STU 3 Candidate

This page is part of the FHIR Specification (v1.4.0: STU 3 Ballot 3). The current version which supercedes this version is 5.0.0. For a full list of available versions, see the Directory of published versions

B.3.1.4 StructureDefinition: SDC-Element - Detailed Descriptions

Definitions for the sdc-element Profile.

DataElement(SDC-Element)
Definition

Represents expectations for use of data elements by SDC conformant systems using data elements to support population of questionnaires.

Control0..*
TypeDataElement
Alternate NamesMaster Observation, Data Element, CDE
Comments

Often called a clinical template.

DataElement.id
Definition

The logical id of the resource, as used in the URL for the resource. Once assigned, this value never changes.

Control0..1
Typeid
Comments

The only time that a resource does not have an id is when it is being submitted to the server using a create operation. Bundles always have an id, though it is usually a generated UUID.

DataElement.meta
Definition

The metadata about the resource. This is content that is maintained by the infrastructure. Changes to the content may not always be associated with version changes to the resource.

Control0..1
TypeMeta
DataElement.implicitRules
Definition

A reference to a set of rules that were followed when the resource was constructed, and which must be understood when processing the content.

Control0..1
Typeuri
Is Modifiertrue
Comments

Asserting this rule set restricts the content to be only understood by a limited set of trading partners. This inherently limits the usefulness of the data in the long term. However, the existing health eco-system is highly fractured, and not yet ready to define, collect, and exchange data in a generally computable sense. Wherever possible, implementers and/or specification writers should avoid using this element as much as possible.

DataElement.language
Definition

The base language in which the resource is written.

Control0..1
BindingA human language.
The codes SHALL be taken from http://tools.ietf.org/html/bcp47
Typecode
Comments

Language is provided to support indexing and accessibility (typically, services such as text to speech use the language tag). The html language tag in the narrative applies to the narrative. The language tag on the resource may be used to specify the language of other presentations generated from the data in the resource Not all the content has to be in the base language. The Resource.language should not be assumed to apply to the narrative automatically. If a language is specified, it should it also be specified on the div element in the html (see rules in HTML5 for information about the relationship between xml:lang and the html lang attribute).

DataElement.text
Definition

A human-readable narrative that contains a summary of the resource, and may be used to represent the content of the resource to a human. The narrative need not encode all the structured data, but is required to contain sufficient detail to make it "clinically safe" for a human to just read the narrative. Resource definitions may define what content should be represented in the narrative to ensure clinical safety.

Control0..1 This element is affected by the following invariants: dom-1
TypeNarrative
Alternate Namesnarrative, html, xhtml, display
Comments

Contained resources do not have narrative. Resources that are not contained SHOULD have a narrative.

DataElement.contained
Definition

These resources do not have an independent existence apart from the resource that contains them - they cannot be identified independently, and nor can they have their own independent transaction scope.

Control0..*
TypeResource
Alternate Namesinline resources, anonymous resources, contained resources
Comments

This should never be done when the content can be identified properly, as once identification is lost, it is extremely difficult (and context dependent) to restore it again.

DataElement.extension
Definition

May be used to represent additional information that is not part of the basic definition of the resource. In order to make the use of extensions safe and manageable, there is a strict set of governance applied to the definition and use of extensions. Though any implementer is allowed to define an extension, there is a set of requirements that SHALL be met as part of the definition of the extension.

Control0..*
TypeExtension
Alternate Namesextensions, user content
Comments

There can be no stigma associated with the use of extensions by any application, project, or standard - regardless of the institution or jurisdiction that uses or defines the extensions. The use of extensions is what allows the FHIR specification to retain a core level of simplicity for everyone.

DataElement.modifierExtension
Definition

May be used to represent additional information that is not part of the basic definition of the resource, and that modifies the understanding of the element that contains it. Usually modifier elements provide negation or qualification. In order to make the use of extensions safe and manageable, there is a strict set of governance applied to the definition and use of extensions. Though any implementer is allowed to define an extension, there is a set of requirements that SHALL be met as part of the definition of the extension. Applications processing a resource are required to check for modifier extensions.

Control0..*
TypeExtension
Is Modifiertrue
Alternate Namesextensions, user content
Comments

There can be no stigma associated with the use of extensions by any application, project, or standard - regardless of the institution or jurisdiction that uses or defines the extensions. The use of extensions is what allows the FHIR specification to retain a core level of simplicity for everyone.

DataElement.url
Definition

An absolute URL that is used to identify this data element when it is referenced in a specification, model, design or an instance. This SHALL be a URL, SHOULD be globally unique, and SHOULD be an address at which this data element is (or will be) published.

Control1..1
Typeuri
Must Supporttrue
DataElement.identifier
Definition

Formal identifier that is used to identify this data element when it is represented in other formats, or referenced in a specification, model, design or an instance.

Control1..*
TypeIdentifier
Must Supporttrue
Comments

Typically, this is used for values that can go in a v3 II data type.

DataElement.version
Definition

The identifier that is used to identify this version of the data element when it is referenced in a StructureDefinition, Questionnaire or instance. This is an arbitrary value managed by the definition author manually.

Control0..1
Typestring
Must Supporttrue
Requirements

There may be multiple resource versions of the data element that have this same identifier. The resource version id will change for technical reasons, whereas the stated version number needs to be under the author's control.

Comments

N/A.

DataElement.status
Definition

The status of the data element.

