International Classification Of Health Interventions Research Articles

International Classification of Health Interventions of World Health Organization as the basis for a new nomenclature of medical rehabilitation services

To analyze the structure of International Classification of Health Interventions (ICHI) of World Health Organization (WHO) and the possibilities of its practical application in domestic medical rehabilitation system. The role of ICHI and its structural logical correlations with other classifications of the WHO international classifications section has been determined. Analysis of ICHI application areas, comparison of ICHI codes and new nomenclature of medical services were performed. Analysis of ICHI and new nomenclature project of medical services in the Russian Federation showed, that ICHI formed the basis for the development of a new medical services nomenclature, including a section on medical rehabilitation. The basic principles of ICHI (structure by axes: aim, action, means; codes uniqueness; hierarchical method of classification formation) and ICHI fragment associated with purposes for systems and organism functions are presented in the new nomenclature of medical services. It has been established that ICHI can be a basis for developing domestic list of rehabilitation services, the formation of which is planned in the near future. The development of medical services nomenclature in the Russian Federation will significantly increase the availability, funding and effectiveness of medical rehabilitation assistance.

Harmonization of ICF Body Structures and ICD-11 Anatomic Detail: One foundation for multiple classifications.

The Family of International Classifications of the World Health Organization (WHO-FIC) currently includes three reference classifications, namely International Classification of Diseases (ICD), International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health (ICF), and International Classification of Health Interventions (ICHI). Recently, the three classifications have been incorporated into a single WHO-FIC Foundation that serves as the repository of all concepts in the classifications. Each classification serves a specific classification need. However, they share some common concepts that are present, in different forms, in two or all of them. For the WHO-FIC Foundation to be a logically consistent repository without duplicates, these common concepts must be reconciled. One important set of shared concepts is the representation of human anatomy entities, which are not always modeled in the same way and with the same level of detail. To understand the relationships among the three anatomical representations, an effort is needed to compare them, identifying common areas, gaps, and compatible and incompatible modeling. The work presented here contributes to this effort, focusing on the anatomy representations in ICF and ICD-11. For this aim, three experts were asked to identify, for each entity in the ICF Body Structures, one or more entities in the ICD-11 Anatomic Detail that could be considered identical, broader or narrower. To do this, they used a specifically developed web application, which also automatically identified the most obvious equivalences. A total of 631 maps were independently identified by the three mappers for 218 ICF Body Structures, with an interobserver agreement of 93.5%. Together with 113 maps identified by the software, they were then consolidated into 434 relations. The results highlight some differences between the two classifications: in general, ICF is less detailed than ICD-11; ICF favors lumping of structures; in very few cases, the two classifications follow different anatomic models. For these issues, solutions have to be found that are compliant with the WHO approach to classification modeling and maintenance.

Mapping 3 procedure coding systems to the International Classification of Health Interventions (ICHI): coverage and challenges.

To study the coverage and challenges in mapping 3 national and international procedure coding systems to the International Classification of Health Interventions (ICHI). We identified 300 commonly used codes each from SNOMED CT, ICD-10-PCS, and CCI (Canadian Classification of Health Interventions) and mapped them to ICHI. We evaluated the level of match at the ICHI stem code and Foundation Component levels. We used postcoordination (modification of existing codes by adding other codes) to improve matching. Failure analysis was done for cases where full representation was not achieved. We noted and categorized potential problems that we encountered in ICHI, which could affect the accuracy and consistency of mapping. Overall, among the 900 codes from the 3 sources, 286 (31.8%) had full match with ICHI stem codes, 222 (24.7%) had full match with Foundation entities, and 231 (25.7%) had full match with postcoordination. 143 codes (15.9%) could only be partially represented even with postcoordination. A small number of SNOMED CT and ICD-10-PCS codes (18 codes, 2% of total), could not be mapped because the source codes were underspecified. We noted 4 categories of problems in ICHI-redundancy, missing elements, modeling issues, and naming issues. Using the full range of mapping options, at least three-quarters of the commonly used codes in each source system achieved a full match. For the purpose of international statistical reporting, full matching may not be an essential requirement. However, problems in ICHI that could result in suboptimal maps should be addressed.

