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Medical Terminology Competence Centre

The aim of the Medical Terminology Competence Centre is to organise, harmonise and, where necessary, create and introduce new terminology in the field of medicine and health in Estonian.

The tasks of the Centre

  • Creation, clarification and harmonisation of medical, nursing and health care terminology
  • Organisation of sectoral terminology work and terminology management
  • Introduction of a common agreement procedure for terminology work
  • Localisation of international terminologies, classifications, lists, etc.; harmonisation of local lists
  • Participation as a terminology partner in data quality assuranc
  • Participation in the upTIS team as terminology partner
  • Participation as a terminology partner in the coordination group for classifiers and code lists
  • Responding to terminology requests, providing terminology recommendations
  • Providing terminological advice on specialised research, articles, translations, etc
  • Management of terminology database

Centre's work and terminology working groups

The Centre is managed by the National Institute for Health Development. Partners from the Ministry of Social Affairs, TEHIK, the Estonian Health Insurance Fund, the University of Tartu, Tallinn University of Technology, Tallinn University, the Tallinn School of Public Health and professional associations are also involved in terminology management. The terminology work is carried out in several sectoral working groups, led by the project manager of the Competence Centre for Medical Terminology.

Database of terms

The terms and their definitions agreed in the working groups can be consulted in the Health Glossary, which is constantly updated and the terms published there will be added to the language portal Sõnaveeb in due course.