Control1..1
BindingThe lifecycle status of a Value Set or Concept Map.
The codes SHALL be taken from ConformanceResourceStatus
Typecode
Is Modifiertrue
Must Supporttrue
Requirements

Allows filtering of data elements that are appropriate for use.

DataElement.experimental
Definition

A flag to indicate that this search data element definition is authored for testing purposes (or education/evaluation/marketing), and is not intended to be used for genuine usage.

Control0..1
Typeboolean
Must Supporttrue
Comments

Allows filtering of search data element definitions that are appropriate for use vs. not.

DataElement.publisher
Definition

The name of the individual or organization that published the data element.

Control0..1
Typestring
Must Supporttrue
Requirements

Helps establish the "authority/credibility" of the data element. May also allow for contact.

Comments

Usually an organization, but may be an individual. This item SHOULD be populated unless the information is available from context.

DataElement.date
Definition

The date this version of the data element was published. The date must change when the business version changes, if it does, and it must change if the status code changes. In addition, it should change when the substantive content of the data element changes.

Control0..1
TypedateTime
Must Supporttrue
Comments

This refers to the "business" version, the DataElement.version which changes based on business processes. It does not refer to the date of the RESTful version which is part of the resource metadata. Additional specific dates may be added as extensions.

DataElement.name
Definition

The term used by humans to refer to the data element. Should ideally be unique within the context in which the data element is expected to be used.

Control1..1
Typestring
Must Supporttrue
Comments

This may be similar to the question used to prompt someone for a data element value, but the purpose is communicating about the data element, not asking the question. (Refer to the 'question' element for the latter.).

DataElement.contact
Definition

Contacts to assist a user in finding and communicating with the publisher.

Control0..*
TypeBackboneElement
Must Supporttrue
Comments

May be a web site, an email address, a telephone number (tel:), etc.

DataElement.contact.id
Definition

unique id for the element within a resource (for internal references).

Control0..1
Typeid
DataElement.contact.extension
Definition

May be used to represent additional information that is not part of the basic definition of the element. In order to make the use of extensions safe and manageable, there is a strict set of governance applied to the definition and use of extensions. Though any implementer is allowed to define an extension, there is a set of requirements that SHALL be met as part of the definition of the extension.

Control0..*
TypeExtension
Alternate Namesextensions, user content
Comments

There can be no stigma associated with the use of extensions by any application, project, or standard - regardless of the institution or jurisdiction that uses or defines the extensions. The use of extensions is what allows the FHIR specification to retain a core level of simplicity for everyone.

DataElement.contact.modifierExtension
Definition

May be used to represent additional information that is not part of the basic definition of the element, and that modifies the understanding of the element that contains it. Usually modifier elements provide negation or qualification. In order to make the use of extensions safe and manageable, there is a strict set of governance applied to the definition and use of extensions. Though any implementer is allowed to define an extension, there is a set of requirements that SHALL be met as part of the definition of the extension. Applications processing a resource are required to check for modifier extensions.

Control0..*
TypeExtension
Is Modifiertrue
Alternate Namesextensions, user content, modifiers
Comments

There can be no stigma associated with the use of extensions by any application, project, or standard - regardless of the institution or jurisdiction that uses or defines the extensions. The use of extensions is what allows the FHIR specification to retain a core level of simplicity for everyone.

DataElement.contact.name
Definition

The name of an individual to contact regarding the data element.

Control0..1
Typestring
Comments

If there is no named individual, the telecom is for the organization as a whole.

DataElement.contact.telecom
Definition

Contact details for individual (if a name was provided) or the publisher.

Control0..*
TypeContactPoint
Must Supporttrue
DataElement.useContext
Definition

The content was developed with a focus and intent of supporting the contexts that are listed. These terms may be used to assist with indexing and searching of data element definitions.

Control0..*
BindingIndicates the countries, regions, disciplines and other aspects of use within which this artifact is targeted for use.
The codes SHALL be taken from Context of Use ValueSet; other codes may be used where these codes are not suitable
TypeCodeableConcept
Must Supporttrue
DataElement.copyright
Definition

A copyright statement relating to the definition of the data element. Copyright statements are generally legal restrictions on the use and publishing of the details of the definition of the data element.

Control0..1
Typestring
Must Supporttrue
Alternate NamesLicense, Restrictions
Comments

The copyright statement does not apply to values for the data element, only to its definition.

DataElement.stringency
Definition

Identifies how precise the data element is in its definition.

Control1..1
BindingIndicates the degree of precision of the data element definition.
The codes SHALL be taken from DataElementStringency
Typecode
Must Supporttrue
Requirements

Allows determining the degree of comparability of data element instances. Less granular data elements result in data that is less comparable (or at least requires more work to compare).

DataElement.mapping
Definition

Identifies a specification (other than a terminology) that the elements which make up the DataElement have some correspondence with.

Control0..*
TypeBackboneElement
Must Supporttrue
DataElement.mapping.id
Definition

unique id for the element within a resource (for internal references).

Control0..1
Typeid
DataElement.mapping.extension
Definition

May be used to represent additional information that is not part of the basic definition of the element. In order to make the use of extensions safe and manageable, there is a strict set of governance applied to the definition and use of extensions. Though any implementer is allowed to define an extension, there is a set of requirements that SHALL be met as part of the definition of the extension.

