Lexicon Query Services
Harold Solbrig
3M Health Information Systems
2/19/99
2/19/99
Lexicon Query Services
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Presentation Outline
•
•
•
•
•
•
Introduction to Terminology and Coding
Description of the LQS RFP
Overview of the response
Abstract Model Overview
IDL Overview
Demonstration
2/19/99
Lexicon Query Services
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Presentation Outline
•
•
•
•
•
•
Introduction to Terminology and Coding
Description of the LQS RFP
Overview of the response
Abstract Model Overview
IDL Overview
Demonstration
2/19/99
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Why Terminology?
Thought or Reference
Refers To
Symbolises
Symbol
Stands For
Referent
Ogden’s Semiotic Triangle*
*C.K.
Ogden and I.A. Richards, The Meaning of Meaning, 1923
Why Terminology?
Thought or Reference
Refers To
Symbolises
ROSE
Stands For
Symbol
Referent
Why Terminology?
Thought or
Reference
Symbolises
Refers To
Stands For
Referent
Thought or
Reference
ROSE
Symbol
Refers To
Symbolises
ROSE
Symbol
Stands For
Why Terminology?
CONCEPT
CONCEPT
Symbolises
Refers To
ROSE
ROSE
Stands For
Referent
Refers To
Symbolises
Stands For
Designation
Designation
Why Terminology?
CONCEPT
CONCEPT
Symbolises
Refers To
ROSE
ROSE
Stands For
Referent
Refers To
Symbolises
Stands For
Designation
Designation
Miscommunication
• Occurs when
– Symbols are incorrectly transmitted
– Symbols symbolize different thoughts to the
receiver
• Computers
– Reduce transmission error
– Exacerbate symbolization problem through lack
of context and feedback
Miscommunication
• To reduce the symbolization problem:
– Produce unambiguous symbols
– Precisely define symbol meaning on both the
transmitting and receiving end
Coding
CONCEPT
CONCEPT
Symbolises
Refers To
ROSE
ROSE
Stands For
Referent
Refers To
Symbolises
Stands For
Designation
Designation
Rose(2) 1 a:
Websters Collegiate Dictionary
Tenth Edition
Rose(2) 1 a:
Websters Collegiate Dictionary
Tenth Edition
Terminology
“Terminology is concerned with the study and
use of the systems of symbols and linguistic
signs employed for human communication
in specialised areas of knowledge and
activities”
International Association of Terminology, 1982
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Terminology
The lexicon of a special subject language reflects the organizational
characteristics of the discipline by tending to provide as many lexical
units as there are concepts… The items which are characterised by
special reference within a discipline are the ‘terms’ of the discipline,
and collectively they form its ‘terminology’; those which function in
general reference over a variety of sublanguages are simply called
‘words’ and their totality the ‘vocabulary’.
A Practical Course in Terminology Processing
Juan C Sager
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Terminology Example
• Sub Language - International Classification
of Diseases
• Term - Angina pectoris
• Words
–
–
–
–
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Anginal pain
Stenocardia
Anginal syndrome
Angina
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Code
A unique string of characters which represents
a term within a terminology.
• Succinct (usually)
• May or may not have intrinsic form or meaning
• Represents a the meaning behind a term in a
terminology.
• Example (ICD-9-CM):
– 413
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AGINA PECTORIS
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Coded Terminology
• Set of unique concept codes assigned to
terms within a terminology
• aka
“Coding Scheme”
001
001.0
001.1
001.9
Cholera
Due to vibrio cholerae
Due to Vibrio Cholerae El Tor
Cholera, Unspecified
...
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Coding Schemes
• May vary in size and complexity
– HL7 2.3 Table 1 has 4 codes:
M
F
O
U
Male
Female
Other
Unknown
– UMLS Contains > 475,000 concepts in 16+
tables.
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Uses of coding schemes
To aid in the creation and validation of
precise, unambiguous information.
