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Unified Medical Language System® (UMLS®)

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Fall 2020 Changes to UMLS Terminology Services (UTS)

We are making several changes to UMLS Terminology Services (UTS) starting in the Fall of 2020.

Interface Design

You will notice some changes to the styling and layout of the UTS website. The classic orange and green color scheme will be replaced by a blue color scheme and styling to match the rest of the National Library of Medicine website.

UTS Navigation

UTS Login

To sign into the UTS, you will no longer use your username and password. Instead, we will ask you to sign in using one of the following identity providers:

UMLS Terminology Services Identity Providers

Beginning on Monday, November 9, you will be able to migrate your account to the new sign in process. To complete the process, simply visit the UTS sign in page, enter your current UTS username and password in the appropriate boxes, and click the 'Migrate Your Account' button. From there, you will choose your preferred identity provider to sign in. You'll be routed back to the UTS, and then you're done!

Once you complete the migration process, you will sign in using your identity provider credentials to download files or access web interfaces, like the UTS or VSAC, that require on UTS authentication.

You must migrate your account by January 15, 2021.

UMLS Annual Report

UMLS Terminology Services Annual Report

To maintain your access to the UMLS Terminology Services (UTS) and to avoid deactivation of your UTS account, you must complete the UMLS 2020 Annual Report by Friday, January 15, 2021.

To complete the report:

  1. Migrate your UTS account as described above
  2. Click ‘My Profile’ in the upper right
  3. Follow the link to the 2020 UMLS Annual Report

API Authentication

API users will no longer sign in with a username and password. Instead, API users will use an API key available in your UTS licensee profile.

UTS Profile with API Key Example

APIs affected include:

UMLS Metathesaurus Browser

Also in the Fall of 2020, we anticipate releasing the Beta version of our new UMLS Metathesaurus Browser. The new Metathesaurus Browser will become the default web interface for the UMLS. Our legacy Metathesaurus Browser, SNOMED CT Browser, and Semantic Network Browser will remain available, but we do not plan to update these interfaces in the future, and instead plan to integrate some of their features into the UMLS Metathesaurus Browser.

New and improved features for the UMLS Metathesaurus Browser (Beta):

  • Improved user design
  • Better search suggestions and search results
  • Simplified exploration of concept and code properties
  • Easier navigation between concepts and codes
  • Filter search results by Vocabulary and Semantic Group: Metathesaurus Browser Filters
  • Browse codes and other identifiers from any UMLS Vocabulary and discover the relationships between them:
    SNOMED CT Example

Last Reviewed: December 2, 2020