As we move towards more integrated care records, with
data following patients, it is important that information is consistent and
transferable within and across all the healthcare settings where a patient may
be treated. The use of coded information supports recording in a consistent and
transferable way.
One prerequisite for the safe exchange of clinical
information between healthcare providers is the establishment of a common, coded
clinical language (clinical terminology). The concepts and descriptions (or
terms) used in clinical communications that describe diagnoses, procedures,
therapies, medications, and other clinical ideas must be accurately and
consistently interpreted by all health IT systems and the clinicians that
interact with them.
SNOMED Clinical Terms® (SNOMED CT), an
internationally pre-eminent clinical terminology, has been identified as
a preferred terminology for Malta. SNOMED CT is freely available for use in
Malta, under Malta's licensing arrangements with
SNOMED International.
Access to this
restricted material is limited to those who hold a SNOMED CT Affiliate License
for access to SNOMED CT data; in Malta these licence agreements are managed by the Information Management Unit in the ministry responsible for Health.
To apply for an Affiliate License, please use the
Member Licensing and Distribution Service (MLDS). This is a tool used by the National Release Centre (NRC) in Malta to
manage the Affiliate Licensing of SNOMED CT including new applications, renewals and usage reporting within Malta and where relevant in non member countries. To start the process, please visit the MLDS home page and register.
For more information about SNOMED CT and IHTSDO, please visit
SNOMED - Home | SNOMED International.