2. Using the Asset Library

Content of this section

The Asset Library contains refset definitions, publication options for refsets and saved queries.

Here, queries and reference sets are stored, allowing them to be edited and managed in preparation for the next terminology release.

Queries: queries may be created to identify all descendants of a concept. Also, criteria may be combined to specify subsets. Query results can later be synchronized into a refset to be published as an extensional refset, or can be published as a serialized query, an intensional refset.

Authored refsets: these are refsets created by an author

External refsets: refsets already published in the terminology. These are static refsets, and should be converted to an authored refset to be edited.

2.1 Creating a new query

Step-by-step guide

1. Click Plus symbol in Queries to open a New query modal window:

2. Enter a query name.

3. Describe query features and/or purpose.

4. Click Create query to show the query in the Assets list.

5. Select the new query in the assets list to open the activity preview.

6. In the Activity Preview, Click Open query to specify the concepts that should be included by selecting conditions to include or exclude concepts.

7. Select a concept from the taxonomy and drag it into the Query panel.

8. Open childrenOf drop-down to select concepts to be included (for example, parent        concepts, children, the selected concept only, etc.)

9. Click Add condition when the condition has been defined. In the example shown, the    query will include all concepts that are descendants of 'Event' including it and excluding  descendants of Event, Abuse, Accidental event and Bioterrorism related event.

10. Click Save changes to save the selected conditions.

11. Click Run query to obtain the results. Queries may be done in the inferred view or in the stated view, and in real time or, for extensive and complex queries, using Cloud option. The number of concepts retrieved, in addition to an alphabetically ordered list of concepts, is shown:

12. Click Export results to export query results to an Excel file or to the briefcase, if needed

2.2 Creating authored refsets

A reference set (refset) is defined as a work consisting of a set of references to SNOMED CT components that may associate additional properties with components that are members of the set and/or which may indicate associations between members of the set or between members of the set and content of another nomenclature, classification or knowledge structure (See IHTSDO's SNOMED CT Technical Implementation Guide). 

Refsets are a standard way to represent additional non-defining information about members of a set of components and are important as they can be used in SNOMED CT enabled applications to constrain, configure and enhance functionality to match requirements for different use cases. Some examples of the many uses of reference sets may include the following:

• To represent language and dialect preferences for use of particular terms to describe a concept, allowing to configure preferred and acceptable descriptions for a language, dialect or context of use. 
• To include or exclude subsets of components from the set of values that can be used by a particular country, organization or context. 
• To prioritize frequently used descriptions or concepts for searches in a particular country, organization or context.
• For structuring and ordering lists and hierarchies
• Supporting maps from or to other code systems
• To represent value sets of concepts limiting the permitted content of a field in line with requirements of standard message or communication interface

Authored refsets

Authored refsets are draft refsets created by a user, not intended to be published in the short-term but fulfill all the requirements for working in a development setting.

Authored refsets may be classified as:

• Simple type refsets: consist in lists of concepts which only contain terms and associated concept IDs
• Simple map reference sets: allow representation of simple maps between SNOMED CT concepts and values in other code systems
• Attribute-value reference sets 
• Ordered references sets: authored refsets that are ordered in supertype-subtype relationships

2.2.1 Creating Simple Reference Sets

Step-by-step guide

1. Click Plus symbol in Authored Refsets to open a New refset modal window

2. Enter a refset name and a refset description

3. On the Refset type drop-down, select Simple Type Reference Set

4. On the publication specification, select Not published

 5. Click Create to list refset name in the Assets panel

6. Select the new simple refset and click Open Asset

7. In the Refset Editor panel, click Import concepts from briefcase to create a list of concepts 

8. Add additional refset members by dragging a concept from the concept summary panel to the refset editor

2.2.2 Creating Simple Map Reference Sets

Step-by-step guide

Steps 1 and 2 are the same as described in section 3.2.1

3. On the Refset type drop-down, select Simple Map Reference Set

4. On the publication specification, select Not published

5. Click Create to list refset name in the Assets panel

6. Select the new simple map refset and click Open Asset

7. In the Refset Editor panel, click Import concepts from briefcase to create a list of concepts or drag a concept from the concept summary panel to the refset editor

8. In Value column, click Change this to open the field where the map target code is to be entered

9. Press the Green checkmark to accept changes

10. Save changes.

2.2.3 Creating Ordered Reference Sets

Step-by-step guide

Steps 1 to 7 are the same as described in the previous sections, except for selecting Ordered Reference Set in the Refset Type menu.

8. In the Refset Editor, click No children to open refset edition

9. Drag a concept that will be a child of the selected concept and drop it in Children. Should  a concept have more than one child, the parent concept should be dragged into Drop a new member as many times as necessary.

10. Select the Green checkmark to accept the change and then press Save changes.

11. In the Refset Editor open Tree Preview to see the refset ordered in a taxonomy.

12. Visualization order may be changed: In the Refset Editor, Click on Value number to specify the order to be shown in the tree view:

13. Click the Green checkmark to accept the new value. 

14. Save changes.

15. Open Tree Preview to see the taxonomy with the new order

2.2.4 Synchronizing refsets

All refsets may be synchronized by linking them to a query.

Step-by-step guide

1. In the Assets Library, select a refset name
2. Select an option in ‘Linked with query’ drop-down

3. Press Sync after selecting between Stated or Inferred views