The College of American Pathologists’ (CAP) division CAP STS (SNOMED Terminology Solutions) and Spanish health consultancy Gesaworld have signed an agreement to advance the use of standards in health IT via consulting, training, and implementation services.

CAP STS is recognized as the authoritative source for SNOMED Clinical Terms (SNOMED CT) in the Spanish health IT marketplace. SNOMED CT is a globally recognized controlled medical vocabulary that helps health professionals to record, store, analyze, and exchange information.

Gesaworld’s health projects span 20 countries worldwide. CAP STS also has a global client list, including the Copenhagen, Denmark-based International Health Terminology Standards Development Organisation (IHTSDO), which owns SNOMED CT. CAP STS is the support organization for the IHTSDO.

Spain’s Ministry of Health, as a member of the IHTSDO, provides the Spanish version of the medical vocabulary free via its Web site for use in Spain. Linguistic normalization in health is a priority of the Ministry and its autonomous communities. Its National Health System Agency for Quality is responsible for developing initiatives to promote the use of SNOMED CT as a reference clinical terminology for EHRs throughout Spain.