Description: The 2009 version of MeSH contains a total of 25,186 subject headings, also known as descriptors. Most of these are accompanied by a short description or definition, links to related descriptors, and a list of synonyms or very similar terms (known as entry terms). Because of these synonym lists, MeSH can also be viewed as a thesaurus. The descriptors or subject headings are arranged in a hierarchy. A given descriptor may appear at several locations in the hierarchical tree. The tree locations carry systematic labels known as tree numbers, and consequently one descriptor can carry several tree numbers. Additional information: Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) is a comprehensive controlled vocabulary for the purpose of indexing journal articles and books in the life sciences. It is served by the United States National Library of Medicine (NLM) and is used by the MEDLINE/PubMed article database and by NLM's catalog of book holdings. MeSH is a hierarchical system that uses a tree-like structure to categorize terms into broader and narrower scopes. It is designed to make the process of information retrieval more precise by standardizing terms used in biomedical research. This allows researchers to search for and locate articles and other resources that are relevant to their areas of interest more efficiently. MeSH terms are organized into 16 categories, each of which contains multiple subcategories. These categories cover a wide range of topics, including diseases, chemicals and drugs, analytical, diagnostic and therapeutic techniques and equipment, psychiatry and psychology, biological sciences, physical sciences, anthropology, education, sociology, and social phenomena, technology, industry, and agriculture, humanities, information science, named groups, health care, geographicals, and publication characteristics. Each bibliographic reference is associated with a set of MeSH terms that describe the content of the item. Importantly, these terms are assigned based on what the item is about, not necessarily what terms are used within the item. This makes it possible to search for related material even if the authors used different terminology. MeSH also includes a large number of synonyms and near-synonyms, which are cross-referenced to the preferred MeSH term. This feature makes it easier for users to find relevant information, even if they use different terms for the same concept. In addition to the descriptor itself, most MeSH terms carry a brief definition, some useful in establishing semantic inter-relationships between descriptors, and a list of synonyms or very similar terms. MeSH is updated annually to reflect changes in medicine and medical research. The NLM's team of subject specialists reviews the biomedical literature to add new terms and update existing ones. In summary, MeSH is a powerful tool for organizing and retrieving information in the biomedical field. It standardizes the language used to describe biomedical concepts, which makes it easier for researchers to find the information they need. Example: 1. Research Paper Categorization: MeSH terms are used by researchers and authors to categorize their research papers and articles. For example, a research paper on the effects of smoking on lung cancer might be tagged with MeSH terms like "Smoking", "Lung Neoplasms", and "Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung". 2. Literature Search: MeSH terms are used by researchers and healthcare professionals to search for relevant literature in databases like PubMed. For example, a researcher interested in the latest studies on diabetes management might use MeSH terms like "Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2" and "Glycemic Control" to filter the search results. 3. Clinical Decision Support Systems: MeSH terms can be used in clinical decision support systems to provide relevant information to healthcare providers. For example, a system might use the MeSH term "Hypertension" to retrieve and display guidelines on hypertension management when a patient with high blood pressure is being treated. 4. Health Information Systems: MeSH terms can be used in health information systems to standardize the recording and retrieval of patient information. For example, a system might use the MeSH term "Myocardial Infarction" to record a patient's diagnosis and to retrieve information on similar cases. 5. Data Mining: MeSH terms can be used in data mining to identify patterns and trends in medical research and healthcare. For example, a data mining algorithm might use MeSH terms to analyze the frequency and distribution of different diseases in a population. 6. Medical Education: MeSH terms can be used in medical education to structure and organize the curriculum. For example, a medical school might use MeSH terms to define the topics to be covered in a course on infectious diseases. 7. Clinical Trials: MeSH terms can be used to categorize and search for clinical trials. For example, a researcher looking for clinical trials on breast cancer treatments might use MeSH terms like "Breast Neoplasms" and "Antineoplastic Agents". LOST view: TVA-Health Technical Agreements Identifier: http://data.europa.eu/dr8/egovera/MeSH-MedicalSubjectHeadingsContract EIRA traceability: eira:TechnicalAgreementContract EIRA concept: eira:SolutionBuildingBlock Last modification: 2023-08-04 dct:identifier: http://data.europa.eu/dr8/egovera/MeSH-MedicalSubjectHeadingsContract dct:title: MeSH - Medical Subject Headings Contract