Medical abbreviations u/a
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Medical Abbreviations in Electronic Medical Records
Introduction to Medical Abbreviations
Medical abbreviations are widely used in healthcare settings to streamline communication among professionals. However, the use of unapproved abbreviations (UAAs) can lead to misinterpretation and potential medical errors. This article explores the detection and management of UAAs in electronic medical records (EMRs) and the development of comprehensive databases to support natural language processing (NLP) in healthcare.
Detecting Unapproved Abbreviations in EMRs
Background and Methods
A study conducted in a tertiary care children's hospital aimed to identify and reduce the use of UAAs in EMRs. The researchers developed an abbreviation detector using existing EMRs and validated it against human-screened samples from 2003. The detector was then applied prospectively to screen all EMRs monthly over a six-month period1.
Results
The abbreviation detector demonstrated high accuracy, with a sensitivity of 89% and a specificity of 99.9%. Over 475,613 EMRs were screened, revealing a UAA rate of 26.4 per 1,000 EMRs. The most common non-medication UAA was "qd" (11.8/1,000 EMRs), and the most common medication UAA was "PCN" (4.2/1,000 EMRs). Through consistent education and feedback, the use of UAAs decreased significantly by 37.3% over the six-month period1.
Comprehensive Database for Medical Abbreviations
Development of the Meta-Inventory
To address the challenges of recognizing, disambiguating, and expanding medical abbreviations, researchers developed the Medical Abbreviation and Acronym Meta-Inventory. This database harmonizes eight source inventories across various healthcare specialties, identifying 104,057 abbreviations with 170,426 corresponding senses. The use of state-of-the-art machine learning techniques reduced redundancy and improved the quality of the database2.
Features and Applications
The Meta-Inventory demonstrated high coverage of abbreviations and senses in new clinical texts, outperforming previous repositories. This comprehensive database supports cross-institutional NLP applications, enhancing the accuracy and reliability of medical text processing. The Meta-Inventory is publicly available, facilitating its use in diverse healthcare settings2.
Conclusion
The detection and management of UAAs in EMRs, combined with the development of comprehensive databases like the Medical Abbreviation and Acronym Meta-Inventory, are crucial steps in improving patient safety and communication in healthcare. These advancements support the accurate interpretation of medical texts and reduce the risk of errors associated with ambiguous abbreviations.
Sources and full results
Most relevant research papers on this topic
Detecting unapproved abbreviations in the electronic medical record.
Using an abbreviation detector and consistent education and feedback significantly reduced unapproved abbreviations in electronic medical records.
Observational StudyA deep database of medical abbreviations and acronyms for natural language processing
The Medical Abbreviation and Acronym Meta-Inventory is the most complete database of medical abbreviations and acronyms in American English, supporting cross-institutional natural language processing.
Problems of the English Abbreviations in Medical Translation
Medical abbreviations pose a challenge in translation due to their rapid appearance and diverse meanings, requiring thorough study and proper training for medical professionals.
Observational StudyCreating an online dictionary of abbreviations from MEDLINE.
Our algorithm accurately identifies biomedical abbreviations from text, creating a dictionary of 781,632 high-scoring abbreviations from MEDLINE.
Highly CitedEducational interventions to reduce use of unsafe abbreviations.
Educational interventions significantly reduced the use of unsafe abbreviations in medication orders from 19.69% to 3.31% over an eight-month evaluation period.
Observational StudyFeatures of translation of english medical abbreviations
Translation of medical abbreviations is crucial for effective professional communication, and understanding their structure is crucial for accurate understanding and translation.
[Unsafe abbreviations in medical prescriptions and their association with medication errors: a review].
Unsafe abbreviations in medical prescriptions can lead to medication errors, and a list of potentially risky ones is proposed for Chilean health services.
Literature ReviewUse of medical abbreviations and acronyms: knowledge among medical students and postgraduates
There is a knowledge gap among medical trainees regarding the meaning and usage of common medical abbreviations, highlighting the need for proper education on appropriate usage.
Observational StudyA study of abbreviations in the UMLS
UMLS abbreviations are highly ambiguous, with 33.1% of six-character or less abbreviations having multiple meanings, and over 66% of them are covered in medical reports.
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