Control0..*
TypeExtension
Alternate Namesextensions, user content
Comments

There can be no stigma associated with the use of extensions by any application, project, or standard - regardless of the institution or jurisdiction that uses or defines the extensions. The use of extensions is what allows the FHIR specification to retain a core level of simplicity for everyone.

DataElement.mapping.modifierExtension
Definition

May be used to represent additional information that is not part of the basic definition of the element, and that modifies the understanding of the element that contains it. Usually modifier elements provide negation or qualification. In order to make the use of extensions safe and manageable, there is a strict set of governance applied to the definition and use of extensions. Though any implementer is allowed to define an extension, there is a set of requirements that SHALL be met as part of the definition of the extension. Applications processing a resource are required to check for modifier extensions.

Control0..*
TypeExtension
Is Modifiertrue
Alternate Namesextensions, user content, modifiers
Comments

There can be no stigma associated with the use of extensions by any application, project, or standard - regardless of the institution or jurisdiction that uses or defines the extensions. The use of extensions is what allows the FHIR specification to retain a core level of simplicity for everyone.

DataElement.mapping.identity
Definition

An internal id that is used to identify this mapping set when specific mappings are made on a per-element basis.

Control1..1
Typeid
Must Supporttrue
Comments

The specification is described once, with general comments, and then specific mappings are made that reference this declaration.

DataElement.mapping.uri
Definition

An absolute URI that identifies the specification that this mapping is expressed to.

Control0..1
Typeuri
Must Supporttrue
Comments

A formal identity for the specification being mapped to helps with identifying maps consistently.

DataElement.mapping.name
Definition

A name for the specification that is being mapped to.

Control0..1
Typestring
Must Supporttrue
DataElement.mapping.comment
Definition

Comments about this mapping, including version notes, issues, scope limitations, and other important notes for usage.

Control0..1
Typestring
Must Supporttrue
DataElement.element
Definition

Defines the structure, type, allowed values and other constraining characteristics of the data element.

Control1..*
TypeElementDefinition
Must Supporttrue
Requirements

1.

Comments

For simple data types there will only be one repetition. For complex data types, multiple repetitions will be present defining a nested structure using the "path" element.

InvariantsDefined on this element
dae-1: No base allowed (xpath: not(exists(f:base)))
dae-2: No slicing allowed (xpath: not(exists(f:slicing)))
DataElement.element.id
Definition

unique id for the element within a resource (for internal references).

Control0..1
Typeid
DataElement.element.extension
Definition

An Extension

Control0..*
TypeExtension
SlicingThis element introduces a set of slices. The slicing rules are:
  • unordered
  • Open
  • discriminators: url
DataElement.element.extension (http://hl7.org/fhir/StructureDefinition/elementdefinition-question)
Definition

The default/suggested phrasing to use when prompting a human to capture the data element in question form (e.g. In a survey).

Control0..*
TypeExtension (Extension Type: string)
Comments

Question and label serve similar purposes in they both can be used to prompt for capturing a data element. Whether the question form or label form should be used will depend on the type of instrument being used to capture the information. The ordering is in order of preference. I.e. Most preferred question form is listed first. Note that this is for alternate phrasings of the question. Language translations are handled using the ISO 21090 string translation extensions.

DataElement.element.extension (http://hl7.org/fhir/StructureDefinition/elementdefinition-allowedUnits)
Definition

Identifies the units of measure in which the element should be captured or expressed.

Control0..1
TypeExtension (Extension Type: Choice of: CodeableConcept, Reference(ValueSet))
Comments

Use a value set if more than one unit of measure is possible. Value sets will typically be short enough to display in a drop-down selection list.

DataElement.element.extension (http://hl7.org/fhir/StructureDefinition/minLength)
Definition

The minimum number of characters that must be present in the simple data type to be considered a "valid" instance.

Control0..1
TypeExtension (Extension Type: integer)
Comments

For base64binary, reflects the number of characters representing the encoded data, not the number of bytes of the binary data.

DataElement.element.extension (http://hl7.org/fhir/StructureDefinition/regex)
Definition

A regular expression that defines the syntax for the data element to be considered valid.

Control0..1
TypeExtension (Extension Type: string)
DataElement.element.extension (http://hl7.org/fhir/StructureDefinition/entryFormat)
Definition

A syntax intended for display to the user to guide their input (i.e. a human readable version of a regular expression). For example "nnn-nnn-nnn".

Control0..1
TypeExtension (Extension Type: string)
DataElement.element.extension (http://hl7.org/fhir/StructureDefinition/maxDecimalPlaces)
Definition

Identifies the maximum number of decimal places that may be specified for the data element.

Control0..1
TypeExtension (Extension Type: integer)
DataElement.element.path
Definition

The path identifies the element and is expressed as a "."-separated list of ancestor elements, beginning with the name of the resource or extension.

Control1..1
Typestring
Must Supporttrue
DataElement.element.representation
Definition

Codes that define how this element is represented in instances, when the deviation varies from the normal case.

Control0..*
BindingHow a property is represented on the wire.
The codes SHALL be taken from PropertyRepresentation
Typecode
Comments

This is rarely used except for special cases where the representation deviates from the normal, which is done only very reluctantly, and can only be done in the base standard (and profiles must reproduce what the base standard does).

DataElement.element.name
Definition

The name of this element definition. This is a unique name referring to a specific set of constraints applied to this element, used to provide a name to different slices of the same element.

Control0..1
Typestring
Must Supporttrue
Requirements

May also be used for code generation purposes.

