In my last article in the vocabulary category, I described the need for semantically enabled data and how different categories of health data have different standard vocabulary / ontology associated with them. In the following table I attempt to summarize the recommended vocabularies for different HealthVault types.

Disclaimer: Please note this is not a definitive or complete list, and I will update the table as I discover inconsistencies. The definitive source are the XSDs associated with HealthVault data types.

**HealthVault Type** **Type Schema** **HV Recommended vocabulary related to this type** **Comments**
Advance Directive [822a5e5a-14f1-4d06-b92f-8f3f1b05218f](http://developer.healthvault.com/types/type.aspx?id=822a5e5a-14f1-4d06-b92f-8f3f1b05218f) None Examples include living wills and [power of attorney](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Power_of_attorney) for healthcare.
Allergy [52bf9104-2c5e-4f1f-a66d-552ebcc53df7](http://developer.healthvault.com/types/type.aspx?id=52bf9104-2c5e-4f1f-a66d-552ebcc53df7) [icd9cm](http://developer.healthvault.com/types/vocab.aspx?name=icd9cm&family=icd&version=1.0), [icd9cm-reactions](http://developer.healthvault.com/types/vocab.aspx?name=icd9cm-reactions&family=icd&version=1.0) Details on [ICD-9 Codes](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_ICD-9_codes)
Basic Demographic Information [bf516a61-5252-4c28-a979-27f45f62f78d](http://developer.healthvault.com/types/type.aspx?id=bf516a61-5252-4c28-a979-27f45f62f78d) [ISO-3166](http://developer.healthvault.com/types/vocab.aspx?name=iso3166&family=iso&version=1.0) Country of residence
Blood Glucose Measurement [879e7c04-4e8a-4707-9ad3-b054df467ce4](http://developer.healthvault.com/types/type.aspx?id=879e7c04-4e8a-4707-9ad3-b054df467ce4) glucose-measurement-type
Blood Oxygen Saturation [3a54f95f-03d8-4f62-815f-f691fc94a500](http://developer.healthvault.com/types/type.aspx?id=3a54f95f-03d8-4f62-815f-f691fc94a500) blood-oxygen-saturation-measurement-method
Body Composition [18adc276-5144-4e7e-bf6c-e56d8250adf8](http://developer.healthvault.com/types/type.aspx?id=18adc276-5144-4e7e-bf6c-e56d8250adf8) body-composition-measurement-methods
Body Dimension [dd710b31-2b6f-45bd-9552-253562b9a7c1](http://developer.healthvault.com/types/type.aspx?id=dd710b31-2b6f-45bd-9552-253562b9a7c1) body-dimension-measurement-names, body-dimension-measurement-names-pediatric
Calorie Guideline [d3170d30-a41b-4bde-a116-87698c8a001a](http://developer.healthvault.com/types/type.aspx?id=d3170d30-a41b-4bde-a116-87698c8a001a) calorie-guideline-names
Concern [aea2e8f2-11dd-4a7d-ab43-1d58764ebc19](http://developer.healthvault.com/types/type.aspx?id=aea2e8f2-11dd-4a7d-ab43-1d58764ebc19) concern-description Concerns are more general than conditions
Condition [7ea7a1f9-880b-4bd4-b593-f5660f20eda8](http://developer.healthvault.com/types/type.aspx?id=7ea7a1f9-880b-4bd4-b593-f5660f20eda8)
Continuity of Care Document ([CCD](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charge-coupled_device)) [9c48a2b8-952c-4f5a-935d-f3292326bf54](http://developer.healthvault.com/types/type.aspx?id=9c48a2b8-952c-4f5a-935d-f3292326bf54)
Continuity of Care Record ([CCR](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Continuity_of_Care_Record)) [1e1ccbfc-a55d-4d91-8940-fa2fbf73c195](http://developer.healthvault.com/types/type.aspx?id=1e1ccbfc-a55d-4d91-8940-fa2fbf73c195) [http://www.ccrstandard.com/](http://www.ccrstandard.com/)
Daily Medication Usage [a9a76456-0357-493e-b840-598bbb9483fd](http://developer.healthvault.com/types/type.aspx?id=a9a76456-0357-493e-b840-598bbb9483fd) dose-purpose, usage-schedule, [x12-de-1330](http://developer.healthvault.com/types/vocab.aspx?name=x12-de-1330&family=x12-de&version=1.0), prescription-type, [x12-d3-355](http://developer.healthvault.com/types/vocab.aspx?name=x12-de-355&family=x12-de&version=1.0),