–
–
–
–
–
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Phrase matching and lookup
Selection lists
Code Refinement
Classification tools
Information validation
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Parts of a coding scheme
• Coding scheme
• Representational scheme
• Categorization / classification / structuring of
codes
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Coding Scheme
• Set of codes and represented terms
574 Cholelithiasis
574.0
Calculus of Gallbladder with Acute Cholecystitis
574.1
Calculus of Gallbladder with other Cholecystitis
574.2
Calculus of Gallbladder without mention of Cholecystitis
...
• Associated definitions, notes, comments,
etc.
574 Definition: Presence or formation of gallstones.
Comments: The following fifth-digit subclassification is for use with...
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Representational Scheme
• Text strings, pictures, sound bites, etc.
• Independent lexical classification
• Association between text, etc. and codes
– Language
– When it applies
– Lexical information (plural, single, spelling,
adjective, noun, …)
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Representational Scheme
574
Cholelithiasis
French
Preferred
French
Synonym
English
Plural
English
Case
Entlish
Other
Lexical Group L0008350
Cholelithiases
Cholelithiasis, NOS
Cholelithiasis NOS
cholelithiasis
...
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Lithaise Biliaire
CHOLELITHIASE
Cholelithiases
cholelithiasis
Cholelithiasis, NOS
Lexical Group L0164767
LITHIASE BILIAIRE
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Categorization / classification /
structuring of codes within the
terminology
(Systemization)
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Systemization
• Associations between codes
–
–
–
–
–
–
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isPartOf
isSubtypeOf
isSubclassificationOf
references
depends on
...
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Systemization
576.9 (Biliary Tract Disease) hasSubtypes
574 (Cholelithiasis) hasSubtypes
574 (Cholelithiasis)hasSibling
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574 (Cholelithiasis)
576.9 (Biliary Tract Disease)
...
574.0 (Calculus of galbladder without…
574.1 (Calculus of galbladder with…
…
751.61(Biliary Atresia)
576.4 (Biliary Fistula)
...
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Systemization
• Associations between codes and non-coded
information
– hasCount, hasSize, hasColor, …
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Cross Scheme Functionality
• Associations between codes from different
coding schemes
– Synonymous, broader than, narrower than
• Relationship between terminology and
“outside” world.
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Presentation Outline
• Introduction to Terminology and Coding
• Description of the LQS RFP
•
•
•
•
Overview of the response
Abstract Model Overview
IDL Overview
Demonstration
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Lexicon Query Services RFP
• Issued January 1997
• Requests an interface specification to access
to the common features of a set of lexicon
query services.
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Interface
Sony
Panasonic
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An Interface
• Allows a change of vendor, size, power and
implementation to change without having to
re-train (or re-program) the user.
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A IDL Interface Specification
enum Serialstate {
rewind,
stop,
run,
pause,
fastForward
};
interface SerialButtons {
Serialstate pushButton(in SerialState whichButton);
};
(followed by a lot of text)
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CORBA Interfaces
•
•
•
•
Hardware Independent
Operating System Independent
Network Protocol Independent
Application and Language Independent
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LQS RFP Interface
• Provides a common, well understood way
of accessing any coded terminology.
• Terminology implementations would be
delivered by many vendors, with varying
structure and content.
• Terminology clients could be written
without intimate knowledge of the vendor.
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LQS RFP Requirements
• Read Only Access
• Mandatory Requirements:
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
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List the content of a coding scheme
Retrieve concept code for concept
Retrieve concept attributes and characteristics
List attribute and/or relationship types
List concepts which participate in given association
List all relationships in which a concept participates
Access concepts by attribute value
List concepts which satisfy multiple relationship/attribute value
combinations.
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LQS RFP Requirements
• Optional Requirements
– Term matching on soundex, pattern etc.
– Hierarchical relationship traversal
– Ability to represent concepts as co-ordinated
terms.
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Presentation Outline
• Introduction to Terminology and Coding
• Description of the LQS RFP
• Overview of the response
• Abstract Model Overview
• IDL Overview
• Demonstration
2/19/99
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Response Overview
• Formed a loose consortium of 26
individuals representing 14 different
organizations.
