2025 Early Visibility Release Notifications
This page provides information on planned changes to upcoming SNOMED International Release packages in three sections:
EARLY VISIBILITY OF PROPOSED CONTENT CHANGES (with provisional release date)
EARLY VISIBILITY OF PUBLISHED CHANGES (with confirmed release date)
INFORMATION ABOUT PROJECTS AND WORK IN PROGRESS
Please submit any feedback relating to the items below to info@snomed.org
PLEASE NOTE, YOU MAY HAVE TO REGISTER FOR A CONFLUENCE USER ACCOUNT IN ORDER TO ACCESS THE LINKS TO DOCUMENTS REFERENCED BELOW. |
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2025 Proposed Content Changes
Items | Hierarchy/Topic | EARLY VISIBILITY OF PROPOSED CONTENT CHANGES | Planned Release timing (*this is provisional only and is subject to change) |
|---|---|---|---|
1. | Content Improvement | Updates to the Inactivation Reason and Historical Association for 'On Examination' and 'Complaining of' Inactive Content Many of the 'on examination' and 'complaining of' concepts were previously inactivated with the inactivation reason of |Moved elsewhere| with a historical association value |Extension Namespace 1000000|. This content will be updated with an inactivation reason of |Non-conformance to editorial policy| and a historical association of |Alternative| to a suitable international concept. | Q4 2025 - Q1 2026 International Release |
2. | Clinical Finding | Inactivation of Complication Disorder Concepts (371 concepts) The inactivation of concepts that reference “complication” without specifying the nature of the complication is planned. The primitive “Complication (disorder)” grouper was inactivated in 2022 due to a lack of consistency or definition of what would properly be assigned as a subtype. The concepts will be inactivated with inactivation reason “Classification derived concept” and replacement by the parent concept. Access to briefing note is available on request info@snomed.org | Beginning June 2024 International Release and then subsequent releases until complete |
3. | Procedure | Review 1263452006 |Anesthesia and/or sedation procedure (procedure)| A review of the 1263452006 |Anesthesia and/or sedation procedure (procedure)| hierarchy is in progress, the focus is on:
| Content review - publication date to be determined |
4. | Procedure | Review 48537004 |Bypass graft (procedure)| A review of the 48537004 |Bypass graft (procedure)| hierarchy is in progress, the focus is on:
| Q4 2025 International Release |
5. | MRCM Change Update to Procedure Content | MRCM change to Surgical approach (attribute) - PLEASE SEE UPDATED TIMESCALES BELOW This change will be implemented in 4 phases:
| Phase 1 - February 2025 International Release - COMPLETE Phase 2 - April 2025 International Release - COMPLETE Phase 3 - Q2 2025 International Release - COMPLETE Phase 4 - Q4 2025 International Release |
6. | Descriptions Update | Forward slash in FSN A review has commenced of those concepts with a forward slash in their FSN. Editorial guidance exists disallowing the use of forward slashes in FSNs, and we have commenced a systematic review of those existing terms containing them. Many areas are excluded for example, medicinal products where strength /1 is the denominator, assessment scales, explicit "and/or", gene names, enzyme and other substance naming, organisms, ratios, per in units (or future consideration), intervertebral structures, content added with an Orphanet map and others. The review is ongoing. If the meaning is clear i.e. single meaning there is no change but groupers, disjoint ('or)' terming and ambiguous terms will be reviewed and possibly inactivated or have a new replacement FSN without a forward slash. Subject matter experts are being consulted as part of this work. | 2025 International Release |
7. | Procedure | Review of 129376004 |Construction - action (qualifier value)| 129376004 |Construction - action (qualifier value)| is a subtype of 257903006 |Repair - action (qualifier value) and sibling of 129377008 |Reconstruction - action (qualifier value)|. Because some concepts modeled with 129376004 |Construction - action (qualifier value)| as target value concept for 260686004 |Method (attribute)| may not be considered a reparative procedure, a review of the 129376004 |Construction - action (qualifier value) and 410614008 |Construction (procedure)| hierarchies is being undertaken. Expected outcomes may be the classification of 129376004 |Construction - action (qualifier value)| directly under 129284003 |Surgical action (qualifier value)| and the creation of new actions that better define the differences between reparative and construction procedures. | Content review - publication date to be determined |