The Public Health Value of Coding Surgery in South Africa Using the International Classification of Health Interventions

The lack of a national intervention coding system and the current intervention coding in South Africa through the use of multiple billing and coding systems does not support quality intervention data collection and patient outcomes reporting for general surgery. This presents difficulties in the understanding of the different types of general surgical interventions performed in hospitals, the associated resources, risks, complications, outcomes reporting, public healthcare delivery, and determination of barriers to care. This study illustrates the use of accurate data on health interventions in South Africa's acute care general surgery coding to assist in improved resource allocation, using the new WHO International Classification of Health Interventions (ICHI). ICHI has over 8000 codes and consists of three axes: Target (the entity on which the Action is carried out), Action (a deed performed by an actor to a target), and Means (the processes and methods by which the Action is carried out). A key benefit of ICHI is that it can be used collectively with the International Classification of Diseases (ICD) and the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF). to evaluate the suitability of ICHI for general surgery interventions by coding intervention descriptions to ICHI codes; to identify gaps in the ICHI system; and to provide a rationale for ICHI to be a nationally regulated system. This study adopted a retrospective, descriptive design; in total, 3000 in-patient intervention data files, captured in an electronic database from April 2013 to August 2019 at three academic hospitals in Johannesburg, were extracted randomly, and coded using ICHI. Quantitative data analysis techniques were utilized to assess the overall degree of match between ICHI codes and the intervention descriptions. Of the 3000 patient case entries that were coded, there was an agreement of 67.6% of the coded data amongst the three coders, leaving a variability of 32.4%. The variability was largely due to the coders' experience and the quality of healthcare documentation. ICHI has the ability to cater for the broad range of general surgery interventions, thus indicating that ICHI is suitable for general surgery coding.

Mapping the Japanese orthopedic association national registry (JOANR) to the international classification of health interventions (ICHI)

BackgroundThe Japanese Orthopedic Association launched the Japanese Orthopedic Association National Registry (JOANR), Japan's first large-scale nationwide musculoskeletal disease registry, in 2020. The World Health Organization released the International Classification of Health Interventions (ICHI) Beta-3 version in the same year. This concurrence served as an impetus to examine the relationship between domestic and international classification for orthopedic interventions.Our objective was to evaluate the possibility of utilizing JOANR for international comparison and the potential usage of ICHI in the domestic medical fee reimbursement system. This study is a novel attempt at mapping a domestic orthopedic scheme to the ICHI. MethodsWe mapped 149 codes out of 581 orthopedic surgical codes, on JOANR's registration form, to the ICHI, and then classified the nature of JOANR codes' relationship, to both ICHI single stem codes and stem codes accompanied by other additional stem codes, extension codes, and International Classification of Diseases for Mortality and Morbidity Statistics (ICD) codes, into five categories: Equivalent (exact match), Narrower (compared to ICHI; can be smoothly incorporated into ICHI), Broader (compared to ICHI), Slipped (combination of both Narrower and Broader), and None (no appropriate code). Finally, debatable issues that arose during the mapping operation were noted. ResultsThe domestic codes’ relationship to ICHI single stem code by category were Equivalent: 27 (18.1%) and Narrower: 65 (43.6%), respectively. Further, the rate of Equivalent rose to 120 (80.5%) on adding other stem codes, extension codes, and ICD codes. Additionally, certain domestic titles, which were unsuitable for classification as they included diagnostic information, and arthroscopic surgeries without corresponding ICHI codes, were recoded. ConclusionsJOANR can be converted to an international comparison standard via ICHI to a certain extent, and ICHI accompanied by ICD codes has potential for deployment in the domestic medical fee reimbursement system.

