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About SNOMED International

New Zealand is one of nine founder members of the International Health Terminology Standards Development Organisation (IHTSDO), the not-for-profit organisation established in 2007 that is now known as SNOMED International.

The purpose of SNOMED International is to own, develop and administer SNOMED CT and related terminology products, and to support the adoption of SNOMED CT in member countries and around the world.

SNOMED International is a distributed organisation with its headquarters in London. The organisation is owned and governed by its 41 member countries in accord with the Articles of Association.

For more information about our involvement, visit the member country page for New Zealand on the SNOMED International website.

Governance, advisory and project groups

New Zealand is officially represented on the SNOMED International General Assembly and the Member Forum. We are also involved with a number of advisory and project groups as active members of the organisation.

General Assembly

The General Assembly is the governing body of SNOMED International, with each member country entitled to one representative. 

Member Forum

The Member Forum is the collaboration hub that brings together member countries’ key people for getting SNOMED CT adoption at national level and around the world.

Advisory Groups

A number of Advisory Groups manage specific activities that contribute to the organisation and its work programme. Advisory Groups are chaired by Management Team members and include member countries’ representatives and nominees.

Vendor Liaison Forum

The Vendor Liaison Forum is an advisory group that allows our industry partners to provide input into SNOMED CT development, release and implementation.

Clinical Reference Groups

Clinical Reference Groups (CRGs) enable clinicians to work with peers around the world and contribute to the ongoing development of SNOMED CT. CRGs are managed by SNOMED International’s clinical engagement team. New Zealanders are involved in a number of CRGs.

Project Groups

Project Groups are established to focus on a specific task that is completed within a set timeframe. New Zealand is represented by volunteers on projects to develop SNOMED CT content in the areas of medicines, medical devices, diabetes and HL7 FHIR®.

Individuals or groups who have clinical experience within a health specialty and are interested in contributing to future projects, can register their interest with SNOMED International.

SNOMED CT Education and Document Library

SNOMED International provides online courses, tutorials and learning pathways that are designed to enable user to learn more about SNOMED CT.

 

Courses available are the SNOMED CT:

  • Foundation Course
  • Implementation Course
  • Authoring Level 1 Course
  • For Data Analysts
  • For Developers.

 

The Foundation Course is free and recommended for new users.

 

SNOMED CT for Data Analysts and Developers are self-paced learning pathways that teach a specific skill set.

 

For more information or to enrol for a course, visit the SNOMED International Education page.

 

New Zealand is represented on the SNOMED E-Learning Advisory Group and feedback is welcomed on the available education.

SNOMED CT Document Library

The SNOMED CT Document Library is a collection of documents, including introductory material, practical guides, technical specifications and reference material. These documents are an important source of information for user engaged in the adoption, authoring, implementation, deployment and use of SNOMED CT.

 

Some of the documents available are:

  • Starter Guide
  • Vendor Introduction to SNOMED CT
  • Technical Implementation Guide
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Data Analytics with SNOMED CT
  • SNOMED CT Diagramming Guideline.