Standards Development

Scope

This document aims to specify a categorial structure in the field of pattern representation in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) by defining a set of domain constraints for use within terminological resources. It contains a concept detailing the domains of five subcategories: principle, causative agent, function, body part, and pathological process.

This document does not include:

— a comprehensive categorial structure for TCM;

— a treatment procedure for TCM;

— relevant devices;

— decoction patterns;

— terms or descriptions for subcategories of principle, causative agent, function, body part, or pathological process.

Purpose

The standardization of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has been carried out for herbs, acupuncture and moxibustion, among other things. However, pattern terminology in TCM has not yet been standardized, nor has how to standardize the categorial structure of pattern been discussed.

The terminology of pattern is essential knowledge in TCM for understanding and describing a disease. In TCM, terms for pattern are based on Han Chinese characters. It is necessary to develop standards and structural categories of terms because there are several ways to express a pattern when translating terms from Han Chinese characters to English.

This document offers various benefits to the TCM industry. Above all, it provides guidance for the standardization of pattern terms. It also suggests a way to refine these terms through semantic links between categories, which can eventually be used as a primary database for clinical decision support systems.

The potential uses for this document include:

— support for developers in providing new terminological systems concerning pattern representation in TCM;

— facilitating the representation of TCM patterns using a standardized core model in a manner suitable for computer processing;

— facilitating the mapping and improving semantic correspondence between different terminologies by proposing a core specification for TCM pattern;

— providing a tool for pattern text mining, database construction and ancient document processing over a wide area of TCM.