This is an issue which regularly causes debate in the UK Terminology Centre (UKTC). UKTC manages SNOMED CT and the Read codes. These codes, when used in electronic patient records, give clear and unambiguous descriptions of clinical phrases.
One of the key deliverables of these terminologies is to support interoperability of information between healthcare professionals.
In my years practising as a General Practitioner I regularly received letters with incomprehensible abbreviations. Since then I have become a advocate of avoiding abbreviations where ever possible.
The UKTC has a policy on the usage of abbreviations in the clinical terminologies. This basically states that they should not be used. However, there are some exceptions. I have included, below, the list of approved abbreviations
CT – Computed tomography
MRI – Magnetic resonance imaging
NHS – National Health Service
O/E – on examination
H/O – history of
C/O – complaining of
IgE – Immunoglobulin E
PET – Positron emission tomography
SPECT - Single photon emission computed tomography
DXA (DEXA) - Dual energy X-ray absorptiometry
PET CT - Positron emission tomography computed tomography
SPECT CT - Single photon emission computed tomography computed tomography
IgG - Immunoglobulin G
IgM - Immunoglobulin M
IgA - Immunoglobulin A
FH - Family history
RAST – Radioallergosorbent
OPCS-4 Office of populations, censuses and surveys (classification of interventions and procedures) version 4
OPCS - Office of populations, censuses and surveys (classification of interventions and procedures)
CD – Cluster of differentiation – restricted to pathology use
HLA – Human leucocyte antigen – restricted to pathology use
UK – United Kingdom
CAMHS – Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services
NICE – National Institute for Health and Care Excellence
Rapid Response:
This is an issue which regularly causes debate in the UK Terminology Centre (UKTC). UKTC manages SNOMED CT and the Read codes. These codes, when used in electronic patient records, give clear and unambiguous descriptions of clinical phrases.
One of the key deliverables of these terminologies is to support interoperability of information between healthcare professionals.
In my years practising as a General Practitioner I regularly received letters with incomprehensible abbreviations. Since then I have become a advocate of avoiding abbreviations where ever possible.
The UKTC has a policy on the usage of abbreviations in the clinical terminologies. This basically states that they should not be used. However, there are some exceptions. I have included, below, the list of approved abbreviations
CT – Computed tomography
MRI – Magnetic resonance imaging
NHS – National Health Service
O/E – on examination
H/O – history of
C/O – complaining of
IgE – Immunoglobulin E
PET – Positron emission tomography
SPECT - Single photon emission computed tomography
DXA (DEXA) - Dual energy X-ray absorptiometry
PET CT - Positron emission tomography computed tomography
SPECT CT - Single photon emission computed tomography computed tomography
IgG - Immunoglobulin G
IgM - Immunoglobulin M
IgA - Immunoglobulin A
FH - Family history
RAST – Radioallergosorbent
OPCS-4 Office of populations, censuses and surveys (classification of interventions and procedures) version 4
OPCS - Office of populations, censuses and surveys (classification of interventions and procedures)
CD – Cluster of differentiation – restricted to pathology use
HLA – Human leucocyte antigen – restricted to pathology use
UK – United Kingdom
CAMHS – Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services
NICE – National Institute for Health and Care Excellence
Competing interests: No competing interests