4.1. Essential Reference Information

Before designing a database to accommodate SNOMED CT, you should refer to the SNOMED CT Release File Specification. This provides the authoritative documentation about the way that SNOMED CT content is distributed to licensees. The list below picks out the key sections of this guide for those developing solutions that provide access to SNOMED CT.

• Section 3 Release Types, Packages and Files contains the follow chapters that provide essentially information about SNOMED CT Release Packages
  • • 3.1 Common Features of All Release Files
    • 3.2 Release Types
    • 3.3 Naming Conventions for Release Packages and Files
    • 3.4 Release Package Contents
• Section 4 Component Release Files Specification contains the authoritative documentation about the structure of release files containing data that represents SNOMED CT components (concepts, descriptions and relationships).
  • • 4.1 Associations Between Release Files
    • 4.2 File Format Specifications
    • 4.3 Metadata Hierarchy
• Section 5 Reference Set Release Files Specification contains the authoritative documentation about the structure of release files that represent SNOMED CT reference sets. 
  • • 5.1 General Features of Reference Sets
    • 5.2 Reference Set Types