Fix definition of PART

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PROPOSAL STATUS: NEW (in draft process)

Recommendation for HL7 RIM Change	RECOMMENDATION ID:
Submitted by: Gunther Schadow	Revision (# and date): 1
Date submitted: 20060314	Committee status: open
Submitted by: Gunther Schadow
NAME: Role class Partitive and PART fix

Stewards Position

REQUIRED - This table should contain one row for each Steward Committee affected by the recommendation.

TC	RECOMMENDATION APPROVAL STATUS	AFFECTED ENTITIES OF INTEREST TO TC (responsibility level: S=Steward; I=Interested)
O&O	Unknown	I
RCRIM	Unknown	I
MnM	Requested	I

Issue

PART is defined too broadly.

Current State

Definition: "An association between two Entities where the playing Entity is considered in some way "part" of the scoping Entity, e.g., as a member, component, ingredient, or content. Being "part" in the broadest sense of the word can mean anything from being an integral structural component to a mere incidental temporary association of a playing Entity with a (generally larger) scoping Entity."

Recommendation(s)

Definition: "A role played by an Entity which is a structural component of the scoper Entity. Example: my arm is a part of my body, my car's tire is a part of my car, a syringe is part if a medicine kit. Discussion: taking away a part leaves the whole in a defective state. This is contrasted to member, where taking away a member reduces the whole, but it leaves behind other members which can take the place of the missing one."

Rationale

The present definition of PART is the definition of PartitiveRole and probably moved down in a reorganization of the part itive role hierarchy. It is only used presently in a specific meaning, as opposed to the other partitive roles. Therefore, it should be redefined rather than moved up in the hierarchy.

Workaround Considered

Moving PART up, see under rationale.

The new definition is a constraint of the old one, and is therefore not backwards compatible. Therefore (as an alternative which does not have such repercussions) it should be considered that a new concept code be created, as a subconcept of PART, which contains the constrained definition. Rene spronk 16:49, 14 Mar 2006 (CST)

That is understood. But it was seen that all current usages of PART were considering the placement in the hierarchy rather than the broad definition. The placement in the hierarchy really is part of the definition, hence, we can argue that the definition was contradictory (saying that it subsumed the other partitive roles but then not actually subsuming them) and all we do is fix that contradiction by removing one part of the over-definition. Gunther Schadow 20:49, 14 Mar 2006 (EST)

Recommended Action Items

• Implement the proposed solution

Resolution

Approved