CTS2 Linked Data Edition Terminology Server
Controlled vocabularies (also known as code systems or terminologies) are common information artefacts in healthcare. They allow for univocally and precisely referencing of concepts and are core foundation of any semantic processing of health data. In particular all electronic communication in healthcare relies on coded concepts for semantic interoperability and automated data processing. The Object Management Group's Common Terminology Services Version 2 (CTS2) standard defines an accepted industry standard representation to share, query and maintain value sets and other terminology artifacts. CTS2 was the conceptual background/blueprint for the development of the terminology resource structure of FHIR. Therefore CTS2-LE is FHIR-enabled in order to support this standard that will be the main standard in electronic healthcare.
One method to achieve compliance with the structural profiles of FHIR terminologies and value sets is to use semantic web technologies that are widely used for vocabularies. In this way, artifacts such as code systems, code system elements (i.e., codes and their designations), associations and value sets (i.e., sets of code system elements) can be processed with semantic technologies. The CTS2 Linked Data Edition (CTS2-LE) terminology server provided by Fraunhofer FOKUS follows that foundation. It relies on the the Resource Description Framework (RDF) in conjunction with a RDFS-based schema vocabulary oriented towards the Frame Logic. So-called RDF signatures, based on this schema vocabulary, describe structural constraints according to the information model. Likewise, arbitrary object graphs can be processed and stored with these RDF signatures.
Inhaltsverzeichnis
Overview
This section provides an overview about CTS2-LE. It introduces the building blocks and summarizes the most important functional features.
- CTS2-LE Fact Sheet (German)
- The Fact Sheet provides an overview considering the implemented functionalities and additional usability related features.
- CTS2-LE Building Blocks
- Building blocks feature a structural compliance to the Information Model, is linked-data ready by the means of W3C RDF, and is accessible through a HL7 FHIR and REST API as well as supporting the definition, composition and import of value sets. The knowledge base functionality is implemented with RDF as the representation language providing linkage capabilities for terminological entities. This section describes the architecture and internal design.
- CTS2-LE Interoperability
- The system is build upon international standards and provides multiple standard interfaces for connecting to external services. This section gives an overview on the standards supported and how these can be utilized for integrating with third party products.
- Further Information Sources for CTS2-LE
- Fraunhofer FOKUS has published various papers and brochures about CTS2-LE in particular and terminology services in general.
Installation, Deployment, and Setup
This section covers the installation and initial setup of CTS-LE within an organization.
- Prerequisites
- This section describes the hardware, OS and network requirements for installing CTS2-LE as a stand-alone-system on a server.
- Installation, Deployment, and Setup V3
- DEPRECATED
- Installation, Deployment, and Setup V3 (2021 versions)
- V3 (version >= 3.3.0) with full kubenetes support.
- Supported Standard Terminologies
- Overview of the main standard vocabularies/versions.
Core Web Services
CTS2-LE provides a REST interface for integrating terminology services with custom and third-party applications. This section provides the technical specification of the REST Application Programming Interface.
General
- The suggester has to be updated whenever a code system is loaded. The suggester is used for searches within the navigation frontend.
- Update only has to be invoked for RDF triple loading or if elements of a resource are modified via editing. The search index is automatically updated whenever a code system is loaded (exclusive bulk loading).
- List all rersources (code systems, value sets, concept maps).
- Delete resource by uri and version
FHIR R4
CTS2-LE supports essential parts of the FHIR REST API for
Not all parameters are supported, but in the context of customization for a project it will be enhanced. The following operations are supported.
The fhir base path is <host>/WebCts2LE/hapi-fhir.
Resource-type-independent
Code Systems
- supported parameters: code, system, version, coding, displayLanguage
- supported parameters: url, code, version, display, coding, codeableConcept, displayLanguage
- supported parameters: codeA, codeB, system, version, codingA, codingB
Value Sets
- supported parameters: url, valueSetVersion, includeDesignations
- supported parameters: url, valueSetVersion, code, system, systemVersion, display, coding, codeableConcept, displayLanguage
Concept Maps
- supported parameters: url, code, system, version, coding, codeableConcept, targetsystem
OWL
For index updating and deletion see General
SPARQL
- SPARQL Query
- Due to the full RDF-encoding of all terminology artifacts, CTS2-LE allows for arbitrary queries within and across terminologies, value sets, concepts, and concept relationships. This API provides means to transmit a standard SPARQL query to CTS2-LE. The query result is provided in standard SPARQL Query Results XML Format.
Futher Services
- Concept Suggestion
- retrieve results from suggestion (plain, restricted)
- Concept Search
- perform search operations (plain, restricted, similar)
- Grouping
- Grouping of terminologies in the navigator
Solution Management
- CTS2-LE Release Management
- Fraunhofer FOKUS is continuosly maintaining and further developing CTS2-LE. This section gives insight into the CTS2-LE development roadmap by sketching CTS2-LE add-ons and improvements which are under development at Fraunhofer FOKUS.