8. | Clinical Finding | Genomic Community Content Phenotype concepts that currently exist in the genomics community content area are being gradually promoted to the International edition release. All content is being reviewed and revised based on the current international editorial guidelines and publication will occur incrementally over several releases. Update - Abnormality of X Many of the concepts for promotion from the community content represent the notion of "Abnormality of X", which will act as high level grouper concepts for existing SNOMED CT concepts. As "abnormality" can represent either a structural or functional defect in a body structure, these concepts will be termed specifically as "Structural abnormalities" or "Functional abnormalities" where appropriate. Based on input from the SNOMED Editorial Advisory Group, existing "Abnormality of X" concepts in the International release will be reviewed for reterming to ensure that they specifically represent structural abnormalities. This will not result in any changes to the current hierarchies but will provide unambiguous descriptions for clarity and ease of translation. | Expected completion by Q4 2025 International Release
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9. | Association Relationships File | Additional Relationships The new "additional relationships" take the same form as the inferred relationships and can be stored in the same format in the RF2 package. Modeling Advisory Group (MAG) recommends that extensions can use the existing relationship files or create new relationship files for them. By default, there is a single file for each component (1 concept file, 1 relationships file, 1 simple refset file, etc.). Edition and extension publishers can decide to split the content of any of those files for business reasons while following the naming convention. The new attributes should be placed under 1295449009 |Additional relationship attribute (attribute)|. The concept 900000000000227009 |Additional relationship (core metadata concept)| should be assigned to characteristicTypeId in the relationship files. | To be determined - 2025 International Release |
10. | Description Update | Inactivation and Replacement of Concepts Using "Arm" and "Leg" in the FSN Concepts that use "arm" or "leg" without qualification are ambiguous, as the anatomical site may be misinterpreted. Work has commenced on updating Disorder content. Following this, Finding and Procedure content will be managed as resourcing permits. | 2025 International Releases |
11. | Deprecation | Notice of Deprecation - Concept Non Current Indicators Concept Non Current (CNC) indicators will be deprecated in the January 2026 International Edition of SNOMED CT. The plan is to stop adding these indicators to active descriptions when the concept they are attached to is made inactive. Additionally, all currently active CNC indicators will be made inactive. They will be left in place as inactive components. This deprecation is not expected to have any impact on existing SNOMED CT implementations but will instead simplify the product and reduce associated maintenance costs. For further information please see here. | January 2026 International Release |
12. | Clinical Finding Morphologic Abnormality Procedure Situation with Explicit Context | Remodel 128928004 |Neuroendocrine neoplasm (morphologic abnormality)| and Subtypes 128928004 |Neuroendocrine neoplasm (morphologic abnormality)| its subtypes and related concepts in other hierarchies will be revised to align with the 5th edition of the WHO Blue Book chapter on Endocrine and Neuroendocrine Tumours as well as to SNOMED CT editorial guidance as part of the Histology Content Quality Group Please see “Neuroendocrine neoplasms (NEN) - PART 2” here for more information about these changes. Please see the Histology Content Quality Group site here for more information about the groups’ mission. | Q4 2025 International Release |
13. | ICD-O | Planned Deprecation of the SNOMED CT - ICD-O version 3.1 Morphological and Topography Maps Please see briefing note here. | 2026 International Release |
14. | Description Length | Proposal to Increase the Character Limit for Descriptions Please refer here for full summary of consultation. Please see here for conclusion on increasing description type length limits. | July 2026 International Release |
15. | Procedure Physical Object | Update to Aqueous Humor Drainage Device Structure and Related Procedures Following collaboration with the Eye Care Clinical Reference Group (CRG), an update will be made to the SNOMED CT structure for aqueous humor drainage devices. This update reflects advancements in technology and aims to enhance the clarity of device descriptions. Details of the proposed device hierarchy structure can be found here. This change will also impact related procedure concepts, specifically 265291005 |Insertion of drainage tube into anterior chamber (procedure)| and subtypes. The current concepts will be inactivated and replaced due to the following reasons:
