AyushBridge

WHO Ayurveda Terminologies

WHO Standardized International Terminologies for Ayurveda provide globally recognized standards for Ayurvedic concepts, bridging traditional knowledge with modern healthcare systems.

Overview

The World Health Organization has developed standardized international terminologies for Ayurveda to facilitate global research, practice, and integration of Ayurvedic medicine within conventional healthcare systems.

Key Features

  • Global Standardization: WHO-approved terminology standards
  • Research Integration: Facilitates international research collaboration
  • Clinical Practice: Supports evidence-based Ayurvedic practice
  • Education: Standardized terminology for academic programs
  • Regulatory Compliance: Meets international health regulations

Scope Coverage

  • Fundamental Concepts: Doshas, dhatus, malas, srotas
  • Diagnostic Methods: Nadi pariksha, darshan, sparshan, prashna
  • Treatment Modalities: Panchakarma, rasayana, satvavajaya
  • Medicinal Substances: Plant medicines, minerals, formulations
  • Disease Classifications: Ayurvedic pathology and nosology

Terminology Structure

WHO Ayurveda terminologies are organized into hierarchical categories following international standards.

Primary Categories

1. Fundamental Principles

  • Panchamahabhuta (Five elements): Prithvi, Ap, Tejas, Vayu, Akasha
  • Tridosha (Three doshas): Vata, Pitta, Kapha
  • Saptadhatu (Seven tissues): Rasa, Rakta, Mamsa, Meda, Asthi, Majja, Shukra
  • Trimala (Three wastes): Mutra, Purisha, Sweda

2. Diagnostic Concepts

  • Ashta Sthana Pariksha: Eight-fold examination
  • Nadi Pariksha: Pulse diagnosis
  • Prakriti: Constitutional assessment
  • Vikriti: Current state assessment

3. Therapeutic Interventions

  • Panchakarma: Five purification procedures
  • Rasayana: Rejuvenation therapy
  • Vajikarana: Aphrodisiac therapy
  • Satvavajaya: Psychotherapy

4. Materia Medica

  • Dravyaguna: Pharmacology and therapeutics
  • Rasa: Taste classification
  • Virya: Potency classification
  • Prabhava: Special effects

Code System Details

  • URI: http://who.int/fhir/CodeSystem/ayurveda-international
  • Version: 2022.1
  • Status: Active
  • Publisher: World Health Organization
  • Jurisdiction: Global

Example Terminology Entry

{
  "code": "WHO-AY-001",
  "display": "Vata Dosha",
  "definition": "One of the three fundamental biological energies governing physiological and psychological functions, characterized by movement and transportation.",
  "designation": [
    {
      "language": "sa",
      "value": "वात"
    },
    {
      "language": "hi",
      "value": "वात दोष"
    }
  ],
  "property": [
    {
      "code": "category",
      "valueString": "fundamental-principle"
    },
    {
      "code": "mahabhuta-composition",
      "valueString": "vayu-akasha"
    },
    {
      "code": "primary-function",
      "valueString": "movement-transportation"
    }
  ]
}

Integration with NAMASTE

WHO Ayurveda terminologies serve as an international bridge between NAMASTE codes and global healthcare systems.

Mapping Relationships

NAMASTE CodeWHO Ayurveda CodeICD-11 TM2Description
NAM001WHO-AY-156TM26.0Amavata / Vata disorders
NAM015WHO-AY-089TM27.1Jwara / Pitta fever
NAM028WHO-AY-234TM28.2Prameha / Kapha diabetes

ConceptMap Example

{
  "resourceType": "ConceptMap",
  "id": "namaste-to-who-ayurveda",
  "url": "https://ayushbridge.in/fhir/ConceptMap/namaste-to-who-ayurveda",
  "version": "1.0.0",
  "name": "NAMASTEToWHOAyurveda",
  "status": "active",
  "sourceUri": "https://ayush.gov.in/fhir/CodeSystem/namaste",
  "targetUri": "http://who.int/fhir/CodeSystem/ayurveda-international",
  "group": [
    {
      "source": "https://ayush.gov.in/fhir/CodeSystem/namaste",
      "target": "http://who.int/fhir/CodeSystem/ayurveda-international",
      "element": [
        {
          "code": "NAM001",
          "display": "Amavata",
          "target": [
            {
              "code": "WHO-AY-156",
              "display": "Ama-Vata Disorder",
              "equivalence": "equivalent",
              "comment": "Both refer to the same Ayurvedic disorder concept"
            }
          ]
        }
      ]
    }
  ]
}

Translation Workflow

  1. NAMASTE → WHO Ayurveda: Local to international standard
  2. WHO Ayurveda → ICD-11 TM2: International Ayurveda to WHO classification
  3. Multi-directional mapping: Enables flexible code translation

Global Standards

WHO Ayurveda terminologies align with international healthcare standards and frameworks.

