SNOMED CT NCPT Reference Set
The SNOMED CT Nutrition Care Process Terminology (NCPT) Reference Set is a product agreed as part of a collaboration agreement between the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and the International Health Terminology Standards Organisation (IHTSDO), trading as SNOMED International. NCPT content has been incorporated into SNOMED CT and released as a reference set by SNOMED International. This production release is based on NCPT, 2020 edition. Additional concepts in the refset that are not from the NCPT, 2020 edition, are provided as a separate exception list in Appendix D. The current NCPT, 2023 edition, is available at www.nutritioncareprocess.org (log in required). The spreadsheet of NCPT, 2020 edition is available to organizations upon request (www.nutritioncareprocess.org - organization level log in required).
Why is the SNOMED CT NCPT reference set needed?
The SNOMED CT NCPT reference set contains concept references from the SNOMED CT hierarchy, each carefully aligned with the Nutrition Care Process Terminology. In the absence of a dedicated nutrition hierarchy within SNOMED CT, these concepts are sourced from multiple subhierarchies. The reference set effectively organizes these nutrition-specific concepts, streamlining their integration into electronic documentation.
What is it?
When downloaded (for details, see Accessing the NCPT Reference Set), the SNOMED CT NCPT Reference Set is a list of SNOMED CT concept identifiers. To utilize the codes referenced in the set, a user must also have access to the International Edition of SNOMED CT. A user will find in the International Edition of SNOMED CT all the associated concept names and relationships (definitions). Please see below the "Explore the SNOMED CT Reference Set" section and Technical Application.
The initial release of this reference set contained 166 NCPT nutrition problems from the Clinical Finding and Situation with Explicit Context hierarchies. These represent Nutrition Diagnoses from the 2020 Nutrition Care Process Terminology publication including nutrition intake findings, clinical nutrition diagnoses and behavioral-environmental nutrition diagnoses.
The April 2025 release expanded the refset with the addition of nutrition intervention terms mapped to SNOMED CT, bringing the total to 583 concepts across findings, situations, procedures, regime/therapies, and environments. The most recent release (April 2026) contains an additional 1,115 concepts, mostly in the nutrition assessment and monitoring and evaluation domain. Of these, 497 reflect additions or re-mappings introduced in the 2023 NCPT publication. This refset release also includes 1 additional intervention concept and 2 additional diagnostic concepts. Also, the April 2025 refset (intervention and diagnostic concepts) includes additional 2023 NCPT updated content: 139 intervention concepts and 24 diagnostic concepts were added from the 2023 NCPT publication. More information about specific concepts can be found in Appendix D: Exception List.
The gradual updating of the SNOMED CT NCPT reference set that prioritized nutrition problems aligns with data from the International NCP Implementation Survey (INIS). INIS is a research consortium of 23 countries across the globe (led by Sweden) tracking the implementation of the NCP and NCPT. Specifically, INIS data showed that countries implement the documentation of nutrition problems first. Further information on the background, motivation and design of the reference set is available in the release notes of the SNOMED CT NCPT Reference Set. See available links below:
Concepts follow the SNOMED naming conventions and the NCPT terms are often included in SNOMED CT as synonyms (when appropriate as preferred terms). NCPT concepts have been modeled in SNOMED CT according to the MRCM (Machine Readable Concept Model). The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics maintains an electronic NCPT manual that provides guidance on how to use terms in nutrition and dietetics practice (www.ncpro.org, subscription log-in required). In the electronic NCPT manual, terms are explained in reference sheets. Reference sheets for nutrition diagnoses provide a definition, common etiologies, and signs and symptoms (defining characteristics). A committee of subject matter experts from around the world has been developing and maintaining the Academy's NCPT since 2003. Terms and definitions have been submitted to SNOMED International as part of the agreement between the two organizations (SNOMED CT and the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics).
Explore the SNOMED CT NCPT Reference set
The following pages provide instructions for exploring the members of the NCPT Reference set.
Explore Members of the SNOMED CT NCPT Reference SetCheck if a Concept is Part of the SNOMED CT NCPT Reference SetReferences
Lloyd L, Swan WI, Jent S, Vivanti A, Pertel DG. Worldwide Release of SNOMED CT Nutrition Care Process Terminology Problem List. J Acad Nutr Diet. 2024 Apr;124(4):531-534.
Swan WI, Vivanti A, Hakel-Smith NA, Hotson B, Orrevall Y, Trostler N, Beck Howarter K, Papoutsakis C. Nutrition Care Process and Model Update: Toward Realizing People-Centered Care and Outcomes Management. J Acad Nutr Diet. 2017 Dec;117:2003-14.
Swan WI, Pertel DG, Hotson B, Lloyd L, Orrevall Y, Trostler N, Vivanti A, Howarter KB, Papoutsakis C. Nutrition Care Process (NCP) Update Part 2: Developing and Using the NCP Terminology to Demonstrate Efficacy of Nutrition Care and Related Outcomes. J Acad Nutr Diet. 2019 May;119:840-55.
Lövestam E, Steiber A, Vivanti A, et al. Use of the Nutrition Care Process and Nutrition Care Process Terminology in an International Cohort Reported by an Online Survey Tool. J Acad Nutr Diet. Feb 2019;119(2):225-241. doi:10.1016/j.jand.2018.09.002
Lövestam E, Vivanti A, Steiber A, et al. Barriers and enablers in the implementation of a standardised process for nutrition care: findings from a multinational survey of dietetic professionals in 10 countries. J Hum Nutr Diet. Jan 7 2020;doi:10.1111/jhn.12700
Lövestam E, Vivanti A, Steiber A, et al. The International Nutrition Care Process and Terminology Implementation Survey: Towards a Global Evaluation Tool to Assess Individual Practitioner Implementation in Multiple Countries and Languages. J Acad Nutr Diet. Feb 2019;119(2):242-260. doi:10.1016/j.jand.2018.09.004
Middeke J, Palmer K, Lövestam E, et al. Predictors of nutrition care process knowledge and use among dietitians internationally. J Hum Nutr Diet. Jun 2022;35(3):466-478. doi:10.1111/jhn.12961
Last updated