Classifications, terminologies and ontologies in health field

Abstract

Considering issues that occurred in the Brazilian scenario during the Covid-19 pandemic, this research aimed to present the basic functionalities of classifications, terminologies and ontologies used in the health field, seeking to answer the following questions: What scope do they cover and what are they used for? What are their constituent elements? What are their contexts of use? Which professionals employ them? To achieve this goal and answer such questions, a descriptive study was developed. The analysis comprised: the Systematized Nomenclature of Medicine Clinical Terms (SNOMED CT); Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine (DICOM); the Logical Observation Identifiers Names and Codes (LOINC); the International Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (ICD); the International Classification of Primary Care (CIAP); the Table of Procedures of the Unified Health System; the Brazilian Hierarchical Classification of Medical Procedures (CBHPM); the Unified Terminology of Supplementary Health (TUSS); the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF); the NANDA International Nursing Diagnoses: definitions and classification (NANDA-I); the International Classification of Nursing Practice (ICNP); and, the Health Sciences Descriptors (DeCS/MeSH). It is noteworthy that the classifications, terminologies and ontologies in the field of health are developed by international and national reference institutions. They have well-defined scopes to be used in well-established communication situations, whether by disciplinary or interdisciplinary teams. In order to avoid any type of deviation, it is essential that students, professionals, managers and researchers in the field of health receive education and continued training on these themes.