title: Formal nursing terminology systems: a means to an end.
abstract: In response to the need to support diverse and complex information requirements, nursing has developed a number of different terminology systems. The two main kinds of systems that have emerged are enumerative systems and combinatorial systems, although some systems have characteristics of both approaches. Differences in the structure and content of terminology systems, while useful at a local level, prevent effective wider communication, information sharing, integration of record systems, and comparison of nursing elements of healthcare information at a more global level. Formal nursing terminology systems present an alternative approach. This paper describes a number of recent initiatives and explains how these emerging approaches may help to augment existing nursing terminology systems and overcome their limitations through mediation. The development of formal nursing terminology systems is not an end in itself and there remains a great deal of work to be done before success can be claimed. This paper presents an overview of the key issues outstanding and provides recommendations for a way forward.
authors.affiliation: Salford Health Informatics Research Environment, Room PO42, Brian Blatchford Building, University of Salford, Greater Manchester M6 6PU, UK. n.r.hardiker@salford.ac.uk
authors.forename: Nicholas R
authors.initials: NR
authors.lastname: Hardiker
authors.forename: Suzanne
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bakken
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Casey
authors.forename: Derek
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Hoy
mesh_terms: D007256:Information Systems; D016294:Models, Nursing; D009729:Nursing; D009733:Nursing Diagnosis; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D009626:Terminology as Topic