Example changes include:
Additional new concepts will be created to represent implantation procedures in other anatomical sites. | Q4 International Release |
16. | Clinical Finding | Changes to Hierarchy 198609003|Complication of pregnancy, childbirth and/or puerperium (disorder)| A briefing note documenting the proposed changes for the hierarchy 198609003|Complication of pregnancy, childbirth and/or puerperium (disorder)| and descendants was shared with key stakeholders in May 2025. Feedback was received from a wide range of stakeholders. The model for 198609003|Complication of pregnancy, childbirth and/or puerperium (disorder)| and subtypes will be updated in the international edition of SNOMED CT. The model will employ the attribute 246454002 |Occurrence (attribute)| with a value of 307159006|Pregnancy time period (qualifier value)| or a subtype. This work will aim to clarify the meaning of existing content by modeling concepts with either a maternal or fetal temporal period (and rarely both maternal and fetal). The work will also inactivate a small number of supertype concepts such as 198609003|Complication of pregnancy, childbirth and/or puerperium (disorder)| and 362972006 |Disorder of labor / delivery (disorder)|) and utilize semantically clearer alternatives for example 1269083008 |Fetal intrapartum disorder and/or maternal disorder during intrapartum period| and 1269075002 |Maternal disorder during intrapartum period|. | Q1 2026 International Release |
17. | Situation with Explicit Context | Proposed Inactivation of <<443938003|Procedure carried out on subject (situation)| Please see here Update 30 October 2025 After consultation and review of the feedback received, these concepts will not be inactivated but instead remodeled to define them with their procedure hierarchy counterparts. | 2026 International Releases |
18. | Clinical Finding and Procedure | Update for Fetal Model and Inactivation of Non-Unique Fetal Part Structures The concept model for fetal procedures and findings will be updated in the international edition of SNOMED CT. The model employs the attribute 246454002 |Occurrence (attribute)| with the value 303112003 |Fetal period (qualifier value)| and its subconcepts for modeling purposes. Finding and procedure sites will be revised to utilize canonical or morphological structures (excluding unique fetal structures) such as persistent or malformed structures. For example, concepts modeled with site 'fetal head structure' will have site replaced by 'head structure' in combination with 'fetal period' occurrence. Currently, there are 60 concepts within the international edition of SNOMED CT that are modeled using < 367570001|Fetal part (body structure)|. These concepts will be reviewed and revised. Once complete, 118 descendants of 367570001|Fetal part (body structure)| will be reviewed. Non-unique fetal parts, such as ‘fetal head’, will be inactivated from the anatomy hierarchy in a subsequent release. National extensions should update the model for fetal findings and procedures to ensure consistent classification. If any subconcepts of 367570001|Fetal part (body structure)| are required for other use cases, please submit this information to info@snomed.org | Q4 International Release Remodel of findings and procedures completed for August 2025 release. Review and inactivation of fetal body structures in progress. |
19. | Organism | Review of 409793007|Antimicrobial resistant bacteria (organism)| and Descendants 409793007|Antimicrobial resistant bacteria (organism)| and descendants will be reviewed and content corrections made as appropriate. The review will focus on:
| Q1 2026 International Release |
20. | Clinical Finding/Situation with Explicit Context | Inactivation of 723620004 |Requires vaccination (finding) and Subtypes 723620004 |Requires vaccination (finding) will be inactivated with historical association to the published concept 122541000119104 |Vaccination needed (situation)|. The 35 published subtypes of 723620004 |Requires vaccination (finding)| will be inactivated and replaced by corresponding concepts in the situation with explicit context hierarchy as a subtype of 122541000119104 |Vaccination needed (situation)|. | Q4 2025 International Release |
