| Abstract: | Background/Aims UMLS (Universal Medical Language System) contains metadata for many of the data subject areas that make up the VDW. This metadata describes what codes mean, and their relationship with other codes, along with hierarchical structures that can be applied to the data subject area. Programs which run on the VDW often need to use code sets of disease, procedure, and medication classes. UMLS metadata could provide a uniform starting point for the development and maintenance of these code sets. Primary examples of the source systems included in UMLS are RxNorm (which contains NDCs), ICD-9 and ICD-10 which contain procedure and diagnosis codes, and HCPCS. Methods We propose that the ontology deployment programs which currently build i2b2 taxonomy querying interfaces be repurposed for the construction of standardized VDW metadata code sets and hierarchies. This metadata could be stored and shared in the VDW under a standardized specification. Documentation with links to the metadata could be made available on the CRN Portal, with both investigator and programming resources in mind. Such documentation will allow users to integrate the metadata into studies and programs by providing a menu of options and class systems that are available. Results UMLS has been very successfully used as a resource by Group Health in its i2b2 and SHRINE installations, providing the metadata needed to build the complex querying interface. The programs which accomplish this have been repurposed and we've built a prototype for VDW metadata table structure which encompasses pharmacy, procedure, and diagnosis data. We've built draft standard macros to query the metadata and create NDC lists based on an input class of drugs. The completeness of VDW procedures has been measured via UMLS metadata. Finally, we've identified areas of extreme interest which warrant additional research, such as the potential mapping of ICD-10 and ICD-9 codes via UMLS concept unique identifiers. Discussion The UMLS provides a standard way to distribute and prepare metadata that can be used for VDW research and infrastructure program code sets. Since this resource is freely available, well documented, and supported we recommend its adoption by other sites in their programs. |
