[extracted from the thread "Archetype documentation using XML + XSLT"] > Tim Cook wrote: > > >> > > > > ADL does semantically describe the AOM. > > > > No reason why XML could not. > > It can suffice for anything from a webform (e.g. XForms) to a vector > graphic (e.g. SVG) to an object model to formatted text (e.g. XHTML) > to > an office file (e.g. ODF or OOXML) to a process such as XSLT. >
Hi Adam, Please let me start by saying that I would be foolish in challenging your expertise in using the XML family of specifications and tools to represent and communicate data. You are certainly more knowledgeable in this than I. On the surface you may well be able to represent the AOM in XML. I will propose though that this is not the best way in real implementations to do so. IMHO it is akin to the philosophy that using a SQL database to persist any kind of data is appropriate because everyone else is using them. This is simply an incorrect and inefficient approach as well evidenced by the fact that 30% or more of an application goes into just translating an object model into a SQL model. This also increase the machine resources needed as well as the maintenance resources of the application. There are important differences between data and information. To understand the significance of the mismatch between flat message protocols and a hierarchical semantic model of information you may want to review some of the concepts in information sciences. Much like the knowledge of physics has evolved since Issac Newton, the knowledge of information science has evolved since Claude Shannon. Most of this work has been done under the umbrella of Philosophy. One of the most comprehensive yet concise documents I have found in this area is in the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy: http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/information-semantic/ I do believe that the use of the term ?semantic information? is unfortunate because (IMHO) information by definition must have semantic integrity. But that point we'll leave to the philosophers. :-> How this applies to healthcare is that healthcare information must contain truth. That truth is fully dependent on the complete context of where, when and how it was recorded. This context needs to be understood in all spatial and temporal instances where this information is or may need to be used. I am certain that the openEHR Reference Model and the Archetype Object Model definitions are currently incomplete. Some things we know about and some we have yet to learn. But I can almost assure you that they will grow even more complex over time. If you can show that the XML family can meet these needs and be more understandable and functional than ADL I will be one of the first to jump on board. My favorite language is Python. It has one of if not the best sets of tools for manipulating XML. [NOTE] You will also need to address the issues that Thomas Beale just presented, in the referenced thread, regarding the real world as well. Cheers, Tim -- Timothy Cook, MSc Health Informatics Research & Development Services LinkedIn Profile:http://www.linkedin.com/in/timothywaynecook Skype ID == timothy.cook ************************************************************** *You may get my Public GPG key from popular keyservers or * *from this link http://timothywayne.cook.googlepages.com/home* ************************************************************** -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: signature.asc Type: application/pgp-signature Size: 189 bytes Desc: This is a digitally signed message part URL: <http://lists.openehr.org/mailman/private/openehr-technical_lists.openehr.org/attachments/20080417/1a53b218/attachment.asc>
