Title:
Development and Implementation of Standardized Anesthesia Terminology: Insights from South Korea
Summary:
In 2022, South Korea conducted over 2 million surgeries, underlining the need for standardized anesthesia records to facilitate data sharing and improve patient care. My presentation will focus on the recent efforts led by the Korean Society of Anesthesiology to develop a standardized set of anesthesia-related terms. This work, aimed at ensuring consistency across anesthesia records, encompasses three major areas: anesthetic agents, anesthesia monitoring, and anesthesia methods.
Through expert consultation and extensive review of anesthesia records, frequently used terms were refined and mapped to SNOMED CT. The resulting standardized terminology set supports improved communication among healthcare professionals, fosters data reuse, and enhances clinical research. Additionally, this initiative is expected to promote international collaboration, as these standardized terms can be adopted globally.
Looking forward, we aim to expand the terminology set to include specific fields like cardiac, pediatric, and transplantation anesthesia, with continuous updates to ensure its relevance. Ultimately, the standardized terms will contribute to safer, more effective patient care and improved research capabilities.
