ISO 17115:2007
(Main)Health informatics — Vocabulary of compositional terminological systems
Health informatics — Vocabulary of compositional terminological systems
ISO 17115:2007 defines a set of basic concepts required to describe formal concept representation systems, especially for health sciences, and describes representation of concepts and characteristics, for use especially in formal computer-based concept representation systems. A main motivation is to make it possible to precisely describe content models described in other International Standards. ISO 17115:2007 does not include enumeration of axiomatic concepts and semantic links, or detailed content of health terminology systems (classifications, nomenclatures or reference terminology of health concepts).
Informatique de santé — Vocabulaire pour les systèmes terminologiques
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Standards Content (Sample)
INTERNATIONAL ISO
STANDARD 17115
First edition
2007-07-01
Health informatics — Vocabulary for
terminological systems
Informatique de santé — Vocabulaire pour les systèmes
terminologiques
Reference number
ISO 17115:2007(E)
©
ISO 2007
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ISO 17115:2007(E)
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© ISO 2007
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ISO 17115:2007(E)
Contents Page
Foreword. iv
Introduction . v
1 Scope. 1
1.1 Main purposes. 1
1.2 Target groups. 1
1.3 Topics not considered. 1
2 Terms and definitions . 1
2.1 Specialization. 1
2.2 Formal representation of characteristics . 2
2.3 Sanctioned specialization. 3
2.4 Formal concept representation . 4
2.5 Terminology and information models, concept systems . 5
2.6 Specified concepts . 5
2.7 Terminological systems . 6
Annex A (normative) Selected definitions from ISO 1087-1:2000 . 7
Bibliography . 11
Alphabetical index . 12
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ISO 17115:2007(E)
Foreword
ISO (the International Organization for Standardization) is a worldwide federation of national standards bodies
(ISO member bodies). The work of preparing International Standards is normally carried out through ISO
technical committees. Each member body interested in a subject for which a technical committee has been
established has the right to be represented on that committee. International organizations, governmental and
non-governmental, in liaison with ISO, also take part in the work. ISO collaborates closely with the
International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) on all matters of electrotechnical standardization.
International Standards are drafted in accordance with the rules given in the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 2.
The main task of technical committees is to prepare International Standards. Draft International Standards
adopted by the technical committees are circulated to the member bodies for voting. Publication as an
International Standard requires approval by at least 75 % of the member bodies casting a vote.
Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this document may be the subject of patent
rights. ISO shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights.
ISO 17115 was prepared by Technical Committee ISO/TC 215, Health informatics.
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ISO 17115:2007(E)
Introduction
Health terminology is complex and multifaceted, more so than most language domains. It has been estimated
that between 500 000 and 45 million different concepts are needed to adequately describe concepts (e.g.
conditions of patients and populations), actions in healthcare and related concepts (e.g. biomedical molecules,
genes, organisms, technical methods and social concepts).
It is obvious that to adequately represent and especially to process this complexity, simple coding schemes
are inadequate and formal multidimensional concept representation systems are required. Several such
formal systems exist but systems and their underlying philosophy are described in different ways. The system
itself can, for example, be called an ontology, medical entity dictionary, coding and reference model or
reference terminology. The differences in terminology are understandable; this kind of work is highly
interdisciplinary and integrates knowledge from linguistics, philosophy, informatics and health sciences, and
there is room for misunderstanding between disciplines.
This International Standard is based on other standards, with clarifications and examples appropriate to health
care in order to inform those working with terminology in health care, and aims to establish a set of basic
concepts required to describe formal concept representation systems, especially for health sciences, and to
describe representation of concepts and characteristics, for use especially in formal computer-based concept
representation systems. These issues have previously been addressed by EN 12264, which is partly replaced
by this International Standard. This document is not intended to be exhaustive, but to serve as a basis for
related International Standards by reference and associated implementation guides.