Comments

The name SHALL be unique within the structure within the context of the constrained resource element. (Though to avoid confusion, uniqueness across all elements is recommended.).

DataElement.element.label
Definition

The text to display beside the element indicating its meaning or to use to prompt for the element in a user display or form.

Control0..1
Typestring
Must Supporttrue
Comments

Question and label serve similar purposes in they both can be used to prompt for capturing a data element. Whether the question form or label form should be used will depend on the type of instrument being used to capture the information.

DataElement.element.code
Definition

A code that provides the meaning for the element according to a particular terminology.

Control0..*
BindingCodes that indicate the meaning of a data element.
For example codes, see LOINC Codes
TypeCoding
Must Supporttrue
Requirements

Links the meaning of an element to an external terminology.

Comments

The data element definition and other constraints SHALL be a proper constraint on the meaning (as defined in the code system, including relationships) of any code listed here. Where multiple codes exist in a terminology that could correspond to the data element, the most granular code(s) should be selected, so long as they are not more restrictive than the data element itself.

DataElement.element.slicing
Definition

Indicates that the element is sliced into a set of alternative definitions (i.e. in a structure definition, there are multiple different constraints on a single element in the base resource). Slicing can be used in any resource that has cardinality ..* on the base resource, or any resource with a choice of types. The set of slices is any elements that come after this in the element sequence that have the same path, until a shorter path occurs (the shorter path terminates the set).

Control0..1
TypeElement
Comments

The first element in the sequence, the one that carries the slicing, is the unconstrained element, for reference purposes . This may include the unconstrained children.

InvariantsDefined on this element
eld-1: If there are no discriminators, there must be a definition (xpath: (f:discriminator) or (f:description))
DataElement.element.slicing.id
Definition

unique id for the element within a resource (for internal references).

Control0..1
Typeid
DataElement.element.slicing.extension
Definition

May be used to represent additional information that is not part of the basic definition of the element. In order to make the use of extensions safe and manageable, there is a strict set of governance applied to the definition and use of extensions. Though any implementer is allowed to define an extension, there is a set of requirements that SHALL be met as part of the definition of the extension.

Control0..*
TypeExtension
Alternate Namesextensions, user content
Comments

There can be no stigma associated with the use of extensions by any application, project, or standard - regardless of the institution or jurisdiction that uses or defines the extensions. The use of extensions is what allows the FHIR specification to retain a core level of simplicity for everyone.

DataElement.element.slicing.discriminator
Definition

Designates which child elements are used to discriminate between the slices when processing an instance. If one or more discriminators are provided, the value of the child elements in the instance data SHALL completely distinguish which slice the element in the resource matches based on the allowed values for those elements in each of the slices.

Control0..*
Typestring
Comments

If there is no discriminator, the content is hard to process, so this should be avoided. If the base element has a cardinality of ..1, and there is a choice of types, the discriminator most be "@type".

DataElement.element.slicing.description
Definition

A human-readable text description of how the slicing works. If there is no discriminator, this is required to be present to provide whatever information is possible about how the slices can be differentiated.

Control0..1 This element is affected by the following invariants: eld-1
Typestring
Comments

If it's really not possible to differentiate them, the design should be re-evaluated to make the content usable.

DataElement.element.slicing.ordered
Definition

If the matching elements have to occur in the same order as defined in the profile.

Control0..1
Typeboolean
Comments

Order should only be required when it is a pressing concern for presentation. Profile authors should consider making the order a feature of the rules about the narrative, not the rules about the data - requiring ordered data makes the profile much less re-usable.

Default Valuefalse
DataElement.element.slicing.rules
Definition

Whether additional slices are allowed or not. When the slices are ordered, profile authors can also say that additional slices are only allowed at the end.

Control1..1
BindingHow slices are interpreted when evaluating an instance.
The codes SHALL be taken from SlicingRules
Typecode
Comments

Allowing additional elements makes for a much for flexible template - it's open for use in wider contexts, but also means that the content of the resource is not closed, and applications have to decide how to handle content not described by the profile.

DataElement.element.short
Definition

A concise description of what this element means (e.g. for use in autogenerated summaries).

Control0..1
Typestring
Comments

May change the term to provide language more appropriate to the context of the profile or to reflect slicing.

DataElement.element.definition
Definition

Provides a complete explanation of the meaning of the data element for human readability. For the case of elements derived from existing elements (e.g. constraints), the definition SHALL be consistent with the base definition, but convey the meaning of the element in the particular context of use of the resource.

Control1..1
Typemarkdown
Must Supporttrue
Requirements

To allow a user to state the usage of an element in a particular context.

Alternate NamesDescription
Comments

It is easy for a different definition to change the meaning of an element and this can have nasty downstream consequences. Please be careful when providing definitions.

DataElement.element.comments
Definition

Explanatory notes and implementation guidance about the data element, including notes about how to use the data properly, exceptions to proper use, etc.

Control0..1
Typemarkdown
Comments

If it is possible to capture usage rules using constraints, that mechanism should be used in preference to this element.

DataElement.element.requirements
Definition

This element is for traceability of why the element was created and why the constraints exist as they do. This may be used to point to source materials or specifications that drove the structure of this element.

Control0..1
Typemarkdown
Must Supporttrue
Comments

This element does not describe the usage of the element (that's done in comments), rather it's for traceability of why the element is either needed or why the constraints exist as they do. This may be used to point to source materials or specifications that drove the structure of this data element.

