[Analysis of medical catalog terms using the MAOUSSC model: application to Gyncecology-Obstetrics].

BACKGROUND The Model of Assistance and Orientation of a User within a System of Coding (MAOUSSC) used to describe activity in human medicine was used to analyse French medical nomenclature in Gynecology and Obstetrics. METHODS French medical nomenclature for gynecology and obstetrics was translated with the multiaxial model (MAOUSSC) to allow critical analysis. RESULTS All the 119 medical acts in the French nomenclature involving the female genital tract and obstetrics could be translated with the model. 24% of the acts were imprecise, ambiguous or implicit: the nature of the procedure was not explicit in 7 cases, the surgical route was not given in 86 and the surgical instrumentation not named in 75. Activities involving numerous medical specialties and ambulatory activity can be described with the MOUSSC model. CONCLUSION The MAOUSSC model is still in the experimental stage. It is however easy to implement, has a high potential for describing various medical acts and is suitable for the description of gynecological and obstetrical activity both in terms of economical and medical efficacy.