Diabetes Insulin Injection Use [184166be-8adb-4d9c-8162-c403040e31ad](http://developer.healthvault.com/types/type.aspx?id=184166be-8adb-4d9c-8162-c403040e31ad) insulin-types,
Discharge Summary [02ef57a2-a620-425a-8e92-a301542cca54](http://developer.healthvault.com/types/type.aspx?id=02ef57a2-a620-425a-8e92-a301542cca54) icd9cm
HbA1C Measurement [227f55fb-1001-4d4e-9f6a-8d893e07b451](http://developer.healthvault.com/types/type.aspx?id=227f55fb-1001-4d4e-9f6a-8d893e07b451) HbA1C-assay-method
Health Assessment [58fd8ac4-6c47-41a3-94b2-478401f0e26c](http://developer.healthvault.com/types/type.aspx?id=58fd8ac4-6c47-41a3-94b2-478401f0e26c) health-assessment-name, health-assessment-value-sets, health-assessment-groups, health-assessment-category
Heart Rate [b81eb4a6-6eac-4292-ae93-3872d6870994](http://developer.healthvault.com/types/type.aspx?id=b81eb4a6-6eac-4292-ae93-3872d6870994) heart-rate-measurement-conditions
HL7 Clinical Document Architecture, Release 2 [1ed1cba6-9530-44a3-b7b5-e8219690ebcf](http://developer.healthvault.com/types/type.aspx?id=1ed1cba6-9530-44a3-b7b5-e8219690ebcf)
Immunization [cd3587b5-b6e1-4565-ab3b-1c3ad45eb04f](http://developer.healthvault.com/types/type.aspx?id=cd3587b5-b6e1-4565-ab3b-1c3ad45eb04f) [vaccines-cvx](http://developer.healthvault.com/types/vocab.aspx?name=vaccines-cvx&family=HL7&version=2.3%2009_2008), vaccine-manufacturers-mvx, medication-routes,
Insulin Injection [3b3c053b-b1fe-4e11-9e22-d4b480de74e8](http://developer.healthvault.com/types/type.aspx?id=3b3c053b-b1fe-4e11-9e22-d4b480de74e8) insulin-types
Insurance Plan [9366440c-ec81-4b89-b231-308a4c4d70ed](http://developer.healthvault.com/types/type.aspx?id=9366440c-ec81-4b89-b231-308a4c4d70ed) coverage-types
Lab Test Results [f57746af-9631-49dc-944e-2c92bee0d1e9](http://developer.healthvault.com/types/type.aspx?id=f57746af-9631-49dc-944e-2c92bee0d1e9) [LOINC](http://developer.healthvault.com/types/vocab.aspx?name=LOINC&family=regenstrief&version=2.26), lab-status, lab-results-flag, More on LOINC [here](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LOINC).
Medication [30cafccc-047d-4288-94ef-643571f7919d](http://developer.healthvault.com/types/type.aspx?id=30cafccc-047d-4288-94ef-643571f7919d) [Rxnorm](http://developer.healthvault.com/types/vocab.aspx?name=RxNorm%20Active%20Ingredients&family=RxNorm&version=07AC_080303F), NDC, medication-prescribed
Medication Fill [167ecf6b-bb54-43f9-a473-507b334907e0](http://developer.healthvault.com/types/type.aspx?id=167ecf6b-bb54-43f9-a473-507b334907e0) [Rxnorm](http://developer.healthvault.com/types/vocab.aspx?name=RxNorm%20Active%20Ingredients&family=RxNorm&version=07AC_080303F), NDC
Personal Demographic Information [92ba621e-66b3-4a01-bd73-74844aed4f5b](http://developer.healthvault.com/types/type.aspx?id=92ba621e-66b3-4a01-bd73-74844aed4f5b) blood-types, ethnicity, marital-status, religion, education-level,
Pregnancy [46d485cf-2b84-429d-9159-83152ba801f4](http://developer.healthvault.com/types/type.aspx?id=46d485cf-2b84-429d-9159-83152ba801f4) delivery-complications, anesthesia-methods, delivery-methods, pregnancy-outcomes, gender-types, conception-methods,
Question Answer [55d33791-58de-4cae-8c78-819e12ba5059](http://developer.healthvault.com/types/type.aspx?id=55d33791-58de-4cae-8c78-819e12ba5059) question-sets, answer-choice-sets
Sleep Related Activity [031f5706-7f1a-11db-ad56-7bd355d89593](http://developer.healthvault.com/types/type.aspx?id=031f5706-7f1a-11db-ad56-7bd355d89593) November 2005, "Your Guide to Healthy Sleep", ISBN 1-933236-05-1
Sleep Session [11c52484-7f1a-11db-aeac-87d355d89593](http://developer.healthvault.com/types/type.aspx?id=11c52484-7f1a-11db-aeac-87d355d89593) November 2005, "Your Guide to Healthy Sleep", ISBN 1-933236-05-1
Vital Signs [73822612-c15f-4b49-9e65-6af369e55c65](http://developer.healthvault.com/types/type.aspx?id=73822612-c15f-4b49-9e65-6af369e55c65) lab-results-units, lab-results-flag,

