ClaML Classification Markup Language

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ClaMLClassification Markup Language

• -an informal introduction

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Basics

• CEN TC251 prestandard
• Published for implementation and test, to be
  revised within 3 years
• Proposal, most writing from Nijmegen, NL
• Written to handle ICD10, but can cover many other
  schemes
• Small document, normative part 5pages
• Implemented in a software package
• ClaW Classification Workbench
• See www.kermanog.nl

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Purpose

• support the transfer of the majority of
  hierarchical healthcare classification systems
• between organisations and
• between dissimilar software products
• does not intend to prescribe the meaning of
  structuring elements in classification systems
• -ie can transfer a hierarchy but does not care
  what the hierarchy means/implies

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Target groups

• developers of classification systems/
  terminologies
• dissemination and maintenance of a system,
• comparisons among different versions
• developers of information systems
• to allow unambiguous import of classification
  systems in their applications
• organisations responsible for updating
  classification systems
• institutions receiving updated classification
  systems

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Out of scope

• how a classification system should be constructed
• full mark-up for printed delivery
• defining link types between elements

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Class

• A code value is represented as a Symbol element
  and the related code meaning is represented by a
  set of Rubric elements. Each such relation is
  represented in a Class element along with
  optional links to more general classes (pointed
  to by SuperClass elements), and optional
  modifiers (pointed to by ModifiedBy elements).
• The Class is further specified by attribute kind
  which is specific for the classification in
  question and typically represents the Class's
  level in the hierarchy
• For example, Class kinds used in ICD might
  include Chapter, Section and Block.

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More on the Rubric

• A rubric may contain text formatted in italics
  and bold, it may also contain references to
  classes within the same classification or in
  other, external classifications. It is mandatory
  to specifiy the kind (e.g. includes,
  excludes, preferred, etcetera) of rubric, and
  the language of the rubric.
• Classes can in some cases be further specified by
  one or more modifiers, referred to by a
  ModifiedBy element, and described in a Modifier
  element. Allowable values of such a modifier are
  described by ModifierClass elements, each of
  which has a symbol and a set of Rubric elements
  describing its meaning.

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The DTD

• lt!DOCTYPE CodingScheme
• lt!ELEMENT CodingScheme (Name?, Version?, Date?,
  Title?, RubricKinds?, Modifier, ModifierClass,
  Class )gt
• lt!ELEMENT Name (PCDATA)gt
• lt!ELEMENT Version (PCDATA)gt
• lt!ELEMENT Title (PCDATA)gt
• lt!ELEMENT Date (PCDATA)gt
• lt!ELEMENT RubricKinds (RubricKind) gt
• lt!ELEMENT RubricKind (PCDATA)gt
• lt!ELEMENT Modifier (Symbol, Rubric )gt
• lt!ELEMENT ModifierClass (Symbol, SuperClass,
  Rubric )gt
• lt!ELEMENT Class (Symbol, SuperClass,
  ModifiedBy, Rubric )gt
• lt!ELEMENT Symbol (PCDATA)gt
• lt!ELEMENT ModifiedBy (PCDATA)gt
• lt!ELEMENT Rubric (PCDATA Reference
  ExternalReference i b ) gt
• lt!ELEMENT SuperClass (PCDATA)gt
• lt!ELEMENT Reference (PCDATA)gt
• lt!ELEMENT ExternalReference (SchemeName,
  SchemeVersion, Symbol)gt
• lt!ELEMENT SchemeName (PCDATA)gt
• lt!ELEMENT SchemeVersion (PCDATA)gt

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A coding scheme consists of

• an optional name (text)
• an optional version identification, this can be a
  number or a piece of text
• an optional date(text)
• an optional title(text)
• an optional list of rubric kinds (0..n rubric
  kinds)
• zero or more modifiers
• zero or more modifier classes
• zero or more classes

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• A modifier consists of
• a mandatory symbol(text)
• zero or more rubrics
• A modifier class consists of
• a mandatory symbol (text)
• exactly one mandatory super class,
• identifies an existing modifier
• zero or more rubrics

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A class consists of

• a mandatory kind identifier,
• e.g. chapter, block, category
• a mandatory symbol
• zero or more super classes
• which identify existing classes within the same
  coding scheme
• zero or more modified by statements
• which identify existing modifiers
• zero or more rubrics

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A rubric consists of

• a mandatory language identifier
• a mandatory kind identifier,
• e.g. preferred, includes, excludes
• free text, which may include
• references to other codes within the coding
  scheme
• references to codes in other coding schemes
• italic formatted text
• bold formatted text

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Internal referencing

• ltClass kind"category"gt
• ltSymbolgtA04lt/Symbolgt
• ltSuperClassgtA00-A09lt/SuperClassgt
• ltRubric xmllangen" kind"preferred"gtOther
  bacterial intestinal infectionslt/Rubricgt
• ltRubric xmllangen" kind"excludes"gtfoodborne
  intoxications, bacterial (ltReferencegtA05lt/Referenc
  egt)lt/Rubricgt
• ltRubric xmllangen" kind"excludes"gttuberculous
  enteritis (ltReferencegtA18.3lt/Referencegt)lt/Rubricgt
• lt/Classgt

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Hierarchy

• ltClass kind"block"gt
• ltSymbolgtA00-A09lt/Symbolgt
• ltSuperClassgtA00-B99lt/SuperClassgt
• ltRubric xmllangen" kind"preferred"gtIntestinal
  infectious diseaseslt/Rubricgt
• lt/Classgt

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• ltClass kind"category"gt
• ltSymbolgtA04lt/Symbolgt
• ltSuperClassgtA00-A09lt/SuperClassgt
• ltRubric xmllangen" kind"preferred"gtOther
  bacterial intestinal infectionslt/Rubricgt
• ltRubric xmllangen" kind"excludes"gtfoodborne
  intoxications, bacterial (ltReferencegtA05lt/Referenc
  egt)lt/Rubricgt
• ltRubric xmllangen" kind"excludes"gttuberculous
  enteritis (ltReferencegtA18.3lt/Referencegt)lt/Rubricgt
• lt/Classgt

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Suggested usage of attributes

• Class kind attributes
• Chapter
• Section
• Block
• Rubric kind attributes
• Preferred
• Inclusion
• Exclusion
• Footnote
• Instruction
• Comment
• Synonym

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Comments

• Initial version, but implemented, and works
• Bold, Italic as tags ugly - better handled by
  stylesheet
• Next version RDF ?
• Resource Description Format
• Use XPointer?

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Overview attempt