The Deeble Institute for Health Policy Research recently published an issues brief (PDF) by Gordon et al that considered the challenges of producing reliable national datasets from patient electronic health records (EHRs) maintained by general practice.

One of the issues raised in this issues brief was the importance of using standardised clinical terminology across the many practice management software packages currently being used in Australia, with the authors recommending that all terminologies should be mapped to SNOMED CT-AU.