• Created:
–
–
–
–
–
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Use Scenarios
Definition of Terms
Abstract Model
IDL Specification
Meta-Terminology (Value Domains for LQS)
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Use Scenarios
• Attempt to categorize the access needs and
functionality for the terminology.
• Included external input as well as RFP
requirements
• Served a secondary role of creating a
“terminology of terminolgy” that we could
focus on.
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Definition of Terms
• Many terms were renamed and redefined several
times as the model developed.
• Served a secondary function of validating the
abstract model. If the associations and behavior of
the model class didn’t match the name then we
had some rework to do.
• Some of the final definitions were reasonably
arbitrary.
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Presentation Outline
• Introduction to Terminology and Coding
• Description of the LQS RFP
• Overview of the response
• Abstract Model Overview
• IDL Overview
• Demonstration
2/19/99
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Abstract Model
• Created using UML
• Purpose is to represent the information and
computational viewpoints
• Attempted to remain “abstract” and NOT
include shortcuts, performance
enhancements, etc.
• Describes what, not how.
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Terminology Service
TerminologyService
GetAllCodingSchemes () : CodingSchemeSet
GetCodingScheme (codingSchemeId : CodingSchemeId) : CodingScheme
GetNativeCodingScheme () : CodingScheme
GetAllValueDomains () : ValueDomainSet
GetValueDomain (valueDomainId : ValueDomainId) : ValueDomain
GetValueDomainsForConcept (concept : QualifiedCode) : ValueDomainSet
1
represents
1..*
CodingScheme
(from CodingSchemes)
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represents
0..*
ValueDomain
(from ValueDomains)
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Coding Scheme
CodingScheme
codingSchemeId : CodingSchemeId
GetCodingSchemeVersion (versionId : VersionId) : CodingSchemeVersion
GetDefaultCodingSchemeVersion () : CodingSchemeVersion
GetAllVersions () : CodingSchemeVersionSequence
GetLastValidVersion (conceptCode : ConceptCode) : CodingSchemeVersion
1
1
QualifiedCode
(from CodingTerms)
defines/belongs to
has version/is version of
1..*
describes/described in
ConceptCode
(from CodingTerms)
1..*
1..*
CodingSchemeVersion
0..*
ConceptDescription
(from ConceptDescriptions)
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Coding Scheme Version
0..*
1
CodingSchemeVersion
(from CodingSchemes)
defined/is defined in
LexicalGroup
(from ConceptDescriptions)
0..1
1
0..*
1
defines/defined in
contains / grouped in
defines/defined in
describes/described in
0..*
Systemization
(from Systemizations)
1..*
Presentation
(from ConceptDescriptions)
1..*
presented as/presentation for0..*
ConceptDescription
(from ConceptDescriptions)
1..*
1..*
ConceptCode
(from CodingTerms)
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ConceptDescription
1..*
ConceptCode
(from CodingTerms)
describes/described in
0..*
CodingSchemeVersion
(from CodingSchemes)
ConceptDescription
(from ConceptDescriptions)
is defined by
1..*
1..*
has instructions
Definition
is annotated by 1..*
0..*
0..*
(from ConceptDescriptions)
0..*
Comment
Instructions
(from ConceptDescriptions)
(from ConceptDescriptions)
0..*
0..*
0..*
0..*
0..*
is written in language
has source
is written in language
has source
1
1
is written in language
has source
Language
0..1
(from MetaConcepts)
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0..1
Lexicon Query Services
0..1
0..1
Source
(from MetaConcepts)
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Systemization
Systemization 0..*
(from Systemizations)
1
Association
1..*
(from MetaConcepts)
1
references
contains
is instantiated as
0..*
0..*
AssociationInstance
(from Systemizations)
source
1
ConceptCode
(from CodingTerms)
AssociationQualifier
(from MetaConcepts)
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0..*
1
target
1
TargetEntity
(from Systemizations)
TargetElement
qualified by(from Systemizations)
0..*
0..*
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SetOfTargetElements
(from Systemizations)
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Value Domain
ValueDomain
(from ValueDomains)
1
consists of
0..*
ValueDomainVersion
(from ValueDomains)
ValueDomainExtension
(from ValueDomains)
0..*
has extension in
0..*
belongs to/contains
0..*
1
CodingScheme
(from CodingSchemes)
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1..*
defines/belongs to
1..* ConceptCode
(from CodingTerms)
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Presentation Outline
•
•
•
•
Introduction to Terminology and Coding
Description of the LQS RFP
Overview of the response
Abstract Model Overview
• IDL Overview
• Demonstration
2/19/99
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IDL
• Hand “translated” from model, using Use
Scenarios as guidance
• Contains shortcuts, flattenings, performance
tweaks, naming changes (IDL conventions),
etc.