Coding Health Literacy According to the International Health Intervention Classification and Investigation of Health Literacy Between Generations

Objective: Individuals in generations comprised of different age groups differ in managing the processes related to their diseases and adapting to the treatment programs they receive. In current study, it was aimed to investigate differences between generations regarding health literacy level. Also, The European Health Literacy Survey –Turkish Version (HLS- TR) was investigated within the framework of The WHO International Classification of Health Interventions (ICHI).
 Material and Methods: The health literacy level of individuals was evaluated with the HLS- TR which we have coded within the ICHI framework. Individuals were divided into 4 groups according to age ranges. The groups were compared with each other.
 Results: In this study 247 individuals participated between age 18 and 75 years. It is found that traditional generation has the highest level of health literacy among the groups and generation Z has the lowest level of health literacy(p

Digital Biomarker-Based Studies: Scoping Review of Systematic Reviews.

Sensors and digital devices have revolutionized the measurement, collection, and storage of behavioral and physiological data, leading to the new term digital biomarkers. This study aimed to investigate the scope of clinical evidence covered by systematic reviews (SRs) of randomized controlled trials involving digital biomarkers. This scoping review was organized using the PRISMA-ScR (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews) guidelines. With the search limited to English publications, full-text SRs of digital biomarkers included randomized controlled trials that involved a human population and reported changes in participants' health status. PubMed and the Cochrane Library were searched with time frames limited to 2019 and 2020. The World Health Organization's classification systems for diseases (International Classification of Diseases, Eleventh Revision), health interventions (International Classification of Health Interventions), and bodily functions (International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health [ICF]) were used to classify populations, interventions, and outcomes, respectively. A total of 31 SRs met the inclusion criteria. The majority of SRs studied patients with circulatory system diseases (19/31, 61%) and respiratory system diseases (9/31, 29%). Most of the prevalent interventions focused on physical activity behavior (16/31, 52%) and conversion of cardiac rhythm (4/31, 13%). Looking after one's health (physical activity; 15/31, 48%), walking (12/31, 39%), heart rhythm functions (8/31, 26%), and mortality (7/31, 23%) were the most commonly reported outcomes. In total, 16 physiological and behavioral data groups were identified using the ICF tool, such as looking after one's health (physical activity; 14/31, 45%), walking (11/31, 36%), heart rhythm (7/31, 23%), and weight maintenance functions (7/31, 23%). Various digital devices were also studied to collect these data in the included reviews, such as smart glasses, smartwatches, smart bracelets, smart shoes, and smart socks for measuring heart functions, gait pattern functions, and temperature. A substantial number (24/31, 77%) of digital biomarkers were used as interventions. Moreover, wearables (22/31, 71%) were the most common types of digital devices. Position sensors (21/31, 68%) and heart rate sensors and pulse rate sensors (12/31, 39%) were the most prevalent types of sensors used to acquire behavioral and physiological data in the SRs. In recent years, the clinical evidence concerning digital biomarkers has been systematically reviewed in a wide range of study populations, interventions, digital devices, and sensor technologies, with the dominance of physical activity and cardiac monitors. We used the World Health Organization's ICF tool for classifying behavioral and physiological data, which seemed to be an applicable tool to categorize the broad scope of digital biomarkers identified in this review. To understand the clinical value of digital biomarkers, the strength and quality of the evidence on their health consequences need to be systematically evaluated.

Research priority setting related to older adults: a scoping review to inform the Cochrane-Campbell Global Ageing Partnership work programme

ObjectiveTo explore and map the findings of prior research priority-setting initiatives related to improving the health and well-being of older adults.DesignScoping review.Data sourcesSearched MEDLINE, EMBASE, AgeLine, CINAHL and PsycINFO databases...

