SmaCS: smart classification system for the design, maintenance and use of complex terminologies. Application in pediatric cardiology.

The development of a generic Smart Classification System (SmaCS) for the design, construction, maintenance, and use of complex controlled terminologies is described. The ability of SmaCS to create and maintain terminologies that are combinations of structured terms and domain-specific knowledge is an important aspect of its design. SmaCS can therefore be used both for both controlled data-collection, using integrity rules included in the terminology, and intelligent data-retrieval. The design and implementation of SmaCS and application in the domain of pediatric cardiology are described.