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Software downloads: medical terminologies and associated tools |
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 Kermanog Classification Workbench
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Software to support the development, maintenance, extension and translation of medical classification schemes |
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| keywords |
clinical domains |
| Clinical coding and classification, medical terminologies, medical classification schemes,
maintenance, Intermediate Representation, language independent model, sharing,
re-usable, Classification Workbench, GRAIL, Common Reference Model for medical terminologies |
not applicable |
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| developed by |
Kermanog, the Netherlands |
| released |
Initially in 1991 - regular updated releases since. |
| status |
The Classification Workbench suite is available as a commercial product from Kermanog in the Netherlands.
It is also available on a time-limited trial basis from the same source.
Registration is required to obtain an evaluation licence. |
| download |
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The movie illustrates
the use of the Intermediate Representation which supports
authoring "structured
semantic 'dissections' of the meaning of
individual classification scheme rubrics,
and shows what kinds of advanced semantic
processing can then be performed on libraries
of such dissections - including automatic
classification, natural language generation
and cross-mapping between schemes".
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| description |
The Kermanog Classification Workbench (ClaW) forms part of the wide range of
medical
terminology models, methods, architectures and tools
developed by GALEN and successor pojects.
The ClaW, based on a major
result of the GALEN programme, the
Intermediate Representation, "is an advanced toolset for the development,
maintenance, extension
or translation of medical classification
schemes".
The ClaW asks users to provide 'decompositions'
of the semantic meaning of each classification
rubric. This (made possible by the Intermediate
Representation)
allows advanced semantic
processing to occur such as automatic classification,
generation of natural language rubrics in
other languages, and cross-mapping between
schemes. Whole schemes, or fragments of
schemes, from different centres can be exchanged
in a collaborative environment and validated,
integrated or extended as needed to produce
locally tailored schemes that still remain
coherent through the underlying reference
model of medicine. Mappings between schemes
can be derived automatically, and libraries
of schemes expressed in this way can form
an important component of data entry applications
such as Clinergy (see links below), enabling automatic
encoding of entered clinical concepts.
The ClaW package available for evaluation purposes
contains the following modules:
- ClaM (Classification Manager - for managing first generation classifications such as ICD)
- CBrowser (Classification Browser)
- GCE (Galen Case Environment) ("The Kermanog GCE enables the GALEN Common Reference Model to be edited and maintained and integrated with clinical applications for use in clinical practice. Although, developed primarily as a medical terminology model builder, the tool can serve as a general purpose GRAIL ontology editor.")
- pre-compiled GALEN evaluation models
- GaTeS (a COM interface to the GALEN Terminology Server)
- GirC (for creating and maintaining your own ontology)
- SPET (for defining (classification) concepts in a simplified representation)
In use
- The
Classification Workbench was the principal software used in the development
(in France) of
the multi-hierarchical Classification Commune des Actes Medicaux (CCAM) -
Common Classification Of Medical Procedures [Trombert-Paviot et al, 2000].
- The ClaW was also used to develop the drug ontology in the UK NHS
Prodigy project [Solomon et al, 1999].
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| references |
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Rector AL, Baud R, Ceusters W, Claassen W,
Rodrigues J-M, Mori JRR, et al. A comprehensive
approach to developing and integrating multilingual
classifications: GALEN's Classification Workbench.
Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association
1998; Fall Symposium Special Issue:1115.
[AMIA (one page version)]
[]
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"
The Kermanog Classification Workbench presents a new
user-oriented paradigm for maintaining terminologies
which combines flexibility with formal rigour. It is
based on three mechanisms: a user oriented
‘intermediate representation’, a formal description
logic, and generated natural language. New terms
are composed in the ‘intermediate representation’
which is transformed into the formal description logic
from which natural language phrases are then
generated. The formal description logic allows terms
to be classified and manipulated rigorously while the
intermediate representation and generated natural
language allow the system to be tailored to the needs
of individual users and applications.
"
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Solomon WD, Roberts A, Rogers JE et al.
Having our cake and eating it too: how the GALEN Intermediate Representation reconciles internal complexity with users' requirements for appropriateness and simplicity.
Proc AMIA Symp. 2000;:819-23.
