1.1 This guide covers the clinical terms used in everyday clinical communications.

1.2 This guide does not cover terminology listings prepared for other purposes such as those for reimbursement, literature retrieval or scientific reference encoding, because the criteria for these types of term lisitngs are significantly different from those to be observed when a nomenclature is constructed for the support of clinical informatics activities.

1.3 This guide is intended to outline the nosologic concepts for a clinical nomenclature that is designed to support electronic healthcare records.

1.4 The purpose of this guide is to describe the desiderata (needed requirement) for a nomenclature that is dedicated to clinical use and can serve as a way for maintaining nationwide compatibility among electronic healthcare records generated in the United States.

1.5 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.