DataElement.element.alias
Definition

Identifies additional names by which this element might also be known.

Control0..*
Typestring
Must Supporttrue
Requirements

Allows for better easier recognition of the element by multiple communities, including international communities.

Alternate Namessynonym, other name
DataElement.element.min
Definition

The minimum number of times this element SHALL appear in the instance.

Control0..0 This element is affected by the following invariants: eld-2
Typeinteger
Must Supporttrue
DataElement.element.max
Definition

The maximum number of times this element is permitted to appear in the instance.

Control0..0 This element is affected by the following invariants: eld-3, eld-2
Typestring
Must Supporttrue
InvariantsDefined on this element
eld-3: Max SHALL be a number or "*" (xpath: @value='*' or (normalize-space(@value)!='' and normalize-space(translate(@value, '0123456789',''))=''))
DataElement.element.base
Definition

Information about the base definition of the element, provided to make it unnecessary for tools to trace the deviation of the element through the derived and related profiles. This information is only provided where the element definition represents a constraint on another element definition, and must be present if there is a base element definition.

Control0..0
TypeElement
Comments

The base information does not carry any information that could not be determined from the path and related profiles, but making this determination requires both that the related profiles are available, and that the algorithm to determine them be available. So they are deformalised into this location for tooling convenience, and to ensure that the base information is available without dependencies.

DataElement.element.base.id
Definition

unique id for the element within a resource (for internal references).

Control0..1
Typeid
DataElement.element.base.extension
Definition

May be used to represent additional information that is not part of the basic definition of the element. In order to make the use of extensions safe and manageable, there is a strict set of governance applied to the definition and use of extensions. Though any implementer is allowed to define an extension, there is a set of requirements that SHALL be met as part of the definition of the extension.

Control0..*
TypeExtension
Alternate Namesextensions, user content
Comments

There can be no stigma associated with the use of extensions by any application, project, or standard - regardless of the institution or jurisdiction that uses or defines the extensions. The use of extensions is what allows the FHIR specification to retain a core level of simplicity for everyone.

DataElement.element.base.path
Definition

The Path that identifies the base element - this matches the ElementDefinition.path for that element. Across FHIR, there is only one base definition of any element - that is, an element definition on a StructureDefinition without a StructureDefinition.base.

Control1..1
Typestring
DataElement.element.base.min
Definition

Minimum cardinality of the base element identified by the path.

Control1..1
Typeinteger
Comments

This is provided for consistency with max, and may affect code generation of mandatory elements of the base resource are generated differently (some reference implementations have done this).

DataElement.element.base.max
Definition

Maximum cardinality of the base element identified by the path.

Control1..1
Typestring
Comments

This is provided to code generation, since the wire representation in JSON differs depending on whether the base element has max > 1. Also, some forms of code generation may differ.

DataElement.element.contentReference
Definition

Identifies the identity of an element defined elsewhere in the profile whose content rules should be applied to the current element.

Control0..1 This element is affected by the following invariants: eld-5
Typeuri
DataElement.element.type
Definition

The data type or resource that the value of this element is permitted to be.

Control0..1 This element is affected by the following invariants: eld-13
TypeElement
Must Supporttrue
Comments

The Type of the element can be left blank, in which case the type is inherited from the resource. The type can only be listed in this field if it is an allowed option in the base resource.

InvariantsDefined on this element
eld-4: Aggregation may only be specified if one of the allowed types for the element is a resource (xpath: not(exists(f:aggregation)) or exists(f:code[@value = 'Reference']))
DataElement.element.type.id
Definition

unique id for the element within a resource (for internal references).

Control0..1
Typeid
DataElement.element.type.extension
Definition

May be used to represent additional information that is not part of the basic definition of the element. In order to make the use of extensions safe and manageable, there is a strict set of governance applied to the definition and use of extensions. Though any implementer is allowed to define an extension, there is a set of requirements that SHALL be met as part of the definition of the extension.

Control0..*
TypeExtension
Alternate Namesextensions, user content
Comments

There can be no stigma associated with the use of extensions by any application, project, or standard - regardless of the institution or jurisdiction that uses or defines the extensions. The use of extensions is what allows the FHIR specification to retain a core level of simplicity for everyone.

DataElement.element.type.code
Definition

Name of Data type or Resource that is a(or the) type used for this element.

Control1..1
BindingEither a resource or a data type.
The codes SHALL be taken from FHIRDefinedType
Typecode
Must Supporttrue
Comments

If the element is a reference to another resource, this element contains "Reference", and the profile element refers to the profile of the allowed target of the resource, which may be a reference to the general definition of a resource (e.g. http://hl7.org/fhir/StructureDefinition/Patient). There would be one pair of type/code for each allowed target resource type.

DataElement.element.type.profile
Definition

Identifies a profile structure or implementation Guide that SHALL hold for resources or datatypes referenced as the type of this element. Can be a local reference - to another structure in this profile, or a reference to a structure in another profile. When more than one profile is specified, the content must conform to all of them. When an implementation guide is specified, the resource SHALL conform to at least one profile defined in the implementation guide.

Control0..*
Typeuri
DataElement.element.type.aggregation
Definition

If the type is a reference to another resource, how the resource is or can be aggregated - is it a contained resource, or a reference, and if the context is a bundle, is it included in the bundle.

