SNOMED CT Foundation Course Guide

1. Introduction

1.1 Welcome!

2. About the Course

The SNOMED CT Foundation Course provides an introduction to a broad range of SNOMED CT related topics, including the why, what and how of SNOMED CT. 

This course is designed for people with a general interest in SNOMED CT, and for those considering how SNOMED CT can add value to their organization and/or their products and services. The course also serves as a starting point on which to build additional knowledge. Further knowledge can be acquired formally through SNOMED International's more advanced SNOMED CT courses, or informally by following references from course materials or attending events held by SNOMED International and its national Member organizations. 

This course is a prerequisite for the more advanced courses offered by SNOMED International.

To navigate to the Foundation Course, you have two options:

1. Click on the LEARN menu at the top of the E-Learning Platform, and select 'Foundation Course', or
2. Click on Foundation in the list of My courses in the menu on the left. Note: You may need to click on the 3 horizontal lines at the top left of the window to display the navigational menu.

Once you have navigated to Home / My courses / Foundation you should then be able to use the menu on the left, or the arrows at the bottom of each page to navigate to modules and content within.

2.1. Module Overview

The SNOMED CT Foundation course consists of three modules, with each containing three separate lessons and a practical exercise.

Each lesson consists of 3 - 5 short videos for you to watch. Simply click on the embedded video to initiate playback. YouTube subtitles are displayed by default. However, these can be disabled and repositioned.

After each video, there are some questions which have been designed to build your knowledge in a given topic.

At the end of each module, there is a practical exercise where you will be asked to do something to further your understanding of a relevant topic. Please note that a score of 70% in the module exercise is required in order to continue onto the next module.

At the end of the course, there is a final assessment which covers the entire scope of the course.

Each module in the course is intended to be completed during a four week period. However, you can work through the material at your own pace and you have up to four months to complete the course.

2.2. Course Timetable

To successfully complete this course you will be expected to view all videos within the lessons, complete the end of module exercise and take the final course assessment within four months.

Aside from this time constraint, you may progress through the course at your own pace. However please do not leave everything to the last month as unexpected events may delay you. We recommend that you plan to complete the course in no more than three months. This will allow you some time to catch up if unexpected events occur. If you do not complete the course within the four month period we may require that you reapply to take the full course at a later date.

We will make all reasonable efforts to ensure regular availability of the E-Learning Platform but there may be times when scheduled or unscheduled downtime of the platform occur. While we seek to minimize the incidence of such events, SNOMED International does not accept any liability for loss of inconvenience that may result from this downtime.

2.3. Lesson Topics

The SNOMED CT Foundation Course covers a range of topics which are included in the following lessons:

MODULE A

1. Lesson 1 - What is SNOMED CT and why is it needed?
2. Lesson 2 - What are the benefits of SNOMED CT?
3. Lesson 3 - How do I browse SNOMED CT?

MODULE B

1. Lesson 4 - How is SNOMED CT Designed?
2. Lesson 5 - How is SNOMED CT Developed?
3. Lesson 6 - How is SNOMED CT used in an EHR?

MODULE C

1. Lesson 7 - How can SNOMED CT be customized?
2. Lesson 8 - How can SNOMED CT support language preferences?
3. Lesson 9 - How can SNOMED CT be linked to other code systems?

2.4. Handouts

For each video in the course, you will find a link to a PDF handout by clicking on the drop down details link under each video. Each handout includes the slides and script for a specific video.

Note: These handouts should only be used as a supporting resource and are not a replacement for watching the videos. They have been provided as a means to review the relevant topics and associated script offline. They may not include all slide transitions, animations, or demonstrations within the video. We therefore recommend that you watch the videos where the script is available as a YouTube subtitle.

2.5. Final Assessment

The passing grade for the final assessment is 70%.

Marks of 69% or below will require the assessment to be retaken. One retake will be permitted in an attempt to try and improve your score.

Note: If you do not submit your completed assessment within the allocated time of 2 hours, a timeout will occur and a score of zero will be recorded. This timeout will also occur if you disconnect from the Internet or logout of the platform. There is no way to pause the timer. Therefore, it is important that you do not start the assessment until you are ready and have time to complete it.

3. Completion Certificate and Pass Grades

You will be issued a certificate indicating that you have successfully completed the course when the following conditions have been met:

• All lessons, exercises, and final assessment completed within the allotted time
• A score of at least 70% in the practical exercises and final assessment

This certificate can be accessed within the course completion section of the course.

4. Continuing Professional Development

The SNOMED CT Foundation Course earns you Continuing Professional Development (CPD) or Continuing Professional Education (CPE) credits towards the following credentials.

This course earns you 3.5 CPD points towards your Certified Health Informatics  Australasia (CHIA) credentials.      For more information refer to the CHIA recertification page.

This course earns you 3.5 CPE credits towards your Canadian Health Information Management Association (CHIMA) certification. For more information refer to the CHIMA continuing professional education program page.