Overview - ISO/TS 17117-3:2024 (TIMM)
ISO/TS 17117-3:2024, “Health informatics - Terminological resources - Part 3: Terminology implementation maturity model (TIMM),” defines a model for assessing the progression of terminology implementation capability in health information systems. TIMM focuses on how terminological resources (terminologies, classifications, value sets, code systems, value domains) are implemented across the information lifecycle. It does not prescribe requirements for any specific terminology and does not detail the internal design of software, although software capability influences maturity outcomes.
Key topics and technical focus
- Five maturity pillars that structure capability assessment:
- Pillar 1: Data design (data specifications)
- Pillar 2: Data capture (user interface, validation, binding)
- Pillar 3: Data storage (meaning management over time)
- Pillar 4: Data retrieval (queries, subsumption, equivalence)
- Pillar 5: Data exchange and re‑use (maps, interoperability)
- Terminological resource capability - services and functions a terminology can deliver when implemented (e.g., multilingual support, hierarchies).
- Software terminology capability - how software delivers terminological functions (e.g., subsumption, equivalence, post‑coordination support).
- Data governance and data dictionary expectations as part of design maturity.
- Standards conformance considerations for data capture, storage, exchange and reuse.
- Measurement framework to calculate maturity across pillars and to support conformance criteria.
- Scope clarifications: tooling effects (e.g., computer‑assisted coding) are acknowledged but not detailed.
Practical applications and users
Who benefits from implementing TIMM:
- Health IT vendors - benchmark and enhance product terminology capabilities; plan feature roadmaps for terminology services.
- Healthcare organizations and EHR implementers - assess vendor products, plan purchases, and prioritize improvements to improve safety and data quality.
- Government and procurement bodies - define conformance criteria and purchasing requirements for semantic interoperability.
- Terminology developers and educators - align resource design and workforce training with implementation needs.
Practical outcomes:
- Improved semantic interoperability between systems.
- Safer, more reliable clinical data capture for clinical decision support, reporting and analytics.
- Clearer conformance criteria for vendor selection and integration projects.
Related standards
TIMM references and complements other standards and guidance, including:
- ISO/IEC 11179 (Parts 1, 3, 4) - metadata registries
- ISO/TS 21526 - Metadata repository requirements (MetaRep)
- ISO/TS 21564 - Terminology resource map quality measures (MapQual)
- ISO 22287 - Workforce roles and capabilities for terminology services
- HL7 Value Set Specification
ISO/TS 17117-3:2024 is a practical maturity model for organizations and vendors aiming to advance terminology implementation, strengthen semantic interoperability, and improve patient-safety outcomes in health informatics.
