Promoting and Demoting VTAs

A Verbatim Term Assignment, or VTA, is the mapping between a verbatim term and the dictionary term to which it is classified. VTAs may be available globally or in one or more TMS domains (see Global and Domain VTAs) and they may or may not require manual approval. In the Promote/Demote VTAs window you can change a VTA's status from Global to Domain or from Domain to Global. You change a VTA's approval status in the Approve VTAs window under the Omission Management menu option. See Approving and Unapproving VTAs for more information.

Default settings for Approved/Nonapproved and Global/Domain statuses for VTAs are set the in the reference codelist TMS_CONFIGURATION. You can override the default approval status for a particular dictionary/domain combination; from the Definition menu, select Define Domains, then Dictionaries. You can override the default for a particular VTA in the Classify VT Omissions window for both types of status. Changing a VTA's status in the Promote/Demote VTAs window overrides all previous settings.

For more information, see:

• About the Window
  
• Global and Domain VTAs
  
• Promoting a VTA
  
• Demoting a VTA
  

About the Window

TMS displays VTAs in all dictionaries and all TMS domains together. TMS displays Global VTAs first, in alphabetical order, then Domain VTAs grouped by domain, with domains listed alphabetically. VTAs are displayed in alphabetical order within their domain.

If a verbatim term is classified to different dictionary terms in two or more different TMS domains, it is listed twice or more, once for each VTA. In the text block, the verbatim term is listed with information about the VTA.

Global and Domain VTAs

A Domain VTA is available only in the TMS domain(s) in which it was created. A Global VTA is available across all TMS domains. Domain VTAs take precedence over Global VTAs; if a Domain VTA and a Global VTA exist for the same verbatim term within a domain, TMS uses the Domain VTA.

Note:

Even if the current domain allows classifying terms to nonapproved dictionary terms (for example, dictionary terms that are no longer valid in the current dictionary version), VTAs linked to nonapproved dictionary terms are not displayed in this window because they cannot be promoted. TMS does not allow global VTAs to be linked to nonapproved dictionary terms.

For more information, see:

• When You Promote a Domain VTA to Global Status
  
• Demoting Global VTAs to Domain Status
  
• Approval Status for Global and Domain VTAs
  
• Informative Notes
  

When You Promote a Domain VTA to Global Status

When you promote a Domain VTA to global status, TMS makes the newly promoted Global VTA available to all TMS domains. Thus, after you promote a Domain VTA that maps the source term "pain in right foot" to the dictionary term "foot pain NOS", all domains in that instance that do not already have Domain VTAs defined for the source term "pain in right foot" will classify that source term according to the Global VTA.

However, domains might already have Domain VTAs defined to classify this source term. Because these Domain VTAs override the classification specified in the Global VTA, there are two possible outcomes in base dictionaries:

• If the Domain VTA's mapping differs from that defined in the Global VTA, TMS retains the Domain VTA. To use the same example, if a Domain VTA specifies that "pain in right foot" should classify to the more specific dictionary term "right foot pain," TMS will keep that Domain VTA, and studies using that domain will continue to map that source term in the same way.

• On the other hand, if the Domain VTA is exactly the same as the newly promoted Global VTA, there isn't anything for the Domain VTA to override; both global and domain behavior are the same. In this case, TMS removes the Domain VTA, and in this domain, TMS classifies this source term according to the Global VTA. You can promote a Domain VTA to a Global VTA to make it available in all TMS domains.

The outcome is different for Domain VTAs in virtual dictionaries. If a Domain VTA exists in a virtual dictionary, and it maps to the same dictionary term as a newly promoted Global VTA, TMS retains the Domain VTA.

Demoting Global VTAs to Domain Status

When you demote a Global VTA to a Domain VTA, you must specify in which TMS domains you want TMS to create a Domain VTA. If you specify a TMS domain that already has a Domain VTA for that term, TMS will not override the Domain VTA already created. If you do not specify a domain that used the Global VTA, TMS creates an omission during the next Batch Validation. You will be able to create a Domain VTA for it during classification.

Approval Status for Global and Domain VTAs

When you demote a Global VTA to a Domain VTA, TMS treats it as a new VTA and assigns approval status to it according to setting of the Approval Required? box in the Define Domain Dictionaries window for the relevant domain.

When you promote a Domain VTA to a Global VTA, TMS assigns it the approval status indicated in the GLOVTAAPPRREQD reference codelist (see GLOVTAAPPRREQD for more information.

Informative Notes

All Informative Notes associated with a VTA expire when you promote or demote the VTA. For more information on creating Informative Notes for VTAs, see Using the Status/Notes Pop-up Window.

Promoting a VTA

To promote a Domain VTA to a Global VTA:

1. From the VTA Maintenance menu, select Promote/Demote VTAs to reach the Promote/Demote VTAs window.
2. Query for the VTAs you want.
3. Highlight the VTA you want to promote.
4. Click Promote to Global VTA.

   Note:

   You cannot promote VTAs to Global if an unanswerable negative list action exists in any domain for the dictionary.

5. (Optional) You can type a comment about this VTA promotion in the Comment field, which is at the bottom of the window. You can then audit these changes in the Browse Repository Data window; click Browse Dictionary to reach this window directly from Promote/Demote VTAs.
6. Save.

Demoting a VTA

To demote a Global VTA to a Domain VTA:

1. From the VTA Maintenance menu, select Promote/Demote VTAs to reach the Promote/Demote VTAs window.
2. Query for the VTAs you want.
3. Highlight the VTA you want to demote.
4. Click Demote to Domain VTA.
5. Highlight the domain(s) in which you want the VTA to be available.

   Note:

   You can select more than one record using the standard Windows Shift+Click and Ctrl+Click behavior.

6. (Optional) You can type a comment about this VTA demotion in the Comment field, which is at the bottom of the window. You can then audit these changes in the Browse Repository Data window; click Browse Dictionary to reach this window directly from Promote/Demote VTAs.
7. Save.