SNOMED International and the International Diet Dysphagia Standardisation Initiative join forces
The global language of healthcare
International Dysphagia Diet Standardisation Initiative
SNOMED International is a not-for-profit organization charged with setting global standards for health terminology, a critical element of safe and effective healthcare. SNOMED CT is a comprehensive, multilingual healthcare terminology created for use by healthcare professionals to capture the care of individuals in an electronic health record and facilitate sharing, decision support and analytics, to support safe and effective health information exchange.
IDDSI is an international not-for-profit organization that has developed an international framework for dysphagia diets with standardised terminology, descriptions and testing methods for texture-modified foods and thickened drinks. IDDSI is currently supporting global adoption and implementation of IDDSI standards.
Peter Lam, IDDSI Chair, expressed that, “The agreement with SNOMED is another exciting and positive step to meeting IDDSI's goal of improving the safety of people of all ages, all cultures, and in all care settings, who are living with dysphagia.”
In effect since mid-September 2022, the agreement has been driven by community requests as well as by the need identified by the SNOMED International Nutrition Care Process Terminology (NCPT) Clinical Project Group to include IDDSI Framework v2.0 content in order to facilitate the inclusion of NCPT in SNOMED CT.
Content will be created for each framework level consistent with the IDDSI standard terminology and definitions subject to SNOMED CT editorial guidance, while additional content will be added to facilitate recording the use of the framework and diet scale together with related findings and interventions. The content will be included in SNOMED CT International Edition monthly releases as the IDDSI Framework v2.0 related content is incorporated into the clinical terminology.
“Dysphagia is a condition that becomes more prevalent with aging, and since there is an increasing percentage of people over the age of 65 globally, it is a condition that will require more attention,” says SNOMED International CEO Don Sweete. “This agreement helps address that challenge by making it easier to share patient data in electronic health records among organizations treating or supporting patients with dysphagia.”
Both organizations will develop a communications plan to ensure stakeholders are kept up-to-date as the work progresses.
About IDDSI
The International Dysphagia Diet Standardisation Initiative (IDDSI) is a global standard with terminology and definitions to describe texture modified foods and thickened liquids used for individuals with dysphagia of all ages, in all care settings, and for all cultures. IDDSI is a non-profit entity with a volunteer board of directors who, along with many hardworking volunteers from various regions of the globe, are working to help implement IDDSI around the world. www.iddsi.org
IDDSI’s mission is to facilitate the safe consumption and enjoyment of food and drink by all persons with eating and drinking difficulties (dysphagia) by maintaining the IDDSI Framework, a common language and system of practical and valid measurement techniques for naming and describing food texture and drink thickness; continuing to provide free access to the IDDSI Framework, documents, and electronic resources; and fostering global implementation and use of IDDSI.
About SNOMED International
SNOMED International is a not-for-profit organization that owns and develops SNOMED CT, the world's most comprehensive healthcare terminology product. We play an essential role in improving the health of humankind by determining standards for a codified language that represents groups of clinical terms. This enables healthcare information to be exchanged globally for the benefit of patients and other stakeholders. We are committed to the rigorous evolution of our products and services, to deliver continuous innovation for the global healthcare community. SNOMED International is the trading name of the International Health Terminology Standards Development Organisation. www.snomed.org
Media Inquiries
Kevin Ly
IDDSI Office
office@iddsi.org
Kelly Kuru
SNOMED International
comms@snomed.org
