VocMnt-CodeSysRev
Contents
Code System Revisions
A code system revision can either create (register) a new code system or update an existing system.
Registering a New Code System
The registerCodeSystem element is used to register a new external, internal or external/internally coded code system with the HL7 RIM vocabulary. The attributes of the registerCodeSystem entry are described below.
| codeSystemName | The full name used to describe the code system. |
|---|---|
| codeSystemMnemonic | A short mnemonic used to represent the code system within the HL7 vocabulary. The mnemonic must be unique. |
| codeSystemType | (see table below) |
| codeSystemOID | the official ISO Object Identifier (OID) of the code system. The OID can be omitted when vocabularyRevision.documentStatus is anything other than Final. The codeSystemOID must be explicitly stated before the code system can be registered in the official RIM database.
If the code system OID is omitted, it will be assigned an available number from the HL7 example root branch (2.16.840.1.113883.19). A number will be assigned from the 2.16.840.1.113883.19.5 branch for internal code systems and the 2.16.840.1.113883.19.6 branch for External systems. |
| codeSystemType | Meaning |
|---|---|
| I | (Internal) The code system is created and maintained by HL7 (default) |
| E | (External) The code system is created and maintained by an outside party and is not carried in the HL7 tables |
| EI | (External/Internally maintained) The code system is created and maintained by an outside party, but a copy is carried within the HL7 tables for convenience. |
Code System Description
The description element immediately follows the ballotStatus if it exists. Otherwise it is the first element in the code system registration block. It is optional and describes the intent or purpose of the code system revision.
The example above registers a new Beer and Flavor Classification code system under the mnemonic BEERS. The entry has passed RIM harmonization with 17 for, 4 against and one abstention. The code system is Internal by default. Because an OID isn’t supplied, an OID will automatically be generated from the 2.16.840.1.113883.19.5 branch.
The above example registers the LOINC code system as an external entry under the mnemonic “LOINC” with the OID “2.16.840.1.113883.6.1”
Modifying an Existing Code System
It is also possible to modify the contents of a previously registered code system. As with new code systems, it is possible to add new concept codes to the code system, new print names or properties to concept codes, and new relationships between concept codes. In addition it is also possible to modify the properties of the code system itself, modify or remove print names, descriptions, properties and relationships. It is also possible to retire concept codes from code systems and adjust subsumption relationships.
selectCodeSystem has an optional ballotStatus element that can be used to record the vote on the entire modification. The first four selectCodeSystem operations (shown with a gray background in the figure above) have been discussed under registerCodeSystem (above), where they also apply. The remaining six operations are discussed in the following sub-sections.
selectCodeSystem has a single attribute, codeSystemMnemonic, that selects the code system to be modified.
| codeSystemMnemonic | The HL7 mnemonic code for the code system to be selected |
|---|
The above example selects the “BEERS” code system for modification. Unless otherwise noted, all of the changes within the selection were passed by a 12-1-0 vote (the author being the single negative vote) with the provision that author will sample all of the changes before they are officially recorded.
