2025 Highlights & Early 2026 Announcements
Throughout 2025, CMS and the Data Element Library (DEL) team continued advancing data transparency, usability, and interoperability across post‑acute care (PAC) settings. Key accomplishments included:
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New DEL video tutorials were released to support users in navigating the DEL and understanding assessment content.
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Continued collaboration with Regenstrief to map PAC assessment data elements to LOINC codes.
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Human‑Centered Design (HCD) updates, including opportunities for ongoing user feedback and volunteer participation in usability interviews.
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Publication of the updated DEL User Guide, offering improved instructions for searching, filtering, and interpreting DEL content.
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Continued collaboration with the PACIO project (Post‑Acute Care Interoperability), ensuring data elements support standardized use cases for functional status, medications, and other assessment domains.
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Presentation highlighting DEL functionality and cross‑setting alignment to the Health Information Innovation Group (HIIG) on February 18, 2025. The HIIG, within the Office of Healthcare Experience and Interoperability (OHEI), oversees CMS interoperability efforts.
Assessment Version Updates
The DEL has been updated to include the most recent assessment instrument versions across post-acute care settings and available for reference and data mapping.
Effective October 1, 2024
Effective October 1, 2025
Effective January 1, 2025
Reports
The Data Element Change Report has been updated to capture all changes between the following assessment versions, enabling clear comparison of modified data elements. This report is available in Excel or PDF format.
LOINC® Version Updates
LOINC v2.81 Available in DEL
The DEL has been updated to include LOINC version 2.81 (August 12, 2025). This version includes updates for HOPE v1.01, OASIS-E1, and MDS v1.20.1.
To view LOINC v2.81 codes, go to the DEL, run the HIT Code Download Report, by assessment, and select LOINC v2.81. This report will be downloaded into an Excel file.
 Assessment Version Updates
The following assessments have releases scheduled for 2026.
Effective April 1, 2026
Effective October 1, 2026
LOINC® Version Updates
LOINC v2.82 Available
The DEL has been updated to include LOINC version 2.82, effective February 23, 2026.
Modernization
The DEL, in keeping with CMS’s vision of moving to digital quality measures (QMs), is looking to modernize its platform/functionality by integrating Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources (FHIR) APIs to support digital QMs.
In addition, the DEL welcomes any new programmatic assessments to support CMS’s quality programs.
Feedback/Questions
Please feel free to reach out to the DEL team with any questions as well as feedback at DEL-Support@terpventuretech.com.
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