Map or translate one terminology to another as needed by local, regional, national, or international interoperability requirements.

The ability to map or translate one terminology to another is fundamental to an organization in an environment where several terminologies are in play to meet different purposes. It is a common occurrence that data is captured using one terminology, but is shared using another terminology.

Example: Within a healthcare organization there may be a need to map terminology concepts with the same semantic meaning to meet different purposes (e.g., between an EHRS and an external laboratory system, or between an EHRS and a billing system). Standard terminologies are evolving and maps will need to be adjusted to support this evolution and more sophisticated use of standard terminologies and maps over time.

Realm specific (including local, regional, national or international) interoperability requirements can also determine the need for terminology mapping, and in many cases terminology mapping services (internal or external) can be used to satisfy these requirements.

The interaction and mapping of terminologies may be called into question in a legal proceeding, when clinical decisions were documented or when semantic meaning could be misinterpreted. It is important to seek guidance, document and retain all mapping decisions for all types of terminology mapping, and to recognize when mapping may not be possible from one concept to another. The quality of mapping is dependent upon the skills and interpretation of standard terminologies and clinical information by mapping experts.