Skip to main content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock ( ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Unified Medical Language System® (UMLS®)

New SNOMED CT Standing Committees Formed; IHTSDO Articles Revised

At its June 30, 2007 General Assembly meeting, the International Standards Development Organisation (IHTSDO) elected international experts to the four standing IHTSDO Committees - Content, Technical, Quality Assurance, and Research & Innovation.  These committees will have important roles in the ongoing development of SNOMED CT.  The functions of the Committees are described in Sections 9.4-9.8 of the Articles of the IHTSDO. 

Election to IHTSDO Committees is only one of several ways of participating in the ongoing development of SNOMED CT. Details about   participation in Working Groups and in an Affiliates Forum, open to everyone with a SNOMED CT license (including any current UMLS licensee), will be forthcoming over the next several months. In addition, specific experts may be asked to participate on Harmonization Bodies formed to define the relationship of SNOMED CT to other standards, on Ad Hoc committees, or on special project teams.

At the June meeting, the IHTSDO General Assembly also approved a number of changes to the IHTSDO Articles.  Some are particularly relevant to users of SNOMED CT.  The size of Standing Committees was increased to a maximum of 12 to allow broader participation, and membership in Working Groups was opened up to all interested parties able to contribute to their workplans.  Section 3.4 of the Affiliate Licence was amended to remove an inconsistent restriction on the ability of licensees to transfer their intellectual property in non-Standards-based derivatives and extensions to SNOMED CT. 

Last Reviewed: July 18, 2007