title: Systematized nomenclature of medicine clinical terms (SNOMED CT) to represent computed tomography procedures.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the ability of systematized nomenclature of medicine clinical terms (SNOMED CT) to represent computed tomography procedures in computed tomography dictionaries used in the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study was conducted in two stages. In the first stage computed tomography dictionaries were collected and consolidated to one master list. The duplicated procedure names were deleted from the list. In the second stage the unique data items from the master list were matched with the SNOMED CT concepts. Sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values of SNOMED CT were investigated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After eliminating 680 duplicate procedures from the total of 833, the study sample consisted of 153 data items. For pre-coordination, SNOMED CT had sensitivity of 56% and for post-coordination SNOMED CT had sensitivity of 98%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results suggest that SNOMED CT is a valid nomenclature for representing computed tomography procedures.
authors.affiliation: Clinical Information Programs, Newfoundland and Labrador Centre for Health Information, 70 O'Leary Avenue, St. John's, NL, Canada.
authors.forename: Thuppahi Sisira
authors.initials: TS
authors.lastname: De Silva
authors.forename: Don
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: MacDonald
authors.forename: Grace
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Paterson
authors.forename: Khokan C
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: Sikdar
authors.forename: Bonnie
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Cochrane
mesh_terms: D002170:Canada; D039061:Systematized Nomenclature of Medicine; D009626:Terminology as Topic; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000145:classification* / Q000379:methods