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When a country joins IHTSDO it gains a number of rights and obligations related to
IHTSDO products, including SNOMED Clinical Terms (SNOMED CT). All IHTSDO Member countries
1
also play a key role within the governance and advisory bodies of IHTSDO. Therefore,
joining IHTSDO brings with it a need to learn how IHTSDO works, the roles of IHTSDO
Members and practical ways to maximize the benefits of membership.
An important first step is to designate an organization as a National Release Center
(NRC) to fulfill the operational requirements of membership, including managing the
national distribution of SNOMED CT. This guide is a high-level introductory document
for National Release Centers.
The objective of the "IHTSDO National Release Center Guide" (NRC Guide) is to offer
a practical and useful starting point for IHTSDO Member countries. It provides guidance
on NRC responsibilities and the relationships between NRCs, IHTSDO, and implementers
and users within a Member country.
This document is also intended to provide guidance on how NRCs can support an effective
and efficient introduction of SNOMED CT in their countries.
However, it does not provide a general introduction to SNOMED CT. Readers interested
in learning more about IHTSDO's terminology should refer instead to the SNOMED CT
Starter Guide.
The SNOMED CT Starter Guide can be found here: http://snomed.org/starterguide
The target audience of the NRC Guide is those people responsible for establishing,
managing and working within a National Release Center. While primarily designed for
new IHTSDO Members, this guide also provides a useful reference for NRC staff in existing
Member countries.
Readers of this guide should already have an understanding of what an IHTSDO Member
is and what an Affiliate is. The IHTSDO Glossary can be used to clarify specific words
and phrases used.
The SNOMED CT Glossary can be found here: http://snomed.org/glossary
Ref | Notes |
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1 |
This document uses the term "Member country" as this is considered easier to understand than the more formal term "Member territory." In most cases Members are countries or states recognized by the United Nations, but in exceptional circumstances entities that are not strictly "countries" may be permitted to join IHTSDO as Members. |