The ServiceDefinition describes a unit of decision support functionality that is made available as a service, such as immunization modules or drug-drug interaction checking.

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

Allows the service 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.

A formal identifier that is used to identify this service definition when it is represented in other formats, or referenced in a specification, model, design or an instance. This is used for CMS or NQF identifiers for a measure artifact. Note that at least one identifier is required for non-experimental active artifacts.

Allows externally provided and/or useable business identifiers to be easily associated with the module.

Typically, this is used for identifiers that can go in an HL7 v3 II data type - e.g. to identify this service definition outside of FHIR, where the logical URL is not possible to use.

The identifier that is used to identify this version of the service definition when it is referenced in a specification, model, design or instance. This is an arbitrary value managed by the service 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 service definition that have the same identifier but different versions.

A natural language name identifying the service 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 service definition.

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

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

A flag to indicate that this service 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 service definition would.

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

The date (and optionally time) when the service 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 service 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 service definition. Additional specific dates may be added as extensions.

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

This description can be used to capture details such as why the service 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.

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

This element does not describe the usage of the service 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 service definition.

A detailed description of how the module is used from a clinical perspective.

The date on which the asset content was approved by the publisher. Approval happens once when the content is officially approved for usage.

The date may be more recent than the approval date because of minor changes / editorial corrections.

The date on which the asset content was last reviewed. Review happens periodically after that, but doesn't change the original approval date.

If specified, this is usually after the approval date.

The period during which the service definition content was or is planned to be effective.

The effective period for a service definition determines when the content is applicable for usage and is independent of publication and review dates. For example, a measure intended to be used for the year 2016 would be published in 2015.

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 service definition is intended to be used.

Clinical topics related to the content of the module.

Repositories must be able to determine how to categorize the module so that it can be found by topical searches.

A contributor to the content of the module, including authors, editors, reviewers, and endorsers.

Consumers of the content must be able to quickly determine who contributed to the content of the knowledge module.

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

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

Usually an organization, but may be an individual. The publisher (or steward) of the service definition is the organization or individual primarily responsible for the maintenance and upkeep of the service 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 service 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 copyright statement relating to the service definition and/or its contents. Copyright statements are generally legal restrictions on the use and publishing of the service definition.

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

Related resources such as additional documentation, justification, or bibliographic references.

Modules must be able to provide enough information for consumers of the content (and/or interventions or results produced by the content) to be able to determine and understand the justification for and evidence in support of the content.

Each related resource is either an attachment, or a reference to another resource, but not both.

The trigger element defines when the rule should be invoked. This information is used by consumers of the rule to determine how to integrate the rule into a specific workflow.

Data requirements are a machine processable description of the data required by the module in order to perform a successful evaluation.

A reference to the operation that is used to invoke this service.