Introduction
ISD Terminology Services provides support and guidance in the use of clinical classifications, coding and terminology to NHS Scotland and its partners through locally based training, provision of an expertly manned Advisory Service and publication of National Guidelines. Terminology Services form part of the Data Recording Advisory Service (which includes the Clinical Data Structure and Implementation Support and Definitions and Reference Service).
Why do we need clinical classifications, coding and terminology?
Clinical and health related data are collected on various national patient based datasets by ISD to support a variety of purposes including epidemiology, service planning and performance management. The information is also used to support policy making decisions aimed at improving the health and healthcare of the people of Scotland. To ensure that data is recorded consistently and accurately, to facilitate analyses and to provide meaningful comparisons, nationally agreed clinical coding systems are used. Terminology Services offers advice and support to users of clinical coding and terminology systems in Scotland.
Our Services
Expert Advice
We provide an expert based clinical coding and terminology advisory service for NHS Scotland and other external customers including the Scottish Government, information analysts, clinicians, researchers, clinical coders and systems suppliers. Our advisory service offers coding advice to hospital based clinical coders but we also assist analysts by helping them to select the correct codes for analyses of healthcare data or to help interpret customer needs for healthcare information requests. We also advise on any coding differences between Scotland and other UK countries, answer coding queries and requests from clinicians and advise IT staff on the availability of coding systems.
Training
In addition to advice, Terminology Services offers locally based bespoke training in ICD10, OPCS-4, Read and SNOMED-CT standards. Our website contains a full list of our courses but please contact us if there are any other aspects of clinical coding training that you would like us to consider supporting. We can provide this training tailored to our customers' needs e.g. clinical coders, clinicians, information analysts, IT staff and administrative staff.
Support Materials
We also publish National Clinical Coding Guidelines and provide additional supporting material such as our coding leaflet for hospital physicians submitting discharge summaries.
Other Services
We also coordinate new code requests for Read, Clinical Imaging Procedures and SNOMED-CT in Scotland. In addition we provide technical expertise for data quality assurance in other NHS programmes of work and contribute to the maintenance and development of the above mentioned coding systems.
Coding systems supported by Terminology Services include ICD, OPCS, Read, SNOMED-CT and codes for Clinical Imaging Procedures.
For further information please browse our webpages. You can also download a leaflet that summarises our services.
Latest News
1st July 2011 - Connecting for Health have developed an electronic version of the OPCS classification (V4.6).
This basic piece of software can be downloaded free of charge to NHS users, but is only available as a 'stand-alone' version - i.e. it must be downloaded to individual P.C.s.
This can be done via the Terminology Reference Data Update Distribution Service (TRUD).
You must register then select the product from the downloads list (OPCS ebook under NHS Classifications). Some technical questions must be answered and it is therefore recommended that Information Technology staff be involved in the process.
Whilst Terminology Services staff at ISD have used and assessed the product, it is owned, maintained and supported by Connecting for Health. All difficulties with downloading or usage must be reported directly to Connecting for Health using their Helpdesk facilities. Please also be aware when upgrading to newer versions of the OPCS ebook that only NHS Scotland approved versions of OPCS should be downloaded (the current national standard for use in NHS Scotland is OPCS version 4.6).
If sites choose to use this, they must keep it updated with any amendments and upgrades issued by Connecting for Health.
7th April 2011 - Terminology Services have organised a full ICD and OPCS course for later this year to be run in central Glasgow. The dates are as follows:-
ICD10 Course (5 days)
Monday 12th September to Weds 14th September 2011 and
Tues 20th September 2011 and
Tues 27th September 2011
OPCS4 Course (4 days)
Weds 28th September to Thursday 29th September 2011 and
Weds 5th October to Thurs 6th Oct
The courses are aimed at staff new to clinical coding and provide instruction on the coding rules and principles that they need to implement when completing SMRs. It is recommended that any coder working within an acute hospital setting should attend both of the full courses. Staff from other areas of the health service who also complete SMRs (for example cottage hospitals, SMR04 Mental Health sites etc) are also welcome on this course. The actual programme for each day will be constructed according to the requirements of those registered on the course.
There is no charge for NHS employees within Scotland, but travel expenses will need to be agreed with your employing authority as National Services Scotland will not be responsible for these.
Each day will run from 10am and finish by 4pm, but some flexibility will be possible to arrange with prior notification.
The venue is the Blood Transfusion Centre in Nelson Mandela Place, Glasgow, just a few minutes walk from Queen Street Station and Central Station.
To register for one or both of these courses, please obtain your line manager's approval and then email nss.terminologyhelp@nhs.net with your full name, job title, place of work, line managers name and their job title and contact details, and which of the courses you would like to attend. If you have any special requirements then please also include this in your email. There are limited spaces available for this course so please ensure you register as soon as possible. The deadline for Registration is Monday 29th August 2011.
16th February 2011 - OPCS-4.6 coding books are now available from The Stationery Office (TSO). Orders should be placed with the head office in Norwich;
The Stationery Office (TSO)
St Crispins
Duke Street
Norwich
NR3 1PD
Tel: +44 (0)1603 622211
It is essential that NHS headed note paper is used in order to gain the significant discount for NHS users.
The pack (Tabular and Index) will cost £39.00 plus postage and packaging. There is no V.A.T. payable.
The ISBN for the pack is 978011 3228683.
If you need any further information regarding this, please contact our helpdesk.
A summary of the changes that have been made to OPCS-4.5 to produce OPCS-4.6 can be found on the Connecting for Health website.
