This paper presents a brief initial look at some of the possible benefits and barriers to using OWL as the language for the development, dissemination and implementation of terminological knowledge in the domain of health and health care. In particular, this assessment is made from the perspective of the author’s role in the development of the Systematized Nomenclature of Medicine (SNOMED). To date, SNOMED has developed and adopted its own special-purpose syntax and formats for terminology development, exchange and distribution. Its representation language has limited expressivity yet is not expressible by any
Kent A. Spackman