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Original Article

Thesaurus and information

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Pages 155-166 | Received 10 Oct 1978, Published online: 12 Jul 2009
 

Abstract

The quantitative and semantic aspects of information contained in thesauri are discussed with regard to three types of thesaurus: a thesaurus without classification, with a hierarchical structure, and with a facet structure. The optimal structure for a thesaurus, from the quantitative point of view, will depend on the number of diagnoses, the number of subdivisions and on the frequency of the diagnoses and structures. The authors show how semantic information can be computed semi-quantitatively if the structures in a diagnosis can be designated as ‘more‘ and ‘less’ important for the diagnosis in question. TDM, ICD and SNOP are compared in quantitative terms. About 70—80% of diagnoses of the circulatory system and respiratory system, but only 20% of diagnoses of the nervous system, were found to be directly transferable between TDM and ICD. With the post-coordinated SNOP about 80% of TDM diagnoses could be codified.

Les aspects quantitatifs et sémantiques de l'information dans un thésaurus sont discutés. On peut séparer, au cours de l'analyse quantitative, les thésaurus sans structure des thésaurus à structure hiérarchique ou facettaire.

L'aspect quantitatif de la structure optimale, dans un thésaurus, dépend surtout du nombre de diagnostics et de celui des sous-classifications. Le contenu de l'information semantique peut étre calculé d'une façon quasi-quantitative si les structures d'un diagnostic particulier sont divisées en structures ‘importantes’ et ‘moins importantes’. Cette distinction a ete realisee pour la premiere fois dans TDM. Une comparaison quantitative entre TDM, ICD et SNOP a montré que dans les systemes cardiovasculaire et respiratoire, 70% à 80% des diagnostics peuvent ětre convertis directement de TDM en ICD, mais seulement 20% des diagnostics lorsqu'il s'agit du systeme nerveux. 80% des diagnostics en TDM peuvent ětre codés en SNOP.

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