Welcome to the Omaha System Web site!

The Omaha System is a research-based, comprehensive practice and documentation standardized classification; it can be used by multidisciplinary health care practitioners in any setting from the time of client admission to discharge. The three components of the Omaha System are described in the Overview, and include an assessment component (Problem Classification Scheme), an intervention component (Intervention Scheme), and an outcomes component (Problem Rating Scale for Outcomes).

Users: Approximately 8000 multidisciplinary practitioners, educators, and researchers use Omaha System point-of-care software in the United States and other countries. About 2000 more practitioners use paper-and-pen records. The number and type of computer software vendors who offer automated Omaha System clinical information systems continue to grow rapidly, and their customers are becoming increasingly diverse.

Book and Case Studies: The Omaha System is described in detail in The Omaha System: A Key to Practice, Documentation, and Information Management (2nd ed), published by Elsevier in 2005 (international orders here). A User's Guide, descriptions of use in practice, education, and research settings, and 18 case studies are included in the book. This Web site summarizes the Omaha System and includes 8 additional case studies. Case studies are an invaluable tool when learning to use the Omaha System, for refreshing skills, and for evaluating interrater reliability.

Copyright: The Omaha System terms, definitions, and codes have existed in the public domain since 1975. Therefore the terms, definitions, and codes are not held under copyright. They are available for use without permission from Elsevier or the developers, and without a licensing fee. However, the terms and structure must be used as published and accompanied by a reliable source (2005 book or Web site). Other sections of the book are held under copyright by Elsevier. For more information, refer to the book, contact Elsevier, or send an email.

Integration: The American Nurses Association has recognized the Omaha System since 1992, and it passed the Healthcare Information Technology Standards Panel (HITSP) Tier 2 selection criteria for Use Cases in 2007. It is integrated into the National Library of Medicine’s Metathesaurus; CINAHL; ABC Codes; NIDSEC; Logical Observation Identifiers, Names, and Codes (LOINC®); and SNOMED CT®. It is registered (recognized) by Health Level Seven (HL7®), and is congruent with the reference terminology model for the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). It is being mapped to International Classification of Nursing Practice (ICNP®).

To return to this home page, click the puzzle pieces in the top left corner.
If you have suggestions for this Web site, please send an email.