Defines the characteristics of a message that can be shared between systems, including the type of event that initiates the message, the content to be transmitted and what response(s), if any, are permitted.

Allows messages to be defined once and re-used across systems.

An absolute URL that is used to identify this message definition 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 message definition is (or will be) published. The URL SHOULD include the major version of the message definition. For more information see Technical and Business Versions.

Allows the message definition to be referenced by a single globally unique identifier.

Can be a urn:uuid: or a urn:oid:, but real http: addresses are preferred.

The identifier that is used to identify this version of the message definition when it is referenced in a specification, model, design or instance. This is an arbitrary value managed by the message definition author and is not expected to be globally unique. For example, it might be a timestamp (e.g. yyyymmdd) if a managed version is not available. There is also no expectation that versions are orderable.

There may be multiple different instances of a message definition that have the same identifier but different versions.

A natural language name identifying the message definition. This name should be usable as an identifier for the module by machine processing applications such as code generation.

Support human navigation & code generation.

The name is not expected to be globally unique. The name should be a simple alpha-numeric type name to ensure it is computable friendly.

A short, descriptive, user-friendly title for the message definition.

The status of this message definition. Enables tracking the life-cycle of the content.

Allows filtering of message definition that are appropriate for use vs. not.

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

Enables experimental content to be developed following the same life-cycle as a production-level message definition would.

Allows filtering of message definition that are appropriate for use vs. not.

The date (and optionally time) when the message definition 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 message definition changes.

Note that this is not the same as the resource last-modified-date, since the resource may be a secondary representation of the message definition. Additional specific dates may be added as extensions.

The name of the individual or organization that published the message definition.

Helps establish the "authority/credibility" of the message definition. May also allow for contact.

Usually an organization, but may be an individual. The publisher (or steward) of the message definition is the organization or individual primarily responsible for the maintenance and upkeep of the message definition. This is not necessarily the same individual or organization that developed and initially authored the content. The publisher is the primary point of contact for questions or issues with the message definition. This item SHOULD be populated unless the information is available from context.

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

May be a web site, an email address, a telephone number, etc.

A free text natural language description of the message definition from the consumer's perspective.

This description can be used to capture details such as why the message definition was built, comments about misuse, instructions for clinical use and interpretation, literature references, examples from the paper world, etc. It is not a rendering of the module as conveyed in the text field of the resource itself. This item SHOULD be populated unless the information is available from context.

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 code system definitions.

Assist in searching for appropriate content.

When multiple usageContexts are specified, there is no expectation for whether all or any of the contexts apply.

A jurisdiction in which the message definition is intended to be used.

Explains why this message definition is needed and why it has been designed as it has.

This element does not describe the usage of the message definition (See, e.g, the comments element, or relatedArtifacts), rather it's for traceability of ''why'' the resource is either needed or ''why'' it is defined as it is. This may be used to point to source materials or specifications that drove the structure of this message definition.

A copyright statement relating to the message definition and/or its contents. Copyright statements are generally legal restrictions on the use and publishing of the message definition.

Consumers of the library must be able to determine any legal restrictions on the use of the message definition and/or its content.

The MessageDefinition this new definition is a profile of.

Identifies a protocol or workflow that this MessageDefinition represents a step in.

A MessageDefinition that is superseded by this definition.

A coded identifier of a supported messaging event.

The impact of the content of the message.

Identifies the resource (or resources) that are being addressed by the event. For example, the Encounter for an admit message or two Account records for a merge.

The kind of resource that must be the focus for this message.

Multiple focuses addressing different resources may occasionally occur. E.g. to link or unlink a resource from a particular account or encounter, etc.

A profile that reflects constraints for the focal resource (and potentially for related resources).

This profile allows setting boundaries for what content must appear within the message bundle vs. outside based on the declared aggregation constraints on referenced resources on this and related profiles.

This should be present for most message definitions. However, if the message focus is only a single resource and there is no need to include referenced resources or otherwise enforce the presence of particular elements, it can be omitted.

Identifies the minimum number of resources of this type that must be pointed to by a message in order for it to be valid against this MessageDefinition.

Identifies the maximum number of resources of this type that must be pointed to by a message in order for it to be valid against this MessageDefinition.

Indicates whether a response is required for this message.

Indicates what types of messages may be sent as an application-level response to this message.

This indicates an application level response to "close" a transaction implicit in a particular request message. To define a complete workflow scenario, look to the [[PlanDefinition]] resource which allows the definition of complex orchestrations, conditionality, etc.

A reference to the message definition that must be adhered to by this supported response.

Provides a description of the circumstances in which this response should be used (as opposed to one of the alternative responses).