Ontological modeling of the International Classification of Functioning, Disabilities and Health (ICF): Activities&Participation and Environmental Factors components

BackgroundThe International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) is a classification of health and health-related states developed by the World Health Organization (WHO) to provide a standard and unified language to be used as a reference model for the description of health and health-related states. The concept of functioning on which ICF is based is that of a “dynamic interaction between a person’s health condition, environmental factors and personal factors”. This overall model has been translated into a classification covering all the main components of functioning. However, the practical use of ICF has highlighted some formal problems, mainly concerning conceptual clarity and ontological coherence.MethodsIn the present work, we propose an initial ontological formalization of ICF beyond its current status, focusing specifically on the interaction between activities and participation and environmental factors. The formalization has been based on ontology engineering methods to drive goal and scope definition, knowledge acquisition, selection of an upper ontology for mapping, conceptual model definition and evaluation, and finally representation using the Ontology Web Language (OWL).ResultsA conceptual model has been defined in a graphical language that included 202 entities, when possible mapped to the SUMO upper ontology. The conceptual model has been validated against 60 case studies from the literature, plus 6 ad-hoc case studies. The model has been then represented using OWL.ConclusionsThis formalization might provide the basis for a revision of the ICF classification in line with current efforts made by WHO on the International Classification of Diseases and on the International Classification of Health Interventions.

Evaluation of the International Classification of Health Interventions (ICHI) in the coding of common surgical procedures.

To evaluate the International Classification of Health Interventions (ICHI) in the clinical and statistical use cases. We identified 300 most-performed surgical procedures as represented by their display names in an electronic health record. For comparison with existing coding systems, we coded the procedures in ICHI, SNOMED CT, International Classification of Diseases (ICD)-10-PCS, and CCI (Canadian Classification of Health Interventions), using postcoordination (modification of existing codes by adding other codes), when applicable. Failure analysis was done for cases where full representation was not achieved. The ICHI encoding was further evaluated for adequacy to support statistical reporting by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and European Union (EU) categories of surgical procedures. After deduplication, 229 distinct procedures remained. Without postcoordination, ICHI achieved full representation in 52.8%. A further 19.2% could be fully represented with postcoordination. SNOMED CT was the best performing overall, with 94.3% full representation without postcoordination, and 99.6% with postcoordination. Failure analysis showed that "method" and "target" constituted most of the missing information for ICHI encoding. For all OECD/EU surgical categories, ICHI coding was adequate to support statistical reporting. One OECD/EU category ("Hip replacement, secondary") required postcoordination for correct assignment. In the clinical use case of capturing information in the electronic health record, ICHI was outperformed by the clinically oriented procedure coding systems (SNOMED CT and CCI), but was comparable to ICD-10-PCS. Postcoordination could be an effective and efficient means of improving coverage. ICHI is generally adequate for the collection of international statistics.

Coding Public Health Interventions for Health Technology Assessments: A Pilot Experience With WHO's International Classification of Health Interventions (ICHI).

Introduction: An important requirement for successful public health interventions is a standardized classification in order to make these health technologies comparable in all contexts and recognized by all parties. The WHO International Classification of Health Interventions (ICHI), including an integrated public health component, has been developed to propose such an international standard.Methods: To test (a) the translation of public health interventions to ICHI codes and (b) the technical handling and general coding in public health, we used a set of public health interventions from a recent cross-sectional survey among Health Technology Assessment professionals.Results: Our study showed that handling of the ICHI interface is stable, that there is a need for specificity and adequate detail of intervention descriptions and desired outcomes to code adequately with ICHI and that the professional background of the coder, as well as his/her sex might influence the selection of codes.Conclusion: International Classification of Health Interventions provides a good coverage of public health interventions. However, the broader character of system wide interventions, often involving a variety of institutions and stakeholders, may present a challenge to the application of ICHI coding. Based on this experience, we would tailor future surveys more specifically to the needs of the classification and we advise training for health professionals before coding with ICHI. Standards of reporting will likely strengthen insights about the efficiency of primary prevention interventions and thus benefit long-term health of populations and structured HTA reporting process.

The International Classification of Health Interventions: an 'epistemic hub' for use in public health.

