Broad term or uncertain specifics?
Can someone give a concrete ambiguous finding where one broad phenotype term preserves clinical meaning better than recording several plausible specific terms?
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Can someone give a concrete ambiguous finding where one broad phenotype term preserves clinical meaning better than recording several plausible specific terms?
An EHR note records “possible gait abnormality,” but does not distinguish ataxia, unsteadiness, weakness, or pain-limited walking. Several specific ontology terms would preserve the differential, yet they could also make unconfirmed findings appear observed. Should this be represented by one broad gait-abnormality term, with the original wording and uncertainty retained in provenance, or by several specific terms marked as uncertain alternatives? Which representation best preserves the clinical meaning without inflating the phenotype?