SNOB - A SNOMED Browser

Background

A perennial issue with SNOMED CT documentation is that, where examples are provided, these were typically taken from a particular version of actual SNOMED CT content, but this content is not static over time. As a result, some of the examples can no longer be duplicated using current (January 2008) content.

In the same way, whilst attempting to author specific operational tests to investigate in detail the interactions between individual SNOMED browser implementations and SNOMED CT content, I found myself first having to spend a lot of time both initially identifying (sometimes rare) instances of particular arcane characteristics of SNOMED CT content and, subsequently, identifying when such previously identified instances had disappeared in later releases, and finding appropriate substitutes.

These observations and experiences led me to believe that a (relatively) static test and compliance SNOMED CT content submodel would be valuable to myself and to the community of practice. It should be relatively stable across releases of the primary content, and contain specific examples of both common and arcane characteristics of actual primary release content, as well as certain illegal or undesirable patterns.