Informally, the term "concepts" is often used when what is meant is "concept representations". However, this
leads to confusion when precise meanings are required. Concepts arise out of human individual and social
conceptualization of the world around them. Concept representations are artefacts constructed of symbols
and are often manifest in computer programs. Because they are artefacts, it is possible to be precise about
the functioning and capabilities of concept representations. It is more difficult to be clear about the yet poorly
understood function of human conceptualization.
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INTERNATIONAL STANDARD ISO 17115:2007(E)
Health informatics — Vocabulary for terminological systems
1 Scope
1.1 Main purposes
This International Standard defines a set of basic concepts required to describe formal concept representation
systems, especially for health sciences, and describes representation of concepts and characteristics, for use
especially in formal computer-based concept representation systems. A main motivation is to make it possible
to precisely describe content models described in other International Standards.
The principles established by ISO/TC 37 are extended here into a formal system suited to health informatics.
Potential uses for this International Standard are
— to describe formal definitions, parts of definitions and how they are related, and
— to describe patterns for concept representation in a particular domain.
1.2 Target groups
The target groups for this International Standard are
— developers of concept representation systems for different health care domains,
— developers of standards for concept representation, especially those describing domain concept models,
— information modellers, knowledge engineers, and standards developers building information models for
health information systems, such as electronic health records and decision support systems,
— developers of information systems that require an explicit system of concepts for internal organization,
data warehouse management and middleware services.
1.3 Topics not considered
This International Standard does not include enumeration of axiomatic concepts and semantic links, or
detailed content of health terminology systems (classifications, nomenclatures or reference terminology of
health concepts).
2 Terms and definitions
For the purposes of this document, the following terms and definitions apply. Selected background terms and
definitions from ISO 1087-1 are provided in Annex A.
NOTE The use of angular brackets <> refers to a category which can be specialized to various concepts as required.
2.1 Specialization
2.1.1
specialize
form a more specific concept (A.3.2.16) [by constraining the extension (A.3.2.8) of a more generic concept
(A.3.2.15)]
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ISO 17115:2007(E)
EXAMPLE 1 Infection that hasCause Bacteria can be specialized to Infection that hasCause.
EXAMPLE 2 Pneumococcus Hepatitis can be specialized to NonA-NonB-hepatitis.
NOTE 1 To specialize is to increase the intension and decrease the extension of a concept. The more specific
concept (A.3.2.16) has a larger intension (A.3.2.9), but a smaller extension than the general concept (A.3.2.3).
Specialization and generalization can be achieved in many ways, including replacing a semantic link with a more specific
semantic link (and vice versa for generalization).
NOTE 2 The more specific concept has a broader intension, but a narrower extension than the generic concept.
NOTE 3 Ways to specialize concepts include
— adding one or more composite characteristics (2.2.1),
— replacing the characterizing concept (2.2.2) in one or more characteristics (A.3.2.4) with a more specific concept
(A.3.2.16), and
— forming an intersection of two concepts (where the intersection is a specialization of both the "parents").
NOTE 4 The opposite is generalize (2.1.2).
2.1.2
generalize
form a more generic concept (A.3.2.15) [that represents a superset of the extension(s) (A.3.2.8) of one or
more specific concepts (A.3.2.16)]
EXAMPLE Infection that hasCause Pneumococcus can be generalized to Infection that hasCause Bacterium.
NOTE 1 To generalize is to decrease the intension (A.3.2.9) and increase the extension of a concept. Specialization
and generalization can be achieved in many ways, including replacing a semantic link with a less specific semantic link
(and vice versa for specialization).
NOTE 2 This can be done by removing one or more characteristics (A.3.2.4) or by replacing the characterizing
concept (2.2.2) in one or more characteristics with a more generic concept.
NOTE 3 The opposite is specialize (2.1.1).
2.1.3
level of specialization
property of a concept (A.3.2.1) reflecting the number of and detail of characteristics (A.3.2.4) in its
intension (A.3.2.9)
NOTE A specific concept (A.3.2.16) has a high level of specialization and a fine granularity; a generic concept
(A.3.2.15) has low level of specialization and coarse granularity.
