MDS stands for Minimum Data Set, which is a standardized assessment tool used to measure health status in nursing home residents. MDS assessments are completed every three months or more often, and they are performed on all residents of nursing homes in the United States that are eligible to receive funding from Medicare or Medicaid. MDS assessments are required for residents on admission to the nursing facility, periodically, and on discharge. The MDS 3.0 captures information about patients’ comorbidities, physical, psychological, and psychosocial functioning in addition to any treatments or therapies received. MDS data is a gold mine of information for research on function and disability, as it contains numerous measures of physical, cognitive, and psychosocial functioning. MDS nurses are responsible for collecting and submitting assessment data for nursing home patients. They use MDS assessment tools to complete MDS assessments, which measure several areas of functioning, including physical, psychological, and psychosocial. Accurate MDS assessments are important for creating a personalized care plan for residents and for facilities to receive proper reimbursements.