Overview
This endpoint provides intelligent search suggestions and query recommendations to help users refine their medical terminology searches. It analyzes user queries, medical context, and search patterns to suggest alternative search terms, related concepts, and improved query formulations.Query Parameters
Original search query for which suggestions are needed
Target vocabularies for suggestions (comma-separated)
Examples:
Examples:
SNOMED
, ICD10CM,LOINC
, RXNORM,NDC
Filter suggestions to specific domains (comma-separated)
Examples:
Examples:
Condition,Procedure
, Drug,Device
Filter to specific concept classes (comma-separated)
Types of suggestions to include (comma-separated)
Options:
Options:
spelling
, synonym
, related
, broader
, narrower
, alternative
, trending
, popular
, all
Medical specialty context for relevant suggestions
Examples:
Examples:
cardiology
, oncology
, pediatrics
, emergency_medicine
User type for suggestion personalization
Options:
Options:
physician
, nurse
, pharmacist
, researcher
, patient
, student
Detected or specified search intent
Options:
Options:
diagnostic
, therapeutic
, procedural
, research
, educational
, administrative
Include spelling corrections and typo fixes
Include alternative phrasings and synonyms
Include conceptually related terms
Include broader and narrower concepts
Include trending medical terms
Include popular search terms
Include explanations for why suggestions are relevant
Enable personalized suggestions based on user history
Cultural or regional context for suggestions
Examples:
Examples:
US
, UK
, international
, multicultural
Language for suggestions (ISO 639-1 code)
Preferred complexity level for suggestions
Options:
Options:
simple
, intermediate
, advanced
, technical
, balanced
Whether suggestions should be patient-appropriate
Filter by standard concept status:
S
, N
, C
Include suggestions for invalid/deprecated concepts
Maximum number of suggestions to return (max 100)
Minimum relevance score for suggestions (0.0-1.0)
Specific vocabulary release version (defaults to latest)
Response
Indicates if the request was successful
Usage Examples
Spelling Correction Suggestions
Get suggestions for queries with spelling errors:Comprehensive Query Suggestions
Get comprehensive suggestions for query improvement:Alternative Phrasing Suggestions
Get alternative ways to phrase a medical query:Hierarchical Concept Suggestions
Get broader and narrower concept suggestions:Patient-Friendly Suggestions
Get patient-appropriate suggestions:Trending and Popular Suggestions
Get trending and popular related terms:Suggestion Types
Spelling Corrections
- Purpose: Fix typos and spelling errors
- Confidence: High for obvious corrections
- Use Case: Improve query accuracy
- Examples: “hart” → “heart”, “diabetis” → “diabetes”
Synonyms
- Purpose: Alternative terms with same meaning
- Formality Levels: Technical, Clinical, Lay
- Use Case: Find standard terminology
- Examples: “heart attack” → “myocardial infarction”
Related Concepts
- Relationships: Associated, causes, treats, complicates
- Clinical Context: Related conditions and procedures
- Use Case: Explore connected medical concepts
- Examples: “diabetes” → “insulin”, “hyperglycemia”
Broader Concepts
- Hierarchy: Move up concept hierarchies
- Generalization: Category, system, class level
- Use Case: Widen search scope
- Examples: “pneumonia” → “lung disease” → “respiratory condition”
Narrower Concepts
- Specialization: Subtypes, variants, specific cases
- Clinical Specificity: Increase diagnostic precision
- Use Case: Get more specific results
- Examples: “diabetes” → “type 2 diabetes” → “insulin-resistant diabetes”
Alternative Phrasings
- Formality: Formal, informal, technical, lay
- Target Audience: Professionals, patients, researchers
- Use Case: Reach different audiences
- Examples: “MI” vs “heart attack” vs “myocardial infarction”
Trending Suggestions
- Temporal: Currently popular or emerging
- Context: Research, clinical practice, news
- Use Case: Discover emerging topics
- Examples: New treatments, recent outbreaks, research terms
Popular Suggestions
- Usage: Commonly searched terms
- Stability: Stable, growing, or declining popularity
- Use Case: Find common related searches
- Examples: High-volume search terms
Search Intent Detection
Diagnostic Intent
- Characteristics: Symptom descriptions, condition names
- Suggestions: Differential diagnoses, related symptoms
- Context: Clinical assessment, patient evaluation
- Examples: “chest pain” → diagnostic conditions
Therapeutic Intent
- Characteristics: Treatment queries, medication searches
- Suggestions: Treatment options, drug alternatives
- Context: Treatment planning, medication selection
- Examples: “diabetes treatment” → therapeutic options
Procedural Intent
- Characteristics: Procedure names, intervention queries
- Suggestions: Related procedures, alternatives
- Context: Procedure selection, surgical planning
- Examples: “cardiac catheterization” → related procedures
Research Intent
- Characteristics: Technical terms, study-related queries
- Suggestions: Research terminology, methodological terms
- Context: Academic research, literature review
- Examples: “biomarkers” → research concepts
Educational Intent
- Characteristics: Learning-focused queries
- Suggestions: Educational resources, explanatory terms
- Context: Medical education, patient education
- Examples: “anatomy” → educational concepts
Administrative Intent
- Characteristics: Coding, billing, documentation queries
- Suggestions: Administrative codes, documentation terms
- Context: Medical coding, billing processes
- Examples: “ICD codes” → administrative terminology
Personalization Features
User Pattern Analysis
- Search History: Commonly searched terms and domains
- Vocabulary Preferences: Preferred medical vocabularies
- Specialty Focus: Medical specialties of interest
- Complexity Level: Preferred terminology complexity
Personalized Suggestions
- Relevant Terms: Terms matching user’s interests
- Vocabulary Bias: Suggestions from preferred vocabularies
- Specialty Context: Specialty-specific recommendations
- Learning Path: Educational progression suggestions
Privacy Considerations
- Opt-in: Personalization requires explicit consent
- Data Security: Secure storage of user patterns
- Anonymization: Personal data anonymization
- User Control: Users can disable personalization
Cultural and Regional Context
Regional Terminology
- US Medical Terms: American medical terminology preferences
- UK Medical Terms: British medical terminology variations
- International: WHO and international standard terms
- Multicultural: Inclusive terminology for diverse populations
Cultural Sensitivity
- Inclusive Language: Culturally appropriate medical terms
- Accessibility: Terms accessible to diverse populations
- Local Practices: Regional medical practice variations
- Language Variants: Regional language preferences
Related Endpoints
- Search Autocomplete - Real-time query completion
- Basic Search - Execute suggested searches
- Semantic Search - Meaning-based search
- Fuzzy Search - Typo-tolerant search