21. | Substance | LOINC Substance Content Promotion The LOINC ontology project team has developed approximately 700 new substance concepts in the LOINC extension for DNA, RNA, IgE, IgG, and IgG4, to align with associated LOINC parts e.g., 697041010000101 |Immunoglobulin E antibody to Alnus incana subspecies rugosa (substance)|. These concepts are internationally applicable and are slated for promotion to the International edition following the scheduled release of the LOINC ontology V.2.0 (currently scheduled for late September 2025). | December 2025 International Release |
22. | Disorder | Inactivation of 30041005 |Acute angle-closure glaucoma (disorder)| and Subtypes Following review and consensus by the Eye Care Clinical Reference Group, 30041005 |Acute angle-closure glaucoma (disorder)| and its subtypes will be inactivated. The correct representation is 1111451000000106 |Acute angle closure (disorder)|, with new synonyms (acute angle closure attack, acute angle closure crisis) added to reflect clinical usage. This change aligns with international ophthalmology guidelines, which consistently use acute angle closure rather than acute angle-closure glaucoma. A briefing note is available here. | Q4 2025 International Release |
23. | Medicinal Product | Update to Medicinal Product Strength Representation Updated concept (before - after) example:
| December 2025 International Release |
24. | Clinical Finding | Review 408574004|Imaging result abnormal (finding)| and 408573005|Imaging result normal (finding)| and Descendants These concepts are clinical findings and align with the editorial guide i.e. normal/abnormal observations, judgments, or assessments of patients. A finding site will be added to the concepts where appropriate (and not currently stated) so that the concepts classify as a subtype of the ‘finding of X anatomic structure’ concept where published. For example
This will improve consistency and subsumption of the content as each concept will classify under the appropriate ‘Finding of body structure X’ parent where one is published. This work is being undertaken to complete content tracker IHTSDO-101. | Starting Q4 2025 International Release Expected completion Q1 2026 International Release |
25. | Procedure | Review Herniorrhaphy and Hernioplasty A request has been received to review concepts using the terms herniorrhaphy and hernioplasty as synonyms. In literature the distinction is well established:
A total of 126 subtypes of 50465008 |Hernia repair (procedure)| where a suture, device, or substance was involved in the repair, will be reviewed to determine alignment with the definitions of herniorrhaphy or hernioplasty. Two new grouper concepts will be created:
Procedure concepts using the terms herniorrhaphy or hernioplasty will be reviewed. Any descriptions inconsistent with the above definitions will be inactivated. Where a procedure concept matches one of the definitions but the appropriate term is not present in its descriptions, a synonym will be added. Once these changes are complete:
These changes relate to content tracker: IHTSDO-681 – Hernia procedures and disorders | December 2025 International Release |
26. | Procedure | Proposed Inactivation of Sex Specific Procedure Concepts Please see this briefing note. Please submit feedback via the briefing note page or alternatively email info@snomed.org by 1st November 2025. | Q1 2026 International Release |
27. | Disorder | Review of 43275000 |Otitis (disorder)| and Descendants (298 concepts) Work is being undertaken to complete content tracker IHTSDO-773. Planned updates include:
| Q1 2026 International Release |
28. | Clinical Finding | Remodeling of Cirrhosis Disorder Concepts (~60 concepts) The cirrhosis disorder concepts (~60) are currently modeled with two role groups: 1) 363698007 |Finding site (attribute)| with value 10200004 |Liver structure (body structure)| and 116676008 |Associated morphology (attribute)| with value of 64770007 |Nodular regeneration (morphologic abnormality)|; 2) 363698007 |Finding site (attribute)| with value 10200004 |Liver structure (body structure)| and 116676008 |Associated morphology (attribute)| with value of 57977008 |Chronic fibrosis (morphologic abnormality)|. A new concept "Cirrhosis (morphologic abnormality)" will be created as a subtype of 64770007 |Nodular regeneration (morphologic abnormality) and 57977008 |Chronic fibrosis (morphologic abnormality)|. This new concept will be used to remodel these disorder concepts, resulting in only one role group: 363698007 |Finding site (attribute)| with value 10200004 |Liver structure (body structure)| and 116676008 |Associated morphology (attribute)| with value new concept|Cirrhosis (morphologic abnormality). | Q4 2025 - Q1 2026 International Release |
29. | Product | Rationalization of Units of Measure Concepts A proposal originated from a DEUSG member (UK) and was presented and discussed at DEUSG between July and September 2025. Support was expressed by DEUSG members for rationalization of two overlapping sub-hierarchies:
