ISO/TR 4421:2023

TECHNICAL ISO/TR
REPORT 4421
First edition
2023-06
Health informatics — Introduction to
Ayurveda informatics
Informatique de santé — Introduction à l'informatique sur l'Ayurveda
Reference number
© ISO 2023
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ii
Contents Page
Foreword .iv
Introduction .v
1 Scope . 1
2 Normative references . 1
3 Terms and definitions . 1
3.1 General terms . 1
3.2 Characterizing categories . 4
4 Semantic links . 5
4.1 isAppliedTo . 5
4.2 hasCharacteristicOf . 5
4.3 isA . . 5
4.4 includes . 5
4.5 utilizes . 5
4.6 resultsIn. 6
5 Concept models . 6
5.1 Subject of healthcare . 6
5.2 Ayurvedic analysis of a healthy subject of healthcare . 6
5.3 Ayurvedic analysis of an unhealthy subject of healthcare . 8
6 Road map for standardization in Ayurveda informatics .10
Annex A (informative) Fundamental principles of Ayurveda .11
Bibliography .21
iii
Foreword
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iv
Introduction
Ayurveda, the “science of life”, integrally incorporates the concepts of health and disease and aims not
only at treating a patient but also at maintaining wellbeing of a healthy person by achieving homeostasis
of the body, mind, and spirit; referred to as the holistic approach (see Annex A).
With an increase in lifestyle-related disorders, there is a worldwide resurgence of interest in Ayurveda
and other holistic systems of healthcare, particularly with respect to the prevention and management
of chronic and non- communicable diseases. Today, more than 110 WHO member states use herbal
medicine and more than 90 WHO member states have reported use of Ayurveda. In most of these
countries Ayurveda treatment is covered by insurance too.
The globalization of Ayurveda calls for standardization in terms of terminology; clinical examination;
diagnosis; maintenance of health records; interventions in form of herbs, herbal/ herbo-mineral
formulations, diet and lifestyle; pharmaceuticals as well as pharmacovigilance specific to Ayurveda.
Application of standardized informatics tools in Ayurveda is poised to bring robustness in clinical
decision support systems, electronic health records, telemedicine, processing and storage of data,
automation of time consuming, subjective and labour-intensive clinical examination involving multi-
layered parameters, personalized medication, identification of herbs, processing of formulations,
pharmacovigilance and even drug re-positioning.
This document shares the concept diagram of Ayurvedic diagnosis. Since prevention of disease and
maintaining health is an important concept in Ayurveda, this document shares the concept diagram for
Ayurvedic analysis of a healthy subject in addition to an unhealthy subject.
The potential uses for this categorial structure are to:
— facilitate the representation of Ayurvedic analysis of a subject using a standard core model in a
manner suitable for computer processing;
— support developers of new terminology systems concerning Ayurvedic medicine systems;
— facilitate mapping and integration between Ayurvedic and other Traditional medicinal models;
— facilitate meta-data association, automatic processing of medicinal literature and texts on Ayurvedic
medicine systems and integration of the same with Ayurveda based EHR systems.
The potential beneficiaries of this document include:
— developers of Ayurveda and other traditional medicine based diagnosis and analysis systems;
— developers of information systems for patient findings, Ayurvedic medicinal treatment and its
efficacy;
— informaticians, analysts, researchers who would require common models of knowledge to facilitate
analysis of data available on traditional medicine;
— developers of EHR systems, aiming on interoperability of biomedicine and traditional medicine
based systems.
v
TECHNICAL REPORT ISO/TR 4421:2023(E)
Health informatics — Introduction to Ayurveda informatics
1 Scope
This document seeks to establish a baseline understanding of Ayurvedic medicine system. It introduces
various elements and processes inherent and integral to Ayurvedic diagnosis and treatment. It
establishes concept models for Ayurvedic analysis of a subject which can potentially form the basis of
system models.
The following topics are out of scope of this document:
— concept models and categorial structures for the individual elements of the concept models
proposed.
— individual Ayurvedic dosage forms or medicines or therapies.
2 Normative references
There are no normative references in this document.
3 Terms and definitions
For the purposes of this document, the following terms and definitions apply.
ISO and IEC maintain terminology databases for use in standardization at the following addresses:
— ISO Online browsing platform: available at https:// www .iso .org/ obp
— IEC Electropedia: available at https:// www .electropedia .org/
3.1 General terms
3.1.1
assessment of signs of disease
assessment of an observable indication of a disease, injury, or abnormal physiological state that can be
detected during a physical examination, patient history taking, or a diagnostic procedure
3.1.2
assessment of symptoms of disease
assessment of the something out of the ordinary that is experienced by an individual or reported by a
patient
3.1.3
Ayurveda
science of life where advantageous and disadvantageous, happy and unhappy states of life along with
what is good and bad for life, its measurement and life itself are described
Note 1 to entry: Ayurveda deals with inter-individual variability for personalized and predictive medicine.
Note 2 to entry: Ayurveda emphasizes maintenance and promotion of health and prevention of diseases through
various dietary and lifestyle regimens along with treatment of diseases through various therapeutic measures
and medications.
3.1.4
Ayurvedic medicinal treatment
ayurvedic pharmacological intervention involving administration of single herbs or compound
formulations which can be internal or external
3.1.5
Ayurvedic surgery
ayurvedic intervention involving para-surgical or surgical interventions
3.1.6
Ayurvedic therapy
treatment of diseases or disorders, as by remedial, rehabilitating, or curative process described in
Ayurveda
3.1.7
concept
unit of knowledge created by a unique combination of characteristics
[SOURCE: ISO 1087:2019, 3.2.7, modified — Note to entry removed.]
3.1.8
concept model
concept diagram formed by means of a formal language
[SOURCE: ISO 24156-1:2014, 3.2]
3.1.9
Daivavyapashraya chikitsa
divine therapy
non-pharmacological Ayurvedic intervention involving social and religious rituals based on faith
3.1.10
diagnosis
process of identifying a disease, condition, or injury from its signs and symptoms
Note 1 to entry: A health history, physical exam, and tests, such as blood tests, imaging tests, and biopsies can be
used to help make a diagnosis.
3.1.11
disease
illness or medical condition, irrespective of origin or source, that presents or could present significant
harm to humans
[SOURCE: WHO (2005)]
3.1.12
disease susceptibility
state of being predisposed to, or sensitive to, developing a certain disease
3.1.13
family predisposition
genetic predisposition
increased chance of developing a certain disease based on the genetic makeup
3.1.14
healthcare
care activities, services, management or supplies related to the health of an individual
Note 1 to entry: This includes more than performing procedures for subjects of care. It includes, for example, the
management of information about patients, health status and relations within the healthcare delivery framework
and can also include the management
...