We are pleased to announce the release of LOINC® version 2.81, now available for download from the LOINC website. This release reflects the growing, collaborative effort of a global community of stakeholders who actively submit content aligned with evolving priorities in clinical care, public health, policy, and research.
With more than 4,000 new or updated concepts, version 2.81 includes significant advancements across laboratory, clinical, social, and administrative domains. These updates not only enhance interoperability and structured data exchange, but also support standards-based solutions for emerging healthcare needs in the U.S. and internationally.
Highlights from the 2.81 Release
New Laboratory Content and Ordering Capabilities
- Nearly 2,000 new laboratory concepts as part of the new LABORDERS.ONTOLOGY class, developed in collaboration with SNOMED International. This new class enables hierarchical grouping of LOINC concepts that represent laboratory orders—functionality not previously available in LOINC.Concepts in the ONTOLOGY class are not intended for reporting laboratory test results. Instead, they support the ability to create and communicate laboratory orders electronically, particularly within electronic health record (EHR) systems and other health IT workflows.
- Approximately 400 new food and environmental allergen concepts covering a broad range of food and environmental allergens—such as avian feathers—as well as immune responses to triggers like black mold, toxoplasmosis, and food-borne illnesses. These additions support more comprehensive clinical documentation and research, while also enhancing the ability to track and trace patterns relevant to community and population health.
- Expanded bacterial respiratory disease panels, hormone tests, gene mutations, and toxicology tests including a 14-item benzodiazepine panel and continuous glucose monitoring content.
Supporting the Clinical Domain and Patient-Centered Assessments
- More than 350 PhenX concepts updated from trial to active or deprecated status.
- New concepts for pain assessments.
- New radiology content including concepts for interventional procedures and methods.
- New post-acute care assessment tool, Hospice Outcomes and Patient Evaluation (HOPE) v1.01, set to take effect October 1, 2025, added for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Post Acute Care program.
- Updates to a range of CMS assessment tools, including:
- Inpatient Rehabilitation Facility Patient Assessment Instrument v4.2 (IRF-PAI v4.2)
- Long-Term Care Hospital (LTCH) Continuity Assessment Record and Evaluation (CARE) Data Set (LCDS) (LTCH LCDS v5.1),
- Functional Assessment Standardized Items (FASI v1.2),
- Outcome and Assessment Information Set vE2 (OASIS vE2)
- Minimum Data Set, Resident Assessment Instrument (MDS RAI) v1.20.1
Support for HL7® FHIR® and Global Standards
- New and updated LOINC content supports integration with HL7® FHIR® standards, helping enable HIPAA-compliant data exchange and structured interoperability. This content includes new concepts for HL7 advanced directives and C-CDA sections, as well as alignment with European Health Data Space (EHDS) requirements.
Expanding Health Related Social Needs
- New concepts representing hygiene and economic characteristics. Submitted by ourcommunity members in Portugal, 11 new concepts support the collection and documentation of data that help healthcare professionals assess key health related social needs. These concepts are designed to capture important aspects of a patient’s living environment and economic status. Examples include access to running water, access to sanitation, accommodation hygiene, and household income characteristics.
- With support from the Regenstrief Foundation and in collaboration with HL7® Gravity, added several standardized SDOH assessments. These new assessments, coded with LOINC, enable consistent screening for key social risk factors and support structured, interoperable exchange of social data in healthcare and public health systems.
- U.S. Household Food Security Survey (18-item, 10-item, and 6-item short form)
- Abbreviated Child and Adult Food Security Scale
- eHealth Literacy Scale
- Intimate Partner Violence (IPV-4) screen
- Housing Stability Vital Signs screen
- Current Employment Status (PhenX)
You can explore the full details of this version in the LOINC release notes, available in the LOINC Knowledge Base.