The current drug model only uses Unit of presentation to model Clinical Drug concepts. Please see this informational briefing note. | Q1 2026 International Release |
2025 Published Content Changes With Confirmed Release Date
Item | Hierarchy | MOVED FROM PROPOSED CHANGES TO PUBLISHED CHANGES | Confirmed Release Date |
|---|---|---|---|
1. | Procedure | Surgical Transplantation Procedures Procedures in the 77465005 |Transplantation (procedure)| hierarchy remodeled following circulation of the briefing note (available on request info@snomed.org) are still under review following feedback received and discussion at the Editorial Advisory Group. Note this project excludes procedures on the eye (for Ophthalmology CRG to revise), and hematopoietic cell transplants including bone marrow and stem cell procedures that are not surgical transplantations. The majority of tissue transplant procedure concepts (nerves, muscle, tendon, skin etc), will be inactivated as duplicate to the grafting procedure concept where this exists (and the transplant procedure will be added as a synonym to the grafting procedure), or if an existing concept is not available then a new grafting procedure will be created. Very high level groupers will be inactivated (eg 120158008 |Thorax transplantation (procedure)|). Approximately 100 concepts will be inactivated as part of this update. | January 2025 International Release |
2. | Qualifier Value | Update for Existing AJCC (American Joint Committee on Cancer) Allowable Values and New UICC (Union for International Cancer Control) Staging System Content For << 1222584008 |American Joint Committee on Cancer allowable value (qualifier value)| and its 584 subtypes the following changes will be made:
New concepts for the UICC (Union for International Cancer Control) staging system will be added:
| January 2025 International Release |
3. | Clinical Finding | Changes to 365921005 | Weight change finding (finding) Hierarchy Following multiple requests from members regarding overlaps and ambiguities in this hierarchy, the Nutrition and Dietetics Clinical Reference Group (CRG) conducted a systematic review. The requests highlighted confusion over similar and overlapping concepts, such as:
The following changes will be implemented:
| January 2025 International Release |
4. | Clinical Finding | Review Model for Descendants of 118240005|Finding by method (finding)| Descendants of 118240005 |Finding by method (finding)| are currently being reviewed to ensure 418775008 |Finding method (attribute)| is appropriately grouped with other attributes. | January 2025 International Release |
5. | Descriptions Update | Update for Description Concept Non-Current Indicators Concept Non Current (CNC) indicators are a type of inactivation indicator that are applied to active descriptions, when the concept they are attached to is made inactive. They are intended to allow implementers to show some visual cue to alert users that a description they have searched for relates to an inactive concept. A bulk update will be implemented to inactivate CNC indicators where they are no longer required either because:
This will result in a change to approximately 30,000 descriptions for the international edition release for January 2025. | January 2025 International Release |
6. | Regime/therapy | Restructure of 384760004 |Feeding and dietary regime (regime/therapy)| Following a review by the Nutrition and Dietetics Clinical Reference Group (CRG), in consultation with the Nursing CRG, a restructuring of this hierarchy is underway. The content will be reorganized more logically, identifying and addressing duplicate concepts (e.g. 414096000 |Enteral hyperalimentation (regime/therapy)| and 229912004 |Enteral feeding (regime/therapy)|) and removing outdated content (e.g. 37041007 |Forced feeding of patient (regime/therapy)|). Where possible, content will be sufficiently defined. Additionally, the top-level grouper concept 384760004 |Feeding and dietary regime (regime/therapy)| will be inactivated due to its ambiguity as it is unclear what a combined regime would represent or what the logical subtypes would be.
| January 2025 International Release |
7. | Physical Object | Hierarchy Improvement 272185007 |Meters (physical object)| and Descendants To support the addition of Gravity provision of device finding content, an improvement will be made to << 272185007 |Meters (physical object)|. | January 2025 International Release |
8. | MRCM Change | MRCM change to Surgical approach (attribute)
| February 2025 International Release
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9. | Disorder |
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