Control0..* This element is affected by the following invariants: eld-4
BindingHow resource references can be aggregated.
The codes SHALL be taken from AggregationMode
Typecode
DataElement.element.type.versioning
Definition

Whether this reference needs to be version specific or version independent, or whetehr either can be used.

Control0..1
BindingWhether a reference needs to be version specific or version independent, or whetehr either can be used
The codes SHALL be taken from ReferenceVersionRules
Typecode
Comments

The base specification never makes a rule as to which form is allowed, but implementation guides may do this.

Default Valueeither
DataElement.element.defaultValue[x]
Definition

The value that should be used if there is no value stated in the instance (e.g. 'if not otherwise specified, the abstract is false').

Control0..0 This element is affected by the following invariants: eld-15
TypeChoice of: boolean, integer, decimal, base64Binary, instant, string, uri, date, dateTime, time, code, oid, id, unsignedInt, positiveInt, markdown, Annotation, Attachment, Identifier, CodeableConcept, Coding, Quantity, Range, Period, Ratio, SampledData, Signature, HumanName, Address, ContactPoint, Timing, Reference, Meta
[x] NoteSee Choice of Data Types for further information about how to use [x]
Comments

Default values can only be specified on a resource, data type, or extension definition, and never in a profile that applies to one of these. Specifying a default value means that the property can never been unknown - it must always have a value. Further, the default value can never be changed. For these reasons, default values are (and should be) used extremely sparingly.

DataElement.element.meaningWhenMissing
Definition

The Implicit meaning that is to be understood when this element is missing (e.g. 'when this element is missing, the period is ongoing'.

Control0..0 This element is affected by the following invariants: eld-15
Typemarkdown
Comments

Implicit meanings for missing values can only be specified on a resource, data type, or extension definition, and never in a profile that applies to one of these. An implicit meaning for a missing value can never be changed, and specifying one has the consequence that constraining its use in profiles eliminates use cases as possibilities, not merely moving them out of scope.

DataElement.element.fixed[x]
Definition

Specifies a value that SHALL be exactly the value for this element in the instance. For purposes of comparison, non-significant whitespace is ignored, and all values must be an exact match (case and accent sensitive). Missing elements/attributes must also be missing.

Control0..1 This element is affected by the following invariants: eld-5, eld-6, eld-8
TypeChoice of: boolean, integer, decimal, base64Binary, instant, string, uri, date, dateTime, time, code, oid, id, unsignedInt, positiveInt, markdown, Annotation, Attachment, Identifier, CodeableConcept, Coding, Quantity, Range, Period, Ratio, SampledData, Signature, HumanName, Address, ContactPoint, Timing, Reference, Meta
[x] NoteSee Choice of Data Types for further information about how to use [x]
Comments

This is not recommended for Coding and CodeableConcept since these often have highly contextual properties such as version or display.

DataElement.element.pattern[x]
Definition

Specifies a value that the value in the instance SHALL follow - that is, any value in the pattern must be found in the instance. Other additional values may be found too. This is effectively constraint by example. The values of elements present in the pattern must match exactly (case-sensitive, accent-sensitive, etc.).

Control0..1 This element is affected by the following invariants: eld-5, eld-7, eld-8
TypeChoice of: boolean, integer, decimal, base64Binary, instant, string, uri, date, dateTime, time, code, oid, id, unsignedInt, positiveInt, markdown, Annotation, Attachment, Identifier, CodeableConcept, Coding, Quantity, Range, Period, Ratio, SampledData, Signature, HumanName, Address, ContactPoint, Timing, Reference, Meta
[x] NoteSee Choice of Data Types for further information about how to use [x]
Comments

Mostly used for fixing values of CodeableConcept. At present, pattern[x] is not recommended as a basis for slicing while issues related to this are investigated during the DSTU period.

DataElement.element.example[x]
Definition

A sample value for this element demonstrating the type of information that would typically be captured.

Control0..1
TypeChoice of: boolean, integer, decimal, base64Binary, instant, string, uri, date, dateTime, time, code, oid, id, unsignedInt, positiveInt, markdown, Annotation, Attachment, Identifier, CodeableConcept, Coding, Quantity, Range, Period, Ratio, SampledData, Signature, HumanName, Address, ContactPoint, Timing, Reference, Meta
[x] NoteSee Choice of Data Types for further information about how to use [x]
Must Supporttrue
Comments

This will most commonly be present for data where it's not implicitly obvious from either the data type or value set what the values might be. (I.e. Example values for dates or quantities would generally be unnecessary.) If the example value is fully populated, the publication tool can generate an instance automatically.

DataElement.element.minValue[x]
Definition

The minimum allowed value for the element. The value is inclusive. This is allowed for the types date, dateTime, instant, time, decimal, integer, and Quantity.

Control0..1
TypeChoice of: integer, decimal, instant, date, time, dateTime, Quantity
[x] NoteSee Choice of Data Types for further information about how to use [x]
Must Supporttrue
Comments

Except for date/date/instant, the type of the minValue[x] SHALL be the same as the specified type of the element. For the date/dateTime/instant values, the type of minValue[x] SHALL be either the same, or a a Duration which specifies a relative time limit to the current time. The duration value is positive, and is subtracted from the current clock to determine the minimum allowable value. A minimum value for a Quantity is interpreted as an canonical minimum - e.g. you cannot provide 100mg if the minimum value is 10g.

DataElement.element.maxValue[x]
Definition

The maximum allowed value for the element. The value is inclusive. This is allowed for the types date, dateTime, instant, time, decimal, integer, and Quantity.

