Scope of the meta model
The model meta model consists of a small set of specialised classes or 'shapes', made interoperable via the use of the semantic web languages which use RDF grammar and syntax.
The classes cover the following areas:
- An ontology of terminology concepts, which is a vocabulary and definitions of the concepts used in healthcare, or more simply put, a vocabulary of health. The ontology is made up of the world's leading ontology Snomed-CT, with a London extension and supplemented with additional concepts for data modelling. Whether concepts or Snomed-CT concepts, or the London extension, or any legacy code based concept (e.g. ICD10 or EMIS local codes or Read codes), the class structure is the same.
- A data model, which is a set of classes and properties, using the vocabulary, that represent the data and relationships as published by live systems that have published data to a data service that uses these models. The data model is part of the overall ontology and there is seamless boundary between the data model shapes and the terminology concepts, as both use RDF. The data model meta model uses SHACL shapes and thus conforms to the W3C SHACL recommendation.
- A library of business specific concept and value sets, which are expression constraints on the ontology for the purpose of query. This uses a specialised "query" or "set definition" class, and encompasses the Snomed-CT expression constraint language with which it is compatible, using a simple translation API
- A catalogue of reference data such as geographical areas, organisations and people derived and updated from public resources.
- A library of Queries for querying and extracting instance data from reference data or health records. This uses a more extended class model than 3) but fundamentally is a set definition which is mapped to mainstream query languages to get actual data.
- A set of maps creating mappings between published concepts and the core ontology as well as structural mappings between submitted data and the data model. This uses a context class.
- A set of form generators that are used by the IM application to create forms for the creation and editing of the IM entities which are instances of a meta model class.