SNOMED CT©

Veterinary Medical Databases (VMDB) stores and retrieves medical records using SNOMED Clinical Terms (SNOMED CT©).  SNOMED CT© is the most comprehensive, multilingual clinical healthcare terminology in the world.

SNOMED CT© contributes to the improvement of patient care by underpinning the development of Electronic Health Records that record clinical information in ways that enable meaning-based retrieval. This provides effective access to information required for decision support and consistent reporting and analysis. Patients benefit from the use of SNOMED CT© because it improves the recording of EHR information and facilitates better communication, leading to improvements in the quality of care.

Some uses of SNOMED CT© data include:

  • Teaching and research
  • Unusual case treatment information
  • Caseload analysis
  • Public health
    • Disease monitoring and surveillance
    • Transmission of disease via the food chain
    • Bioterrorism
  • Marketing and Trends

SNOMED CT© improves communication by ensuring that health care professionals communicate effectively and consistently utilizing a standardized and unambiguous language.

The terminology is used internationally between veterinary and human medicine which supports the One Health Initiative.  SNOMED CT© is sanctioned by the AVMA (American Veterinary Medical Association).

SNOMED CT© is owned, maintained and distributed by the International Health Terminology Standards Development Organisation (IHTSDO). The IHTSDO is a not-for-profit association which is owned and governed by its national Members