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Table 1 Elements of the information model for each term in the Foundation

From: Overview of ICD-11 architecture and structure

Element

Description

*Concept title

The preferred name for a concept. This can vary by language

*Unique identifier (URI)

A permanent identifier assigned by the WHO that will never change

*Fully specified name

A complete name that describes the concept. It explicitly does not make assumptions about a child concept inheriting the context and meaning of a parent

*Synonyms

Alternative names for the concepts. These vary by language

Classification properties

Whether a concept is a disease, syndrome, symptom, finding, or health condition

*Parent and child relationships

Linkages to parent terms (in the Foundation, there can be more than one parent) and all of its immediate child terms. This allows for the creation of an acyclic-graph semantic network

*Brief definition

A short definition of the term

Long description

A more complete definition that may include related observations

Body system

The anatomical locations where the condition does or can occur

Manifestations

Signs and symptoms of the condition

Etiology

Causes of the disease (e.g., bacterial organisms or genomic causes)

Genomic association

Genomic characteristics that modify the risk for disease

Severity

Specific severity levels, stages, or grades, and their association with an extension code

Temporality

Acute vs. chronic, as well as life cycle of the condition if appropriate

Functional impact

Functional consequences of a disease or condition, such as blindness

  1. *Required element