No one has more experience than Apelon in assisting clients to develop, deploy and maintain healthcare terminologies.
Apelon’s customers understand the importance of standard terminology for their business applications but may need assistance to implement their strategy. This assistance may involve defining terminology requirements, creating or extending structured terminologies, deploying terminology management tools, setting up critical internal processes, or integrating terminology components in client products. Whatever the need, Apelon is ready with the requisite expertise and resources to assure a successful project.
Each engagement is customized to the specific needs of our clients, but the following are typical project components:
Training – Web-based or on-site training for terminology evaluation, clinical terminology modeling principles, “best practices” for terminology development and maintenance, and product selection and use. Training sessions are always designed to meet individual client needs and where possible, integrate client examples and data.
Planning – Apelon consultants are available to analyze your existing vocabulary environment, provide a comprehensive requirements assessment, and make focused recommendations on processes and applications to assure a successful return on your terminology investment.
Terminology Selection and Development – Apelon is the premier provider of professional services for developing standard healthcare terminologies in government and industry. Apelon consultants leverage this expertise in client contexts to evaluate, recommend, create and deliver optimized terminologies and to create scalable, maintainable solutions for real world business problems.
Software Implementation and Integration – Apelon can provide custom programming and integration capabilities to assure rapid and effective integration of terminology components within existing application architectures. Our approach involves requirements assessment and IT environment evaluation in collaboration with Apelon software developers and terminology management specialists. Customization of open software products such as the Distributed Terminology System is also available.
Vocabulary Integration and Mapping – The deployment of an enterprise-wide reference terminology often requires the integration of existing in-house vocabularies into the new standard. Through its eighteen-year experience with the National Library of Medicine, Apelon has unique expertise in integrating or mapping among different vocabularies. We have established principles and practices that facilitate the mapping process among data from legacy applications, client proprietary systems, or simply local customs and cultures.
Apelon has recently integrated many of the above activities into a unique methodology we call Terminology Asset Managementsm (TAM). TAM resulted from our recognition that the adoption and deployment of healthcare standards is more than just software and hardware products. It is also the associated people (roles) and processes that make data interoperability a reality. TAM brings together processes and technology to create true business value for our clients. To learn more about how TAM can jump start your interoperability projects and deliver new levels of productivity, review our Terminology Asset Management Services.
Typical consulting services clients include healthcare delivery organizations, information technology companies, federal healthcare agencies, and pharmaceutical or biotech enterprises. But whatever the type of organization, Apelon offers proven expertise, collaborative partnering, and a flexible approach in which our consultants can take on all or any part of a terminology project. For organizations looking for a partner o help cut costs, increase flexibility, optimize assets, and extend the value and reach of enterprise healthcare terminology, Apelon is the logical choice.
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