The current lack of a common basis for collecting data on population-level prevention and health promotion interventions causes public health to be relatively invisible within broader health systems, making it vulnerable to funding cuts when there is pressure to reduce spending. Further, the inconsistent use of terms for describing interventions hinders knowledge translation and building an evidence base for public health practice and policy. The International Classification of Health Interventions (ICHI), being developed by the World Health Organization, is a standard statistical classification for interventions across the full scope of health systems. ICHI has potential to meet the need for a common language and structure for describing and capturing information about prevention and health promotion interventions. We report on a developmental appraisal conducted to examine the strengths and limitations of ICHI for coding interventions delivered for public health purposes. Our findings highlight classification challenges in relation to: consistently identifying separate components within multi-component interventions; operationalizing the ICHI concept of intervention target when there are intermediary targets as well as an ultimate target; coding an intervention component that involves more than one ICHI target or action; and standardising what is being counted. We propose that, alongside its purpose as a statistical classification, ICHI can play a valuable role as an 'epistemic hub', to be used flexibly by public health actors to meet a range of information needs, and as a basis for improved communication and exchange.

Assessing the scalability of innovations in primary care: a cross-sectional study.

Canadian health funding currently prioritizes scaling up for evidence-based primary care innovations, but not all teams prepare for scaling up. We explored scalability assessment among primary care innovators in the province of Quebec to evaluate their preparedness for scaling up. We performed a cross-sectional survey from Feb. 18 to Mar. 18, 2019. Eligible participants were 33 innovation teams selected for the 2019 Quebec College of Family Physicians' Symposium on Innovations. We conducted a Web-based survey in 2 sections: innovation characteristics and the Innovation Scalability Self-administered Questionnaire. The latter includes 16 criteria (scalability components) grouped into 5 dimensions: theory (1 criterion), impact (6 criteria), coverage (4 criteria), setting (3 criteria) and cost (2 criteria). We classified innovation types using the International Classification of Health Interventions. We performed a descriptive analysis using frequency counts and percentages. Out of 33 teams, 24 participated (72.7%), with 1 innovation each. The types of innovation were management (15/24), prevention (8/24) and therapeutic (1/24). Most management innovations focused on patient navigation (9/15). In order of frequency, teams had assessed theory (79.2%) and impact (79.2%) criteria, followed by cost (77.1%), setting (59.7%) and coverage (54.2%). Most innovations (16/24) had assessed 10 criteria or more, including 10 management innovations, 5 prevention innovations and 1 therapeutic innovation. Implementation fidelity was the least assessed criterion (6/24). The scalability assessments of a primary care innovation varied according to its type. Management innovations, which were the most prevalent and assessed the most scalability components, appear to be most prepared for primary care scale-up in Canada.

Exploring the Ways to Apply Korean Traditional Medical Practices to the International Classification of Health Interventions through Focus Group Discussion

Exploring the Ways to Apply Korean Traditional Medical Practices to the International Classification of Health Interventions through Focus Group Discussion

Satisfaction with Health Care Interventions among Community Dwelling People with Cognitive Disorders and Their Informal Caregivers-A Systematic Review.

Informal caregivers have a leading role when implementing health care services for people with cognitive disorders living at home. This study aims to examine the current evidence for interventions with dual satisfaction with health care services for people with cognitive disorders and their caregivers. Original papers with quantitative and mixed method designs were extracted from two databases, covering years 2009–2018. Thirty-five original papers reported on satisfaction with health care services. The International Classification of Health Interventions (ICHI) was used to classify the interventions. Most interventions had a home-based approach (80%). Reduction in caregiver depression was the outcome measure with the highest level of satisfaction. Interventions to reduce depression or increase cognitive performance in persons with cognitive disorders gave the least satisfaction. Satisfaction of both caregivers and persons with cognitive disorders increased their use of services. In the ICHI, nearly 50% of the interventions were classified as activities and participation. A limited number of interventions have a positive effect on satisfaction of both the persons with cognitive disorders and the caregiver. It is important to focus on interventions that will benefit both simultaneously. More research is needed with a clear definition of satisfaction and the use of the ICHI guidelines.

