Every time a healthcare professional records a diagnosis, an allergy, or a laboratory result, they are making a decision on how to name something. And that name matters. If two different systems refer to the same clinical reality in different ways, the data will not understand each other\u2014it won't travel, and it won't be useful for making informed decisions. Clinical terminology is not a technical detail; it is the foundation upon which any healthcare system that wants to truly function is built.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
SNOMED CT is currently the reference standard in this field. With more than 375,000 active concepts, nearly 2,850,000 descriptions, and around 1,000,000 declared relationships, it is one of the most comprehensive terminologies in the health information domain. And even so, that is not enough.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A system that continues to grow<\/strong> The Spain extension of the SNS<\/strong> incorporates 6,167 concepts, 20,897 descriptions, and 13,599 additional relationships (December 2025). The medication extension adds another 16,454 concepts, 17,369 descriptions, and 18,407 more relationships (March 2026). The SNS Extension for Spain is published semi-annually, while the Medication Extension for Spain is updated monthly. The SNS SNOMED CT Browser is deployed under an Amazon Web Services (AWS) infrastructure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n These are staggering figures. And behind each one, there is a decision, a validation process, and someone who needs to find the right information at the right time. Managing that volume of knowledge, keeping it up to date, and making it available to the SNS<\/strong> professionals is a challenge that requires more than just good will.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The decision to build something of our own<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n SNOMED International already has its own browser to explore the terminology's content. But five years ago, the Ministry of Health made the decision to build its own browser specifically adapted to the requirements of the SNS, going beyond what the international tool could offer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The project launched in April 2021, and Veratech<\/strong> was the company in charge of developing it, in close collaboration with the Spanish National Release Center for SNOMED CT to ensure that the tool met the real needs of those who would be using it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A browser designed for the SNS<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The result is a tool that not only provides access to international terminology but also incorporates all the specific knowledge of the Spanish healthcare ecosystem. Its main features include the following:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Every healthcare system has its own particularities, its own regulatory context, and its own medications. The National Health System<\/strong> is no exception. To meet its specific needs, SNOMED CT is expanded with specific extensions for Spain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n