¹Universitätsklinikum Jena, Jena, Germany

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Introduction: Terminology servers can be a useful part of medical data management [1], [2], [3]. They can validate codes, translate between code systems, determine a code's place within a system hierarchy and expand value sets. However to actually perform these operations correctly, a terminology server needs a current set of code systems. Medical code systems are frequently updated, sometimes monthly, adding and deleting codes. Without up-to-date code systems, operations using the codes are compromised. One method proposed to keep terminology servers updated is a cascading system whereby local terminology servers at individual hospitals and clinics are updated by accessing national-level terminology servers that are themselves updated from the original sources of the codes [4]. With updated code systems, a problem can occur whereby codes that were previously active in ConceptMaps may now be inactive or deleted. To discover inactive codes requires many queries for code validation to a terminology server. While some smaller queries can be managed individually, automated scripts are needed to handle larger code validation queries to a terminology server. Here we present examples for scripts that handle both of these issues. One script requests and receives code system updates from a national terminology server when needed that are then in turn used to update a local instance of a terminology server. The other script automates code validation by parsing ConceptMaps for codes and sending them to a terminology server for validation.

Methods: A Python script was written to make REST calls to the MII SU-TermServ, a terminology server based on Ontoserver [5], to find when the code systems we use have been updated. REST calls are then also made to the local terminology server to find when the code systems were updated in the local server. If the MII SU-TermServ has a newer version of a code system, the script then will download the new version from the MII SU-TermServ and make a REST call to upload the updated code system the local terminology server. Another Python script was written to automate validation of codes from FHIR ConceptMaps. The script takes ConceptMaps as input, finds the target codes and the code system, and sends all the codes to the local terminology server for validation and outputs any invalid codes.

Results: Our update script was tested and successfully identified if code system updates are needed, and when needed, downloaded the code systems from the MII SU-TermServ and uploaded them to the local terminology server. The code validation script was tested and successfully automates validation of codes from ConceptMaps. ConceptMaps used in our Data Integration Center have been tested with the validation script to find any invalid codes. Both scripts will be made available via a git repository

Conclusion: Terminology servers require up-to-date code systems to perform correctly. We have demonstrated that a script can use the national level MII SU-TermServ to update a local terminology server thereby giving a demonstration of cascading terminology servers. We have also demonstrated that the updated terminology server can be used for automated code validation.

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

The authors declare that an ethics committee vote is not required.

References

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