Compliance Standards

  • ISO 18104: Health informatics - Categorial structures
  • SNOMED CT: Integration points for traditional medicine
  • HL7 FHIR: Terminology service specifications
  • WHO ICD-11: Traditional Medicine Module alignment

International Usage

  • Research Networks: Global Ayurveda research collaboration
  • Academic Institutions: Standardized curriculum terminology
  • Regulatory Bodies: International traditional medicine regulation
  • Healthcare Systems: Integration with conventional medicine

Quality Assurance

  • Expert Review: International panel of Ayurveda experts
  • Consensus Building: Multi-stakeholder agreement process
  • Version Control: Systematic updates and revisions
  • Usage Monitoring: Global adoption and feedback tracking

Usage Examples

Lookup WHO Ayurveda Code

curl -X GET "https://api.ayushbridge.in/fhir/CodeSystem/who-ayurveda/\$lookup?code=WHO-AY-001" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_TOKEN" \
  -H "Accept: application/fhir+json"

Search WHO Ayurveda Concepts

curl -X GET "https://api.ayushbridge.in/fhir/ValueSet/who-ayurveda/\$expand?filter=dosha&count=10" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_TOKEN"

Translate Between Standards

curl -X POST "https://api.ayushbridge.in/fhir/ConceptMap/namaste-to-who-ayurveda/\$translate" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/fhir+json" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_TOKEN" \
  -d '{
    "resourceType": "Parameters",
    "parameter": [
      {"name": "code", "valueCode": "NAM001"},
      {"name": "system", "valueUri": "https://ayush.gov.in/fhir/CodeSystem/namaste"},
      {"name": "target", "valueUri": "http://who.int/fhir/CodeSystem/ayurveda-international"}
    ]
  }'

Create Internationally-Coded Observation

const createAyurvedicObservation = async (patientId, codes, value, token) => {
  const observation = {
    resourceType: 'Observation',
    status: 'final',
    category: [
      {
        coding: [
          {
            system: 'http://terminology.hl7.org/CodeSystem/observation-category',
            code: 'survey',
            display: 'Survey'
          }
        ]
      }
    ],
    code: {
      coding: [
        {
          system: 'https://ayush.gov.in/fhir/CodeSystem/namaste',
          code: codes.namaste.code,
          display: codes.namaste.display
        },
        {
          system: 'http://who.int/fhir/CodeSystem/ayurveda-international',
          code: codes.whoAyurveda.code,
          display: codes.whoAyurveda.display
        }
      ]
    },
    subject: { reference: `Patient/${patientId}` },
    valueCodeableConcept: {
      coding: [
        {
          system: 'http://who.int/fhir/CodeSystem/ayurveda-international',
          code: value.code,
          display: value.display
        }
      ]
    },
    meta: {
      tag: [
        {
          system: 'https://ayushbridge.in/fhir/CodeSystem/coding-type',
          code: 'who-ayurveda-compliant',
          display: 'WHO Ayurveda Compliant'
        }
      ]
    }
  };

  const response = await fetch('https://api.ayushbridge.in/fhir/Observation', {
    method: 'POST',
    headers: {
      'Content-Type': 'application/fhir+json',
      'Authorization': `Bearer ${token}`
    },
    body: JSON.stringify(observation)
  });
  
  return await response.json();
};

// Create prakriti assessment observation
const prakriteCodes = {
  namaste: { code: 'NAM-PRAK-001', display: 'Prakriti Assessment' },
  whoAyurveda: { code: 'WHO-AY-PRAK-001', display: 'Constitutional Assessment' }
};

const prakritiveValue = { code: 'WHO-AY-VATA-PRAK', display: 'Vata Prakriti' };

const observation = await createAyurvedicObservation(
  'patient-123',
  prakriteCodes,
  prakritiveValue,
  token
);

Batch WHO Ayurveda Operations

const batchWHOAyurvedaLookup = async (codes, token) => {
  const batchRequest = {
    resourceType: 'Bundle',
    type: 'batch',
    entry: codes.map((code, index) => ({
      request: {
        method: 'GET',
        url: `CodeSystem/who-ayurveda/$lookup?code=${code}`
      }
    }))
  };

  const response = await fetch('https://api.ayushbridge.in/fhir/Bundle', {
    method: 'POST',
    headers: {
      'Content-Type': 'application/fhir+json',
      'Authorization': `Bearer ${token}`
    },
    body: JSON.stringify(batchRequest)
  });
  
  const bundle = await response.json();
  return bundle.entry.map(entry => entry.resource);
};

// Batch lookup of fundamental concepts
const fundamentalCodes = [
  'WHO-AY-001', // Vata Dosha
  'WHO-AY-002', // Pitta Dosha  
  'WHO-AY-003', // Kapha Dosha
  'WHO-AY-004', // Panchamahabhuta
  'WHO-AY-005'  // Saptadhatu
];

const fundamentalConcepts = await batchWHOAyurvedaLookup(fundamentalCodes, token);
console.log(`Retrieved ${fundamentalConcepts.length} fundamental concepts`);
Explore the complete API reference

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