Control0..1
TypeChoice of: integer, decimal, instant, date, time, dateTime, Quantity
[x] NoteSee Choice of Data Types for further information about how to use [x]
Must Supporttrue
Comments

Except for date/date/instant, the type of the maxValue[x] SHALL be the same as the specified type of the element. For the date/dateTime/instant values, the type of maxValue[x] SHALL be either the same, or a a Duration which specifies a relative time limit to the current time. The duration value is positive, and is added to the current clock to determine the maximum allowable value. A maximum value for a Quantity is interpreted as an canonical maximum - e.g. you cannot provide 10g if the maximum value is 50mg.

DataElement.element.maxLength
Definition

Indicates the maximum length in characters that is permitted to be present in conformant instances and which is expected to be supported by conformant consumers that support the element.

Control0..1
Typeinteger
Must Supporttrue
Comments

Receivers are not required to reject instances that exceed the maximum length. The full length could be stored. In some cases, data might be truncated, though truncation should be undertaken with care and an understanding of the consequences of doing so. If not specified, there is no conformance expectation for length support.

DataElement.element.condition
Definition

A reference to an invariant that may make additional statements about the cardinality or value in the instance.

Control0..0
Typeid
Must Supporttrue
DataElement.element.constraint
Definition

Formal constraints such as co-occurrence and other constraints that can be computationally evaluated within the context of the instance.

Control0..0
TypeElement
Must Supporttrue
Comments

Constraints should be declared on the "context" element - the lowest element in the hierarchy that is common to all nodes referenced by the constraint.

DataElement.element.constraint.id
Definition

unique id for the element within a resource (for internal references).

Control0..1
Typeid
DataElement.element.constraint.extension
Definition

May be used to represent additional information that is not part of the basic definition of the element. In order to make the use of extensions safe and manageable, there is a strict set of governance applied to the definition and use of extensions. Though any implementer is allowed to define an extension, there is a set of requirements that SHALL be met as part of the definition of the extension.

Control0..*
TypeExtension
Alternate Namesextensions, user content
Comments

There can be no stigma associated with the use of extensions by any application, project, or standard - regardless of the institution or jurisdiction that uses or defines the extensions. The use of extensions is what allows the FHIR specification to retain a core level of simplicity for everyone.

DataElement.element.constraint.key
Definition

Allows identification of which elements have their cardinalities impacted by the constraint. Will not be referenced for constraints that do not affect cardinality.

Control1..1 This element is affected by the following invariants: eld-14
Typeid
DataElement.element.constraint.requirements
Definition

Description of why this constraint is necessary or appropriate.

Control0..1
Typestring
Comments

To be used if the reason for the constraint may not be intuitive to all implementers.

DataElement.element.constraint.severity
Definition

Identifies the impact constraint violation has on the conformance of the instance.

Control1..1
BindingSHALL applications comply with this constraint?
The codes SHALL be taken from ConstraintSeverity
Typecode
Comments

This allows constraints to be asserted as "shall" (error) and "should" (warning).

DataElement.element.constraint.human
Definition

Text that can be used to describe the constraint in messages identifying that the constraint has been violated.

Control1..1
Typestring
Comments

Should be expressed in business terms as much as possible.

DataElement.element.constraint.expression
Definition

A FluentPath expression of constraint that can be executed to see if this constraint is met.

Control0..1
Typestring
Requirements

Used by validation tooling tests of the validity of the resource.

DataElement.element.constraint.xpath
Definition

An XPath expression of constraint that can be executed to see if this constraint is met.

Control1..1
Typestring
Requirements

Used in Schematron tests of the validity of the resource.

Comments

Elements SHALL use "f" as the namespace prefix for the FHIR namespace, and "x" for the xhtml namespace, and SHALL NOT use any other prefixes.

DataElement.element.mustSupport
Definition

If true, implementations that produce or consume resources SHALL provide "support" for the element in some meaningful way. If false, the element may be ignored and not supported.

Control0..0
Typeboolean
Requirements

Allows a profile to set expectations for system capabilities beyond merely respecting cardinality constraints.

Comments

"Something useful" is context dependent and impossible to describe in the base FHIR specification. For this reason, tue mustSupport flag is never set to true by the FHIR specification itself - it is only set to true in profiles.

This is done in Resource Profiles, where the profile labels an element as mustSupport=true. When a profile does this, it SHALL also make clear exactly what kind of "support" is required, as this can mean many things.

Note that an element that has the property IsModifier is not necessarily a "key" element (e.g. one of the important elements to make use of the resource), nor is it automatically mustSupport - however both of these things are more likely to be true for IsModifier elements than for other elements.

Default Valuefalse
DataElement.element.isModifier
Definition

If true, the value of this element affects the interpretation of the element or resource that contains it, and the value of the element cannot be ignored. Typically, this is used for status, negation and qualification codes. The effect of this is that the element cannot be ignored by systems: they SHALL either recognize the element and process it, and/or a pre-determination has been made that it is not relevant to their particular system.

Control0..1
Typeboolean
Requirements

Allows elements to be introduced into a specification that can't safely be ignored by applications that don't recognize them.

Comments

Only the definition of an element can set IsModifier true - either the specification itself or where an extension is originally defined. Once set, it cannot be changed in derived profiles. An element/extension that has isModifier=true SHOULD also have a minimum cardinality of 1, so that there is no lack of clarity about what to do if it is missing. If it can be missing, the definition SHALL make the meaning of a missing element clear.

