An examination of the coverage of the SNOMED CT coded nursing problem list subset

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this article is to describe the current nursing problem list subset of Systematized Nomenclature of Medicine Clinical Terms (NPLS) coverage of the American Nurses Association (ANA) recognized standardized nursing terminologies (SNTs) and to identify potential ways to expand and enhance the utility of this list. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study is a cross-sectional exploratory design. We mapped the content of the North American Nursing Diagnosis Association International (NANDA-I) (2018–2020), International Classification for Nursing Practice (ICNP) (2017 AB), Clinical Care Classification (CCC) (2018 AA), and Omaha System (2007AC) terminologies with each other and into NPLS (August 2017 edition) using Unified Medical Language System (UMLS) (release 2018AA) as the intermediary. RESULTS: We identified a total of 1470 unique nursing diagnosis concepts across SNTs in UMLS, including 175 in CCC, 840 in ICNP, 244 in NANDA-I, 418 in Omaha System, and 631 in NPLS. The NPLS covers approximately 43% of the 1470 concepts—coverage for SNT content is 90% for CCC, 47% for ICNP, 59% for NANDA-I, and 32% for the Omaha System. DISCUSSION/RECOMMENDATIONS: The NPLS version 2017 coverage of SNT nursing diagnoses included in the UMLS is incomplete and equivocal. Recommendations: (1) ensure all SNT concepts in the UMLS are represented by SNOMED CT terms, (2) devise a formal strategy of partial matching to further enhance interoperability, (3) add a classification structure to the NPLS to enhance the ease of use and utility of the list, and (4) minimize redundancy within NPLS.