Сравнительный анализ номенклатуры медицинских услуг и международной классификации медицинских вмешательств Всемирной организации здравоохранения

The article describes the results of comparative analysis of two classifiers – the nomenclature of medical services, approved by the order of the Ministry of Health of Russia from October 13 2017 № 804(n), and International Classification of Health Interventions (ICHI), developed by World Health Organization. Similarities and differences are identified in classification of medical interventions in ICHI and medical services in nomenclature. Results of this work are expected to serve as a base for nomenclature’s improvement.

Visibility of Community Nursing Within an Administrative Health Classification System: Evaluation of Content Coverage.

BackgroundThe World Health Organization is in the process of developing an international administrative classification for health called the International Classification of Health Interventions (ICHI). The purpose of ICHI is to provide a tool for supporting intervention reporting and analysis at a global level for policy development and beyond. Nurses represent the largest resource carrying out clinical interventions in any health system. With the shift in nursing care from hospital to community settings in many countries, it is important to ensure that community nursing interventions are present in any international health information system. Thus, an investigation into the extent to which community nursing interventions were covered in ICHI was needed.ObjectiveThe objectives of this study were to examine the extent to which International Classification for Nursing Practice (ICNP) community nursing interventions were represented in the ICHI administrative classification system, to identify themes related to gaps in coverage, and to support continued advancements in understanding the complexities of knowledge representation in standardized clinical terminologies and classifications.MethodsThis descriptive study used a content mapping approach in 2 phases in 2018. A total of 187 nursing intervention codes were extracted from the ICNP Community Nursing Catalogue and mapped to ICHI. In phase 1, 2 coders completed independent mapping activities. In phase 2, the 2 coders compared each list and discussed concept matches until consensus on ICNP-ICHI match and on mapping relationship was reached.ResultsThe initial percentage agreement between the 2 coders was 47% (n=88), but reached 100% with consensus processes. After consensus was reached, 151 (81%) of the community nursing interventions resulted in an ICHI match. A total of 36 (19%) of community nursing interventions had no match to ICHI content. A total of 100 (53%) community nursing interventions resulted in a broader ICHI code, 9 (5%) resulted in a narrower ICHI code, and 42 (23%) were considered equivalent. ICNP concepts that were not represented in ICHI were thematically grouped into the categories family and caregivers, death and dying, and case management.ConclusionsOverall, the content mapping yielded similar results to other content mapping studies in nursing. However, it also found areas of missing concept coverage, difficulties with interterminology mapping, and further need to develop mapping methods.

Принципы построения международной классификации медицинских вмешательств Всемирной организации здравоохранения

The application of the nomenclature of medical services in the Russian Federation revealed limitations of its structure and content. The analysis of international experience in the classification of medical interventions can help to improve this nomenclature. World Health Organization has prepared a draft of the International Classification of Health Interventions (ICHI), which should be a part of a family of health-related international classifications. It is not yet finished and cannot be used for the classification of medical services on a national level; however, its main principles have already been formulated. All interventions are classified according to three levels (axes): target of intervention; action (the essence of intervention), and means. Lists of types of targets, actions and means have been developed, and recommendations on the classification and coding of medical interventions have been proposed for various situations. There are significant differences in the approach to the classification of medical interventions between ICHI and the Russian nomenclature of medical services. A detailed comparative analysis of the classification principles in ICHI and in the nomenclature is needed.

Tidier descriptions of speech and language therapy interventions for people with aphasia; consensus from the RELEASE Collaboration

