Process
TBD
1. Process Context
The ultimate meaning of what a Physical entity twin entity (such as a diagnosis of hypertension) records is almost invariably provided by its process context (which might include an assessment of being pregnant). Context can mean two things:
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immediate situational context, i.e. the time, place, participants, resources etc involved in the event or action being recorded;
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long term process context, such as what kind of diagnosis a patient has, or whether they have ever had a heart attack; whether a ship being investigated is part of a nation’s 'shadow fleet'.
The representation of long term context is not simple, because it involves finding earlier relevant information relating to processes that are 'in-flight' (e.g. a mortgage approval process, a course of chemotherapy) the subject of interest (patient, package, flight, etc) and connecting it in a meaningful way.
We can however posit the elements of immediate situation based on existing ontology, and include that in the putative SPLASH information taxonomy. We define a category called Social situation as a kind of Social process that brings together a number of actors and resources in a particular time and place (including virtual), for a purpose. A healthcare encounter thus has an associated Social situation.