PHIN Vocabulary Access and Distribution System
Defining PHIN Vocabulary Access and Distribution System (VADS)
PHIN VADS provides standard vocabularies to CDC and its Public Health Partners in one place! PHIN VADS is a web-based enterprise vocabulary system for accessing, searching, and distributing vocabularies used within the PHIN. It promotes the use of standards-based vocabulary within PHIN systems to support the exchange of consistent information among Public Health Partners. Currently, there are 400 value sets and almost 700,000 concepts in PHIN VADS based on the code system/domain recommendations from CHI (Consolidated Health Informatics) and value set recommendations from HITSP (Health Information Technology Standards Panel). Users can access and view vocabularies in the context of public health with file download options for Value Sets, Value Set Concepts, Views and Groups available in a tab-delimited text format (additional download file formats are scheduled for a future release of PHIN VADS).
To access VADS, go to: http://phinvads.cdc.gov
Release notes detailing changes of content and/or application updates in the current PHIN VADS release
can be found in the VADS application via the ‘Release Notes’ link in the left navigation pane.
VADS Content and Resources
PHIN VADS provides all the vocabulary metadata needed for HL7 Messaging or Clinical Document Architecture (CDA). Users can navigate and download value sets based on HL7 Implementation Guides or PHIN Vocabulary Groups (Domains). Updates to the PHIN VADS application are planned for a future release to facilitate easier searching. Until such enhancements are released, the following PDF files provide bookmarks to value sets based on specific topics:
a) PHIN Vocabulary Views (HL7 Messaging Implementation Guides)Examples: TB, H1N1, Measles, Mumps, etc.
b) PHIN Vocabulary Group (Domain / Subject Category)
Examples: Demographics, Lab, Drugs, Public Health, etc.
c) VADS Value Sets by Standard Development Organization (SDO)
Examples: SNOMED, LOINC, ICD-9 CM, RxNorm, etc.
Event Driven Information and VADS
VADS is updated with information related to public health events such as H1N1. Following is a list of current event related information and VADS:
1) PHLIP Flu Vocabulary Mapping Workbook
This workbook helps users map local influenza related vocabulary to standard vocabulary. Refer to the CDC homepage of: http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu for full H1N1 details.
2) H1N1 Case Report Form in VADS Views
While this H1N1 link provides direct access to the most current H1N1 information in PHIN VADS, any value sets and value set concepts associated with an Implementation Guide can be found by searching on the Views object in PHIN VADS. For example, the steps to get to this H1N1 page within PHIN VADS are as follows:
1) Access PHIN VADS via the link above and click on the ‘Views’ link at the top of the application.2) Enter ‘H1N1’ in the text entry box and click on the ‘Search Views’ button.
3) Click on the ‘Details’ link to the far right for the H1N1 Case Report Form.
Contacting Us
The PHIN VADS user group is scheduled for quarterly meetings. To be on a distribution list for user group information, content and application releases, contact the PHIN VADS team at phinvs@cdc.gov. Enhancement Requests/Defect Reports can also be submitted to the PHIN VADS team using this same email address with the subject header: Enhancement or Defect.