Default Valuefalse
DataElement.element.isSummary
Definition

Whether the element should be included if a client requests a search with the parameter _summary=true.

Control0..1
Typeboolean
Requirements

Allow clients to search through large resources quickly.

Comments

Some resources include a set of simple metadata, and some very large data. This element is used to reduce the quantity of data returned in searches. Note that servers may pre-cache summarized resources for optimal performance, so servers may not support per-profile use of the isSummary flag.

Default Valuefalse
DataElement.element.binding
Definition

Binds to a value set if this element is coded (code, Coding, CodeableConcept).

Control0..1 This element is affected by the following invariants: eld-11
TypeElement
Must Supporttrue
InvariantsDefined on this element
eld-10: provide either a reference or a description (or both) (xpath: (exists(f:valueSetUri) or exists(f:valueSetReference)) or exists(f:description))
DataElement.element.binding.id
Definition

unique id for the element within a resource (for internal references).

Control0..1
Typeid
DataElement.element.binding.extension
Definition

May be used to represent additional information that is not part of the basic definition of the element. In order to make the use of extensions safe and manageable, there is a strict set of governance applied to the definition and use of extensions. Though any implementer is allowed to define an extension, there is a set of requirements that SHALL be met as part of the definition of the extension.

Control0..*
TypeExtension
Alternate Namesextensions, user content
Comments

There can be no stigma associated with the use of extensions by any application, project, or standard - regardless of the institution or jurisdiction that uses or defines the extensions. The use of extensions is what allows the FHIR specification to retain a core level of simplicity for everyone.

DataElement.element.binding.strength
Definition

Indicates the degree of conformance expectations associated with this binding - that is, the degree to which the provided value set must be adhered to in the instances.

Control1..1
BindingIndication of the degree of conformance expectations associated with a binding.
The codes SHALL be taken from BindingStrength
Typecode
Must Supporttrue
Alternate Namesconformance, extensibility
Comments

For further discussion, see Using Terminologies.

DataElement.element.binding.description
Definition

Describes the intended use of this particular set of codes.

Control0..1 This element is affected by the following invariants: eld-10
Typestring
Must Supporttrue
DataElement.element.binding.valueSetReference
Definition

Points to the value set or external definition (e.g. implicit value set) that identifies the set of codes to be used.

Control1..1 This element is affected by the following invariants: eld-10, eld-12
TypeReference(ValueSet)
Must Supporttrue
Comments

For value sets with a referenceResource, the display can contain the value set description. The reference may be version-specific or not.

InvariantsDefined on this element
eld-12: URI SHALL start with http:// or https:// urn: (xpath: starts-with(string(@value), 'http:') or starts-with(string(@value), 'https:') or starts-with(string(@value), 'urn:'))
DataElement.element.mapping
Definition

Identifies a concept from an external specification that roughly corresponds to this element.

Control0..*
TypeElement
Must Supporttrue
Requirements

Provides guidance to implementers familiar with or converting content from other specifications.

Comments

Mappings are not necessarily specific enough for safe translation.

DataElement.element.mapping.id
Definition

unique id for the element within a resource (for internal references).

Control0..1
Typeid
DataElement.element.mapping.extension (http://hl7.org/fhir/StructureDefinition/elementdefinition-equivalence)
Definition

The level of equivalence between the element containing the mapping and the element mapped to.

Control0..1
TypeExtension (Extension Type: code)
DataElement.element.mapping.extension.id
Definition

unique id for the element within a resource (for internal references).

Control0..1
Typeid
DataElement.element.mapping.extension.extension(extension)
Definition

An Extension

Control0..0
TypeExtension
DataElement.element.mapping.extension.url
Definition

Source of the definition for the extension code - a logical name or a URL.

Control1..1
Typeuri
Comments

The definition may point directly to a computable or human-readable definition of the extensibility codes, or it may be a logical URI as declared in some other specification. The definition should be version specific. This will ideally be the URI for the Resource Profile defining the extension, with the code for the extension after a #.

Fixed Valuehttp://hl7.org/fhir/StructureDefinition/elementdefinition-equivalence
DataElement.element.mapping.extension.valueCode
Definition

Value of extension - may be a resource or one of a constrained set of the data types (see Extensibility in the spec for list).

Control1..1
BindingThe degree of equivalence between concepts.
The codes SHALL be taken from ConceptMapEquivalence
Typecode
Must Supporttrue
Fixed Valueequivalent
DataElement.element.mapping.identity
Definition

An internal reference to the definition of a mapping.

Control1..1
Typeid
Must Supporttrue
DataElement.element.mapping.language
Definition

Identifies the computable language in which mapping.map is expressed.

Control0..1
BindingThe mime type of an attachment. Any valid mime type is allowed.
The codes SHALL be taken from http://www.rfc-editor.org/bcp/bcp13.txt
Typecode
Must Supporttrue
Comments

The most common languages will be application/sparql-results+xml, application/sql and application/xquery.

DataElement.element.mapping.map
Definition

This should be expressed as "[uri for object class code system]#[code for object class code system] | [uri for property code system]#[code for property code system]".

Control1..1
Typestring
Must Supporttrue
Comments

We express the mapping even though the class and property extensions already convey the data to ensure that systems that don't recognize the extensions still understand the mappings.