• Abstract model maps into IDL. (Reverse
isn’t always TRUE).
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IDL
• Modules
– NamingAuthority - Identical to module in PIDS
submission.
– TerminologyServices - Set of service
specifications
– TerminologyServiceValues - constant
definitions for codes used in
TerminologyServices module (metaterminology)
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TerminologyServices
 Definitions
 Exceptions
 Interfaces
 TranslationLibrary
 TerminologyService
 LexExplorer
 CodingSchemeLocator
 ValueDomainLocator
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TerminologyService
interface TerminologyService{
readonly attribute TerminologyServiceName
terminology_service_name;
readonly attribute LexExplorer lex_explorer;
readonly attribute CodingSchemeLocator coding_scheme_locator;
readonly attribute ValueDomainLocator value_domain_locator;
CodingSchemeIdSeq
get_coding_scheme_ids();
CodingSchemeInfo get_native_coding_scheme_info(
) raises(
NoNativeCodingScheme
);
};
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LexExplorer
interface LexExplorer : TerminologyService{
…
};
– Contains shortcuts and common points of
access.
– May be ONLY interface implemented in
minimal services
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CodingSchemeLocator
interface CodingSchemeLocator:TerminologyService{
VersionIdSeq get_version_ids(
….
);
LanguageIdSeq get_supported_languages(
...
);
CodingSchemeVersionRefs get_coding_scheme_version(
...
);
CodingSchemeVersionRefs get_native_coding_scheme_version(
...
);
};
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ValueDomainLocator
interface ValueDomainLocator:TerminologyService {
void list_value_domain_ids(
...
);
VersionIdSeq get_version_ids(
...
);
ValueDomainVersion get_value_domain_version(
...
);
ValueDomainIdSeq get_value_domain_ids_for_concept(
...
);
};
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CodingSchemeVersionAttributes
interface CodingSchemeVersionAttributes {
readonly attribute CodingSchemeId coding_scheme_id;
readonly attribute VersionId version_id;
readonly attribute LanguageId language_id;
readonly attribute boolean is_default_version;
readonly attribute boolean is_complete_scheme;
readonly
readonly
readonly
readonly
readonly
attribute
attribute
attribute
attribute
attribute
CodingSchemeVersion coding_scheme_version_if;
PresentationAccess presentation_if;
LexicalGroupAccess lexical_group_if;
SystemizationAccess systemization_if;
AdvancedQueryAccess advanced_query_if;
};
interface CodingSchemeVersion : CodingSchemeVersionAttributes {
...
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ValueDomainVersion
interface ValueDomainVersion {
readonly attribute ValueDomainId value_domain_id;
readonly attribute VersionId value_domain_version_id;
readonly attribute boolean is_default_version;
CodingSchemeIdSeq get_schemes_with_extensions();
QualifiedCodeInfoSeq get_all_extensions();
ConceptInfoSeq get_extension_for_scheme( ...
);
boolean is_code_in_domain( ...
);
void get_pick_list(...
);
void get_pick_list_for_scheme(...
);
};
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Presentation Outline
•
•
•
•
•
Introduction to Terminology and Coding
Description of the LQS RFP
Overview of the response
Abstract Model Overview
IDL Overview
• Demonstration
2/19/99
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URL
ftp://ftp.omg.org/pub/docs/corbamed/98-03-22.pdf
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