Background: Speech and language therapy (SLT) interventions for people with aphasia are complex – for example, interventions vary by delivery model (face-to-face, tele-rehabilitation), dynamic (group, 1-to-1) and provider. Therapists tailor the functional relevance and intervention difficulty to the individual’s needs. Therapy regimes are planned at a specific intensity (hours per week), frequency (number of weekly sessions), duration (time from start to end of therapy intervention) and dose (total number of therapy hours). Detailed and transparent description of interventions for people with aphasia facilitates replication in clinic, between-study comparisons and data-syntheses. Incomplete intervention reporting and inconsisten-cies in the use of terminology have been observed (RELEASE: REhabilitation and recovery of peopLE with Aphasia after StrokE Collaborators, 2015-2018; Brady, Kelly, Godwin, Enderby, & Campbell, 2016; Pierce, O’Halloran, Togher, & Rose, in press). Even when similar terms are used there may be little agreement on their use (Pierce et al., in press). Our RELEASE Collaboration includes 72 multidisciplinary, multilingual aphasia researchers from 28 countries. In preparation for planned meta-analyses (HSD (Hoffmann et al., 2014). The TIDieR checklist supports transparent reporting, data extraction and synthesis in aphasia research. It has facilitated an exploration of the contribution specific parameters (for example intensity) may make to the effectiveness of (or tolerance to) an intervention (Brady et al., 2016). However, while the variables described above are readily summarised, other aspects of therapeutic interventions such as the theoretical approach, the materials used and the procedures employed (the “Why” and “What” within TIDieR) are more challenging to summarise in manner supporting data synthesis and meta-analyses. The World Health Organisation’s (“International Classification of Health Interventions (ICHI),”) also seeks a framework which supports the synthesis and statistical analysis of healthcare interventions based on (a) the treatment target, (b) the intended action to the target and (c) the processes and methods required to carry out the action (ICHI, 2018). However a framework which complements these initiatives and which supports greater consistency in the description of SLT interventions for aphasia is required. Aims: We sought to develop international consensus on a framework to support the description of SLT interventions for people with aphasia. Methods and procedures: Two researchers independently extracted information about the SLT interventions in our RELEASE database (Hoffmann et al., 2014). Information on therapy approaches, materials and procedures were extracted, where possible, as direct quotes from published reports. Using the narrative descriptions, similar approaches were grouped and assigned to one or more category labels by an experienced speech and language therapist. These preliminary groupings were shared with RELEASE Collaborators for review. Each reviewed interventions included within up to four category labels and responses via email were requested. There followed an opportunity for group discussion on the proposed categorisation via videoconference. Outcomes and results: Therapy interventions were categorised based on three per-spectives (a) the role of the intervention within the study design e.g., usual care as a comparison control (b) the intervention target e.g., rehabilitation of spoken language production and (c) the theoretical approach e.g., semantic therapy. We identified 15 SLT approaches. Categories were not mutually exclusive; rather they represented different ways of categorising a complex intervention. Inadequate reporting of therapy interven-tions, procedures and materials hampered some classifications. The Collaboration facilitated knowledge sharing relating to emerging treatment category definitions such as multimodal treatment (Pierce et al., in press) which reflected interventions aimed to utilise a range of learning mechanisms and neural networks to facilitate language recovery. Conclusions: Our collaboration agreed on a framework which supports transparent description, data synthesis and meta-analyses of SLT interventions for people with aphasia after stroke.

ICD-11, ICHI and SNOMED CT-What do the standards mean for eHealth applications?

Medical documentation is no longer used primarily for administrative processes or healthcare billing, but for the entire electronic health record with accompanying eHealth use cases. It shall be examined to what extent classifications such as the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (ICD-11) and the International Classification of Health Interventions (ICHI), in comparison to the international reference terminology SNOMED CT, meet the requirements of current eHealth applications and ensure interoperability. The strengths and weaknesses of ICD-11 and ICHI are highlighted in terms of literature, contextual mapping within the international patient summary, telemedicine applications and the use in IT standards, such as HL7 in comparison to SNOMED CT. The whole range of medical terminology is not covered by ICHI and ICD-10, but with SNOMED CT, because ICD-11 and ICHI may be used in strict limitations to annotate procedures and diagnosis. A sample value set (n = 30) shows high mapping equivalence in SNOMED CT. In the literature, ICD-11 to SNOMED CT mappings are described as complex and error-prone. In terms of content expressivity and international usability, the potential of SNOMED CT in eHealth applications can be considered more favorable than ICD-11 or ICHI, even considering the original scope of these classifications, diagnoses and procedures. ICHI may even be recommended for specific use cases (e. g. statistics).