An update on digital transformation was included in briefings in both the Innovation Theatre and the CDO zone at the recent BDIA Dental Showcase 2018 event in London.

The most significant innovation is likely to be the news that a new terminology is to be introduced across healthcare. SNOMED CT is a universal language which is mandated for use by everyone working in the NHS from April 2020. As it's a coding change, the impact will be on computer management systems and not on clinical practice.

Michael Bond, a terminology specialist now working with NHS Digital, outlined briefly the history of disease classification back to the 17th century. In the last few decades the need for accurate healthcare data has driven the need to adopt today's evolved standard.

SNOMED CT, the most comprehensive terminology in the world, appears to be here to stay and is already in use in general medical practices, mental health and community services and some hospitals. Based around machine readable coding combined with human readable descriptions, it's an internationally understood reference terminology which will help support patient care, clinical safety, decision support, professional development, service improvement and commissioning processes.

‘It will make your medico-legal records less ambiguous and easier to read. It adds more value to your data and has massive implications for public health. At NHS Digital it gives us the ability to look at data and interrogate it.’

As an example, he said, 55162003 is a tooth extraction while 245568002 is an UR6 and those codes will be the same whether you work in dentistry or oncology; in the UK, Uruguay or USA. In future, thanks to SNOMED CT, the NHS would be able to understand how many teeth are taken out, which ones they are and why. Michael advised his audience to ensure their computer management system can handle SNOMED CT.