[PubMed]
[AMIA]
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"
Clinical terminologies are complex objects, getting more complex as the requirements on them grow, and as more complex technologies are used in their construction. But to the clinical end-user, functionality and utility is important, not inherent complexity--the simpler a clinical terminology can be for the end-user, the better. To reconcile these contradictory requirements, the GALEN Programme has developed an Intermediate Representation that allows the OpenGALEN Clinical Terminology to retain a high degree of internal complexity, whilst allowing it to be efficiently maintained, and easily used. This paper describes the elements of the Intermediate Representation, how it works, and some experience of its use.
"
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Trombert-Paviot B, Rodrigues JM, Rogers JE, et al.
GALEN: a third generation terminology tool to support a multipurpose national coding system for surgical procedures.
Int J Med Inf. 2000 Sep; 58-59: 71-85.
[PubMed]
[]
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"
... GALEN has developed a new generation of terminology tools based on a language independent model describing the semantics and allowing computer processing and multiple reuses as well as natural language understanding systems applications to facilitate the sharing and maintaining of consistent medical knowledge. During the European Union 4th framework program project GALEN-IN-USE and later on within two contracts with the national health authorities we applied the modelling and the tools to the development of a new multipurpose coding system for surgical procedures named CCAM in a minority language country, France. On one hand, we contributed to a language independent knowledge repository and multilingual semantic dictionaries for multicultural Europe. On the other hand, we support the traditional process for creating a new coding system in medicine which is very much labour consuming by artificial intelligence tools using a medically oriented recursive ontology and natural language processing. We used an integrated software named CLAW (for classification workbench) to process French professional medical language rubrics produced by the national colleges of surgeons domain experts into intermediate dissections and to the Grail reference ontology model representation. From this language independent concept model representation, on one hand, we generate with the LNAT natural language generator controlled French natural language to support the finalization of the linguistic labels (first generation) in relation with the meanings of the conceptual system structure. On the other hand, the Claw classification manager proves to be very powerful to retrieve the initial domain experts rubrics list with different categories of concepts (second generation) within a semantic structured representation (third generation) bridge to the electronic patient record detailed terminology.
"
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Rodrigues JM, Trombert-Paviot B, Baud R, Wagner J, Meusnier-Carriot F.
Galen-In-Use: using artificial intelligence terminology tools to improve the linguistic coherence of a national coding system for surgical procedures.
Medinfo. 1998; 9 Pt 1: 623-7.
[PubMed]
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Abstract
"
GALEN has developed a language independent common reference model based on a medically oriented ontology and practical tools and techniques for managing healthcare terminology including natural language processing. GALEN-IN-USE is the current phase which applied the modelling and the tools to the development or the updating of coding systems for surgical procedures in different national coding centers co-operating within the European Federation of Coding Centre (EFCC) to create a language independent knowledge repository for multicultural Europe. We used an integrated set of artificial intelligence terminology tools named CLAssification Manager workbench to process French professional medical language rubrics into intermediate dissections and to the Grail reference ontology model representation. From this language independent concept model representation we generate controlled French natural language. The French national coding centre is then able to retrieve the initial professional rubrics with different categories of concepts, to compare the professional language proposed by expert clinicians to the French generated controlled vocabulary and to finalize the linguistic labels of the coding system in relation with the meanings of the conceptual system structure.
" |
Solomon WD, Wroe CJ, Rector AL et al.
A reference terminology for drugs.
Proc AMIA Symp. 1999;:152-6.
[PubMed]
[AMIA]
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"
GALEN technology for re-usable terminologies using formal classification is being applied to the creation and maintenance of a reference terminology for drugs. GALEN's techniques are being used to address specific deficiencies of existing drug classifications that make it difficult to create and maintain guidelines to support prescribing in the care of patients with chronic diseases. The reference terminology is in two parts; firstly, a re-usable and automatically-classified 'ontology' is built with GALEN technology; this describes generic drugs, their composition in terms of chemicals and chemical classes, their actions, indications and interactions. Secondly, a 'dictionary' of prescribable proprietary products is integrated with this ontology. The result is a drug resource designed to support both the traditional uses of a drug knowledge base (e.g. prescribing and messaging), and the specialized demands of guideline authoring and execution.
"
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| contact |
Kermanog BV
Hollemastraat 14
9973 PN Houwerzijl
The Netherlands
T: +31 595 577006
F: +31 595 577016
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| links |
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| acknowledgements |
| Pieter Zanstra, Radboud University Nijmegen |
| page history |
Entry on OpenClinical: 12 July 2003 (as Galen GCE)
Last main updates: 07 February 2004, 06 November 2006, 12 January 2007
Design - template v0.2: 24 June 2005. |
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Kermanog Classification Workbench (Kermanog)