<< start of forwarded material >>
Date: Sun, 29 Dec 1996 09:54:09 +0100
To: Tom Lincoln <[log in to unmask]>
From: Gerard Freriks <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Re: EDIFACT and SGML
Cc: <[log in to unmask]>, <[log in to unmask]>,
<[log in to unmask]>, [log in to unmask]
Bcc:
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At 19:30 -0800 on 28-12-1996, Tom Lincoln wrote:
> Peter Johnson <[log in to unmask]> writes:
>
> >I'm emailing you alone with this as I had sent my original email to
> >which you replied solely to the gp-uk mailing list, and I haven't
> >been involved in any other lists/ other conferences on this subject,
> >so I am unaware of the full context in which you have been
> >discussing SGML. I take it Gerard Freriks forwarded my email to you
> >and others.
>
> He has started -- by other messages coming my way -- one of his
> usual thought and mail provoking multilogues..
>
> >I have no problem with you publicizing the contents of this email
> >if you feel it would be helpful to do so .
>
> a fine way to spend Saturday afternoon...
For the record.
Probably I sent the discussion further on to interested parties I know.
I thought that it would enrich the discussion and reading the eloquent
consequences it had, I was not mistaken.
So I appologise for my deeds, but don't feel to guilty.
Reading this exchamge of thoughts between Tom and Peter I wonder what the
present state of mind is of Peter.
If Peter read my GP-UK E-mails as a promotion of SGML as a cure for
evrything, I haven't been to precise or to enthousiastic.
In my mind SGML is a peace of technology that will make it possible to add
a new level of abstraction communicating (medical) information. This new
level of abstraction will make it possible to record the general context
next to the data (= Document Paradigm) SGML will enable a system,
application, version independence.
Using SGML READ, ICD-x, SNOMED are not improved at all, and it stays
necessary to code detailed medical information. Depending on the task using
a specific one or at a fine-grained level.
What SGML might add is providing the context: who said what, when, doing
what. E.g: Pain as an expression by a patient, is different froma pain
elicted by the doctor, or pain as a diagnosis, or pain as a patient
problem to be treated versus a doctor problem.
To give a simple example what SGML might solve for me.
AT present I receive 20-30 letters from specialists about patients.
It is cost effective to scan them, use an OCRreader to make ASCII text out
of it and store the result with the patient in the database.
Many letters contain information like: name, adress, birthdate, diagnosis,
treatment advice, results of tests, physical findings, suggestions for the
future (If condition X arises follow plan B,etc) At present I will have to
read all letters, extract the information from it and using trics I will
manualy try to use my database program to record a piece of the information
in an intelligent way, instead of let it sit in the database in a dumb
ASCII only way.
Wouldn't it be nice if the letters were MarkedUP so that my system could
make "cheese" out of it and process the information intelligently.
Of course using SGML can't solve all the problems. We need more standards,
concensus to communicate simple things like NAME, ADRESS, DATES all over
the place in a general way.
And SGML/markup might help to provide the general vehiculum.
Greetings.
<< end of forwarded material >>
Gerard Freriks,huisarts, MD
C. Sterrenburgstr 54
3151JG Hoek van Holland
the Netherlands Telephone: (+31) (0)174-384296/ Fax: -386249
Mobile : (+31) (0)6-54792800
ARS LONGA, VITA BREVIS
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