Semantic web representation of LOINC: an ontological perspective.

The Logical Observation Identifiers Names and Codes terminology (LOINC) has been proposed as a nomenclature for clinical laboratory tests. We present a formal representation of LOINC using a Semantic Web-based ontology that defines LOINC concepts in terms of the six main LOINC axes and their relationships with UMLS Semantic Types and the UMLS Metathesarus. This representation may enable automated information integration and decision support in public health surveillance.

Semantic approach for text understanding of chief complaints data.

We propose a semantic approach to processing free form text information such as chief complaints using formal knowledge representation and Description Logic reasoning. Our method extracts concepts and as much contextual information as is available in the text. Output is a computationally interpretable representation of this information using the Resource Definition Framework (RDF) and UMLS Metathesaurus.

Information integration from heterogeneous data sources: a Semantic Web approach.

Although the decentralized and autonomous implementation of health information systems has made it possible to extend the reach of surveillance systems to a variety of contextually disparate domains, public health use of data from these systems is not primarily anticipated. The Semantic Web has been proposed to address both representational and semantic heterogeneity in distributed and collaborative environments. We introduce a semantic approach for the integration of health data using the Resource Definition Framework (RDF) and the Simple Knowledge Organization System (SKOS) developed by the Semantic Web community.

Services oriented architectures and rapid deployment of ad-hoc health surveillance systems: lessons from Katrina relief efforts.

During the Hurricane Katrina relief efforts, a new city was born overnight within the City of Houston to provide accommodation and health services for thousands of evacuees deprived of food, rest, medical attention, and sanitation. The hurricane victims had been exposed to flood water, toxic materials, physical injury, and mental stress. This scenario was an invitation for a variety of public health hazards, primarily infectious disease outbreaks.

A Web Services architecture for UMLS Knowledge Sources.

A web service is a collection of industry standards to enable reusability of services and interoperability of heterogeneous applications. The UMLS Knowledge Source (UMLSKS) Server provides remote access to the UMLSKS and related resources. We propose a Web Services Architecture that encapsulates UMLSKS-API and makes it available in distributed and heterogeneous environments.

Information visualization for quality control in health data exchange platforms.

Policy Makers, System Administrators and Designers in health care are often deluged by the complexity of maintaining a reliable information exchange platform involving multiple systems. Often two factors are taken for granted in such health data exchange settings: that the communication between systems is reliable and that the messages transmitted between systems contain quality data. We are presenting an approach to meaningfully analyzing and visualizing information exchange to provide situational awareness in data exchange platforms.