The OBSERVATION_ELEMENT class is a BOUND_DATA_ELEMENT whose coded meaning is constrained to represent a SNOMED CT finding situation or observable situation. Clinical findings are observations about a patient made by a Care Professional, patient, or a carer. Types of information represented by OBSERVATION_ELEMENT includes:
- clinical observations,
- clinical findings on examination,
- investigation results,
- decisions arrived at as a result of a synthesis of signs, symptoms, investigations (i.e. findings) and clinical knowledge,
- findings resulting from formal assessment procedures such as whether a patient has been assessed under a section of the Mental Health Act,
- administrative findings and
- events.