Variable meanings according to context 

Depending on context, concepts can be used in many different ways with various meanings.

A disorder concept can represent:

• Possible diagnosis or part of a differential diagnosis
• Diagnosis applied to a family member or some other contact person
• Diagnosis explicitly excluded
• Diagnosis, now known to be incorrect, but which was the basis for a particular course of treatment
• Absent feature of a related disorder
• Diagnosis that the patient believes or fears they have

A procedure concept can represent:

• Requested, recommended or planned procedure
• Procedure for which consent has been given or withheld
• Procedure that is contraindicated
• Procedure that has been canceled or postponed
• Procedure for which follow up is now being arranged
• Procedure which caused a complication

A symptom concept can represent:

• Confirmed absence of a symptom
• Symptom deduced and reported by a third party as a witness of a clinical event
• Inability or failure to obtain information about a symptom
• Symptom which the patient is advised to respond to in a particular manner

A finding concept can represent:

• Absence of a finding
• Inability or failure to check for a finding
• Finding which, if present, is to trigger a particular change in clinical management
• Finding which is the goal or target of a treatment

A product concept can represent:

• Allergy or other contraindication to a product
• Assertion that a product caused a particular side effect
• Various therapeutic activities of a product
• Instructions given to a patient for use of a non-prescription medication
• Clinical authorization of a prescription
• Issuing of a prescription for a course of treatment
• Supply (dispensing) of a specified quantity of a product
• Administration of a single dose of a product
• Change of a product dosage
• Discontinuation of a product
• Specialist's recommendation to use a particular product, if certain circumstances apply