Use case 2: Coding and reporting of kidney biopsies in the Netherlands (via PALGA)

In the Netherlands, all (nephro)pathology reports are stored in a central database maintained by a public institute funded by the Dutch government (PALGA). This allows nationwide queries and in part functions as a kidney biopsy registry. Every report is coded at the time of reporting via terms in SNOMED 2. A SNOMED CT translation of SNOMED 2 has already been made by PALGA and NICTIZ (the Dutch national SNOMED CT release center) and sits in the background. Nephropathologists in the Netherlands (represented here by contact persons Joris Roelofs and Tri Nguyen) favour integration of KBC terms in the Dutch SNOMED CT infrastructure and namespace for alignment of coding with the international community.

In the future, structured reporting is envisioned where the KBC terms can be the basis behind a value set for structured reporting of kidney biopsies in the Netherlands (contact person Paul Seegers).