Promed MRS Concept Management with Open Concept Lab (OCL)

Overview

This document provides technical implementation details for managing medical concepts in Promed MRS using Open Concept Lab (OCL) as the central terminology repository. The integration supports both automated synchronisation via the OCL Subscription Module and manual import via JSON files.

Architecture

OCL Subscription Module: Automated synchronisation between OCL and Promed MRS JSON Import: Manual bulk import for initial setup or specific concept sets

OCL maintains the authoritative source; Promed MRS maintains local copies with customisations.

OCL Setup

Account Creation

Verify email

Navigate to https://openconceptlab.org/

Create free account

Organisation Configuration

• Organisation ID: Descriptive identifier (e.g., hospital-nhs, clinic-group)
• Full Name: Complete legal name
• Description: Healthcare services overview
• Visibility: Private (internal) or Public (collaboration)

Sources and Collections

Sources: Authoritative concept repositories (CIEL, ICD-10, SNOMED CT) Collections: Curated concept subsets for specific purposes

Create separate collections for different clinical areas.

Concept Discovery

Browse Organisations

Major healthcare organisations maintain concept libraries:

• Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF)
• CIEL (Community Health Information Electronic Library)
• WHO (International classification systems)

Navigate: Organisations → select organisation → Sources → Concept Classes

Filter by Concept Classes

• Diagnosis
• Procedure
• Drug/Medication
• Laboratory Test
• Clinical Finding
• Symptom

Search Functionality

Use OCL search with filters:

• Concept Class: Clinical category
• Datatype: Coded, Numeric, Text, Date, Boolean
• Language: English, local languages, multilingual
• Mapping: Link to terminologies (ICD-10, SNOMED)

Collection Management

Create Collection

Naming Convention:

• Descriptive IDs: emergency-dept-2024, cardiology-procedures
• Version numbers: diabetes-care-v2.1
• Date stamps: nomenclature-2024-q4

Collection Structure:

Collection: Emergency Department Concepts
├── Triage Classifications
├── Common Diagnoses
├── Emergency Procedures
├── Vital Signs
└── Discharge Instructions

Add Concepts to Collection

Reference Linking (Recommended):

• Click Add to Collection on concept
• Creates live link with automatic updates
• Maintains connection to source organisation

Cloning for Customisation:

• Use Clone to Source for local modifications
• Creates independent copy for editing
• Required for local terminology or translations

OCL Subscription Module Configuration

Authentication

Access: System Administration → OCL Subscription Module

Required Credentials:

• OCL Username: Account username
• API Token: Generate from OCL profile → API Access
• Organisation ID: OCL organisation identifier

Subscription Setup

Collection Subscription:

Organisation: hospital-nhs
Collection: emergency-concepts-2024
Sync Frequency: Daily at 02:00
Conflict Resolution: Prefer OCL updates

Sync Options:

• Automatic: Daily, weekly, monthly scheduled syncs
• Manual: On-demand synchronisation
• Hybrid: Automatic with manual override

Conflict Resolution

When Local Changes Conflict with OCL Updates:

1. Prefer OCL: Accept external updates (standard concepts)
2. Prefer Local: Keep local modifications (custom concepts)
3. Manual Review: Flag conflicts for human decision

Concept Customisation

Safe Modification Process

Never modify shared source concepts directly. Always clone to your organisation’s source first.

Workflow:

1. Find concept in OCL
2. Click Clone to Source
3. Select your organisation’s source
4. Make local modifications
5. Create new collection version
6. Sync to Promed MRS

Customisation Areas

Names and Synonyms:

• Add local terminology
• Include patient-friendly language
• Add common abbreviations

Descriptions:

• Update definitions for local context
• Add clinical notes and usage guidelines
• Include contraindications

Mappings:

• Link to internal coding systems
• Connect to billing codes
• Map to laboratory reference ranges

Datatype Configuration:

• Coded: Predefined options (diagnoses, procedures)
• Numeric: Measurements (vital signs, lab values)
• Text: Free-form entries (notes, comments)
• Date: Temporal data (appointments, procedures)
• Boolean: Yes/no questions (allergies, risk factors)

JSON Import Method

Export from OCL

Export Options:

• JSON: Machine-readable for Promed MRS
• CSV: Human-readable for review
• XML: Alternative format for integrations

Export Configuration:

Format: JSON
Include: Names, Descriptions, Mappings, Datatypes
Language: English (primary), Local languages (secondary)
Version: Latest stable release

Import to Promed MRS

Navigate: System Administration → Concept Management → Import Concepts

Import Settings:

• Overwrite Existing: Replace current concepts
• Add New Only: Import only new concepts
• Validate Before Import: Check for errors
• Create Backup: Automatic backup before import

Post-Import Validation:

• Verify concept counts
• Test concept lookups in forms
• Validate mappings to external systems
• Check for duplicates or conflicts

Performance Optimisation

Large Concept Sets

• Import in batches of 1,000-5,000 concepts
• Schedule imports during off-peak hours
• Monitor system performance during bulk operations

Search Optimisation

• Index frequently searched concept names
• Cache commonly accessed concept hierarchies
• Implement search result pagination

Integration with External Systems

Laboratory Information Systems

• Map OCL concepts to lab test codes
• Synchronise reference ranges
• Handle result value mappings

Pharmacy Systems

• Link drug concepts to medication databases
• Map dosage forms and strengths
• Integrate allergy and interaction checking

Billing Systems

• Connect procedure concepts to billing codes
• Map diagnosis concepts to ICD-10
• Handle insurance-specific coding requirements