As you can notice above we recommend ICD-9, RxNorm, LOINC, NDC. x12-de-1130, x12-de-335. We do prefer SNOMED-CT as well, however the application using it need to have license for it.

Having written the above I would like to match that with what Dr. Halamka recommends in his post. Note that I mention content column for completeness, however its not useful for comparison.

** Data ** ** Content** ** Vocabulary**
Demographics HL7 2.x for messaging, CCD for document summaries HITSP Harmonized code sets for gender, marital status
Problem List HL7 2.x for messaging, CCD for document summaries [SNOMED-CT](http://www.nlm.nih.gov/research/umls/Snomed/snomed_main.html)
Medications [NCPDP](http://www.ncpdp.org/) script for messaging, CCD for document summaries RxNorm and Structured SIG
Allergies HL7 2.x for messaging, CCD for document summaries [UNII](http://www.fda.gov/ForIndustry/DataStandards/SubstanceRegistrationSystem-UniqueIngredientIdentifierUNII/ucm127839.htm) for foods and substances, NDF-RT for medication class, RxNorm for Medications
Progress Notes and Other Narrative Documents (History and Physical, Operative Notes, Discharge Summary) HL7 2.x for messaging, CCD for document summaries CDA Templates (interesting [note](http://www.openehr.org/wiki/display/stds/openEHR+Archetypes+for+HL7+CDA+Documents))
Departmental Reports (Pathology/Cytology, GI, Pulmonary, Cardiology etc.) HL7 2.x for messaging, CCD for document summaries SNOMED-CT
Laboratory Results HL7 2.x for messaging, CCD for document summaries LOINC for lab name, [UCUM](http://unitsofmeasure.org/) for units of measure, SNOMED-CT for test ordering reason
Microbiology HL7 2.x for messaging, CCD for document summaries LOINC for lab name/observation
Images DICOM
Administrative Transactions (Benefits/Eligibility, Referral/Authorization, Claims/Remittance) X12 [X12](http://www.x12.org/), [CAQH](http://www.caqh.org/) CORE

**Next Time: **I’ll try to update the above tables with more details and try to come with recommendations of which clinical type (in the Data column above) would potentially match with which HealthVault type.

As usual leave your suggestions in the comments.