SPMS continues to invest in improving communication among information and communication technology (ICT) systems in the healthcare sector, encouraging the use of SNOMED CT clinical terminology in Portugal. To this end, SPMS secured the approval of two European co-funding grants – SNO-PT and SNO-PT 2 actions – to ensure the sustainable renewal of SNOMED International’s license for the period 2023 to 2027, allowing free use of SNOMED CT in Portugal.
The implementation of SNOMED CT contributes to substantial improvements in communication, i.e. interoperability between ICT systems, through the provision of more structured and organized clinical and administrative data. Expanding the use of this terminology allows better management of health information and the quality of healthcare provided at national level and cross-border, through the ‘My Health @ EU’ infrastructure.
On the other hand, the use of SNOMED CT also contributes to improve the secondary use of health data, such as for research, medical innovation or policy-making purposes. Access to more standardized, consistent and comprehensive information facilitates the analysis of large volumes of data, creating a more favourable environment for innovation and development of new approaches in the healthcare sector.
The first co-funded action, SNO-PT, concluded on December 31st, 2024, achieved significant results for the expansion of the use of this clinical terminology in Portugal, highlighting:
- The issue of 18 new SNOMED CT licenses to national partners, promoting the standardized use of clinical and administrative terms.
- The translation of 4185 new SNOMED terms into Portuguese, facilitating the adoption and use of this terminology in Portugal.
- The development of 1 national use case, focused on the use of SNOMED CT to share laboratory tests results in the context of Primary Health Care, a crucial step towards interoperability in the National Health Service.
In January 2025, a new co-funded action, SNO-PT 2, was launched with the main objective of continuing and expanding the work started in the SNO-PT action, including supporting Portugal to:
- Guarantee the SNOMED International member status, through the renewal of the license related to that status, for the years 2025, 2026 and 2027.
- Maintain and expand the free distribution of SNOMED CT to healthcare entities.
- Increase the translation of SNOMED CT terms into Portuguese
- Promote and ensure sustainability of ongoing work at the Clinical Terminology Centre (CTC), managed by SPMS.
- Develop additional use cases for the use of SNOMED CT.
- Thus, SPMS strengthens its commitment to modernisation by promoting the development of digital health in Portugal, aligned with European strategies such as the European Health Data Space (EHDS) Regulation and establishing a solid foundation for future advancements in the sector.
Disclaimer: Actions SNO-PT (Grant Agreement n. 101084711) and SNO-PT 2 (Grant Agreement n. 101181370) are co-funded by the European Union, EU4Health Program 2021-2027. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or European Health and Digital Executive Agency (HaDEA). Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.
Website: https://www.ctc.min-saude.pt/projetos-cofinanciados/
Disclaimer: Actions SNO-PT (Grant Agreement n. 101084711) and SNO-PT 2 (Grant Agreement n. 101181370) are co-funded by the European Union, EU4Health Program 2021-2027. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or European Health and Digital Executive Agency (HaDEA). Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.
