SNOMED CT — Systematized Clinical Terminology

What Is SNOMED CT?

SNOMED CT (Systematized Nomenclature of Medicine — Clinical Terms) is the most comprehensive multilingual clinical terminology in the world. Maintained by SNOMED International, it contains over 350,000 concepts covering diseases, procedures, clinical findings, substances, medical devices, and much more.

Unlike other classification systems, SNOMED CT enables semantic interoperability — systems can exchange clinical meaning, not just raw data. Each concept includes hierarchical and associative relationships that allow health information systems to interpret data accurately and consistently.

SNOMED CT is used alongside ICD-10 in a complementary manner. While SNOMED CT captures clinical detail during care delivery (diagnoses, symptoms, procedures), ICD-10 is used for statistical coding and billing. This combination ensures both clinical richness and administrative standardization.

Why It Matters in Healthcare

• Semantic interoperability: enables different systems to understand the clinical meaning behind data, not just codes.
• Exhaustive coverage: over 350,000 concepts cover virtually any documentable clinical situation.
• Multilingual support: available in more than 40 languages, facilitating adoption across Latin America and worldwide.
• Clinical decision support: SNOMED CT's logical structure powers alert systems and clinical decision support tools.
• Growing regulatory requirement: national digital health programs in multiple countries require or recommend SNOMED CT as a standard terminology.

How Davix Relates to SNOMED CT

• The Davix HIS supports SNOMED CT coding in clinical notes, diagnoses, and procedures, enabling semantically rich electronic health records.
• Integration with FHIR terminology services enables real-time SNOMED CT code lookup and validation.
• The Davix LIS maps laboratory results to SNOMED CT concepts for standardized clinical information exchange.
• Cross-mapping support between SNOMED CT and ICD-10 facilitates both detailed clinical documentation and administrative coding.

Adopting SNOMED CT with Davix positions your organization at the forefront of clinical interoperability. Discover how Davix can help you implement standard terminologies across your health network.