1 Scope

This International standard defines a system of concepts for different aspects of the provision of healthcare.

The core business in healthcare is the interaction between subjects of care and healthcare professionals. Such interactions occur in healthcare/clinical processes and are the justification for the process approach of this International Standard. To be able to represent both clinical content and clinical context, this International Standard is related to a generic healthcare/clinical process model as well as comprehensive concept definitions and concept models for the clinical, management and resource aspects of healthcare services.

In practice this International Standard covers the concept definitions needed whenever structured information in healthcare is specified as a requirement. The definitions are intended to refer to the conceptual level only and not to details of implementation. This International Standard will cover all levels of specifications in the development of

• logical reference models within the information viewpoint as a common basis for semantic interoperability on international, national or local levels,

• information systems, and

• information for specified types of clinical processes.

How to perform specific healthcare/clinical/informatics processes is not covered by this International Standard.

Healthcare research processes and healthcare educational processes are not covered in this International Standard.