations
Review
This guide is subject to ongoing review. Feedback from the international community is encouraged to support continuous improvement.
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