2.1.4
generic concept
category
concept (A.3.2.1) in a generic relation (A.3.2.21) having the narrower intension (A.3.2.9) [and the wider
extension (A.3.2.8)]
[ISO 1087-1:2000, A.3.2.15]
2.2 Formal representation of characteristics
2.2.1
composite characteristic
qualifier
representation of a characteristic (A.3.2.4)
EXAMPLE hasCause Bacteria; Location = LeftUpperLobeOfLung.
NOTE 1 Typically expressed by a semantic link (2.2.3) and a characterizing concept (2.2.2).
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ISO 17115:2007(E)
NOTE 2 Can be compared to an attribute-value pair in a compositional system (2.5.2).
NOTE 3 A qualifier often denotes characteristics with a small simple characterizing generic concept (2.3.3), such as
laterality (left or right), or severity (low, moderate, high).
2.2.2
characterizing concept
concept (A.3.2.1) that is referenced by a semantic link (2.2.3) in a composite characteristic (2.2.1)
EXAMPLES "Bacterium" in the construct "Disease that hasCause Bacterium"; "Yellow" in the construct "SkinLesion that
hasColour Yellow".
2.2.3
semantic link
formal representation of a directed associative relation (A.3.2.23) or partitive relation (A.3.2.22) between
two concepts (A.3.2.1)
EXAMPLES hasLocation (with inverse isLocationOf); isCauseOf (with inverse hasCause).
NOTE 1 This includes all relations except the generic relation (A.3.2.21).
NOTE 2 A semantic link always has an inverse, i.e. another semantic link with the opposite direction.
NOTE 3 A semantic link can be part of a composite characteristic (2.2.1) where it describes the role of the
characterizing concept (2.2.2). Similarly, it describes the role of a characterizing generic concept (2.3.3) in a
sanctioned characteristic (A.3.1).
2.3 Sanctioned specialization
2.3.1
sanctioned characteristic
formal representation of a type of characteristics (A.3.2.5)
EXAMPLE 1 performedUsing ; hasLocation .
EXAMPLE 2 "CauseOfInflammation canBe set{ bacteria, virus, parasite, autoimmune, chemical, physical }", where
"canBe" is the semantic link (2.2.3), and "set{ bacteria, virus, parasite, autoimmune, chemical, physical }" is the
characterizing generic concept (2.3.3).
NOTE A sanctioned characteristic is typically made up of a combination of a semantic link and a characterizing generic
concept, and can be used in domain constraints (2.3.2).
2.3.2
domain constraint
sanction rule prescribing the set of sanctioned characteristics (2.3.1) that are valid to specialize (2.1.1) a
concept (A.3.2.1) in a certain subject field (A.3.1.2)
EXAMPLE "Infection possibly hasLocation SkeletalStructure" describes that an infection in a certain context can be
located in a structure that is a kind of skeletal structure.
NOTE 1 The rule describes the set of potential characteristics (A.3.2.4) by combining the semantic link (2.2.3) and
the characterizing generic concept (2.3.3) it links to, possibly by enumeration of the concepts in the characterizing
generic concept.
NOTE 2 Different levels of sanctioning are possible (e.g. conceivable, sensible, normal, usuallyInTheContextOf,
necessary).
2.3.3
characterizing generic concept
characterizing category
value domain
formal category (2.5.3) whose specialization by a domain constraint (2.3.2) is allowed to be used as
characterizing concept (2.2.2) in a particular context
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ISO 17115:2007(E)
EXAMPLE = {bacterium, virus, parasite}, in the context of "Infection that hasCause
INFECTIOUS_ORGANISM".
NOTE The context includes a superordinate concept (A.3.2.13) and a semantic link (2.2.3).
2.4 Formal concept representation
2.4.1
compositional concept representation
intensional definition (A.3.3.
...
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