Concept General Information

• Guidance is available via the QA Checklist page.
• All concepts must have at least two (2) descriptions: one (1) Fully Specified Name (FSN) and one (1) Preferred Synonym (PS) (also called Preferred Term (PT)).
• The FSN is always unique in the terminology, while other descriptions may not be unique except for immunizations.
• Additional synonyms may be added to concepts.
• The format of synonyms and addition of synonyms is often driven by domain requirements.
• All synonyms of immunization concepts are unique in order to ensure patient safety.

Fully Specified Name (FSN)

• The FSN is intended to be unambiguous and unique in SNOMED CT.
• The FSN is not recommended for use at the user interface. Preferred terms and synonyms are.
• The US English dialect (spelling) is used in Canada by default (e.g. milliliter instead of millilitre).
• Restrictions in punctuation may restrict how concepts can be represented by their terms.
• Restrictions in field length may require adjustment of wording (max 255 characters).
• Refer to domain specific guidelines for specific guidance.

Preferred Term (PT)

• The PT is intended to be used at the user interface. 
• The PT should be familiar to system users.
• The US English dialect (spelling) is used by default (e.g. pediatric as opposed to paediatric).
• Restrictions in punctuation may restrict how concepts can be represented by their terms.
• Refer to domain specific guidelines for specific editorial guidance. 
• Restrictions in field length may require adjustment of wording.
• With the exception of immunizations, the PS is not always unique.

Other Acceptable Synonyms

• A concept may have one or more synonyms.
• Content developed in the Canadian Edition includes a synonym that is the FSN without the semantic tag.