Release 5 Preview #3

This page is part of the FHIR Specification (v4.5.0: R5 Preview #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 . Page versions: R5 R4B R4

14.15 Resource EvidenceVariable - Content

Clinical Decision Support Work GroupMaturity Level: 1 Trial UseSecurity Category: Business Compartments: Not linked to any defined compartments

The EvidenceVariable resource describes an element that knowledge (Evidence) is about.

14.15.1 Scope and Usage

This resource is a definition resource from a FHIR workflow perspective - see Workflow, specifically Definition.

The scope of the EvidenceVariable resource is to describe an element that knowledge (evidence) is about. The EvidenceVariable resources are expected to be used with Evidence resources to facilitate searching and knowledge representation.

Evidence may be reported for different types of knowledge. One commonly used format for expression of what evidence is about is the "PICO" format. PICO stands for:

Population - the population within which exposures and outcomes are being considered

Intervention - the conditional state or exposure state being described for which one is expressing the risk of or effect on an outcome

Comparison - the alternative conditional state or alternative exposure state when one is comparing states for the effect on an outcome

Outcome - the result or effect of an intervention or exposure in a population

PICO (and its variants like PECO or PICOT) is a universal acronym used in evidence-based medicine communities to clearly express research questions and evidence findings.

The EvidenceVariable resource allows expression of the components of a PICO question in codeable and reusable formats. As an exception, the Population specification will NOT use the EvidenceVariable resource. The Population specification will use the Group resource to facilitate interoperability in matching Evidence resources to actual groups.

14.15.2 Boundaries and Relationships

The resource describing evidence findings (Evidence) will reference EvidenceVariable to describe what the evidence findings are about.

14.15.3 References

This resource is referenced by Statistic, Evidence and itself.

This resource implements the Definition pattern.

14.15.4 Resource Content

Structure

NameFlagsCard.TypeDescription & Constraintsdoco
.. EvidenceVariable TUMetadataResourceA definition of an exposure, outcome, or other variable
+ Warning: Name should be usable as an identifier for the module by machine processing applications such as code generation
Elements defined in Ancestors: id, meta, implicitRules, language, text, contained, extension, modifierExtension, url, identifier, version, name, title, status, experimental, date, publisher, contact, description, useContext, jurisdiction, purpose, copyright, approvalDate, lastReviewDate, effectivePeriod
... url Σ0..1uriCanonical identifier for this evidence variable, represented as a URI (globally unique)
... identifier Σ0..*IdentifierAdditional identifier for the evidence variable
... version Σ0..1stringBusiness version of the evidence variable
... title Σ0..1stringName for this evidence variable (human friendly)
... shortTitle Σ0..1stringTitle for use in informal contexts
... subtitle 0..1stringSubordinate title of the EvidenceVariable
... status ?!Σ1..1codedraft | active | retired | unknown
PublicationStatus (Required)
... date Σ0..1dateTimeDate last changed
... description Σ0..1markdownNatural language description of the evidence variable
... note 0..*AnnotationUsed for footnotes or explanatory notes
... useContext Σ0..*UsageContextThe context that the content is intended to support
... publisher Σ0..1stringName of the publisher (organization or individual)
... contact Σ0..*ContactDetailContact details for the publisher
... author 0..*ContactDetailWho authored the content
... editor 0..*ContactDetailWho edited the content
... reviewer 0..*ContactDetailWho reviewed the content
... endorser 0..*ContactDetailWho endorsed the content
... relatedArtifact 0..*RelatedArtifactAdditional documentation, citations, etc.
... actual 0..1booleanActual or conceptual
... characteristicCombination 0..1codeintersection | union
CharacteristicCombination (Required)
... characteristic Σ0..*BackboneElementWhat defines the members of the evidence element
.... description 0..1stringNatural language description of the characteristic
.... definition[x] Σ1..1What code or expression defines members?
..... definitionReferenceReference(Group | EvidenceVariable)
..... definitionCanonicalcanonical(Any)
..... definitionCodeableConceptCodeableConcept
..... definitionExpressionExpression
.... method 0..1CodeableConceptMethod used for describing characteristic
CharacteristicMethod (Example)
.... device 0..1Reference(Device | DeviceMetric)Device used for determining characteristic
.... exclude 0..1booleanWhether the characteristic includes or excludes members
.... timeFromStart 0..1BackboneElementObservation time from study start
..... description 0..1stringHuman readable description
..... quantity 0..1QuantityUsed to express the observation at a defined amount of time after the study start
..... range 0..1RangeUsed to express the observation within a period after the study start
..... note 0..*AnnotationUsed for footnotes or explanatory notes
.... groupMeasure 0..1codemean | median | mean-of-mean | mean-of-median | median-of-mean | median-of-median
GroupMeasure (Required)
... handling Σ0..1codecontinuous | dichotomous | ordinal | polychotomous
EvidenceVariableHandling (Required)
... category 0..*BackboneElementA grouping for ordinal or polychotomous variables
.... name 0..1stringDescription of the grouping
.... value[x] 0..1Definition of the grouping
..... valueCodeableConceptCodeableConcept
..... valueQuantityQuantity
..... valueRangeRange

doco Documentation for this format

UML Diagram (Legend)

EvidenceVariable (MetadataResource)An absolute URI that is used to identify this evidence variable when it is referenced in a specification, model, design or an instance; also called its canonical identifier. This SHOULD be globally unique and SHOULD be a literal address at which at which an authoritative instance of this evidence variable is (or will be) published. This URL can be the target of a canonical reference. It SHALL remain the same when the evidence variable is stored on different serversurl : uri [0..1]A formal identifier that is used to identify this evidence variable when it is represented in other formats, or referenced in a specification, model, design or an instanceidentifier : Identifier [0..*]The identifier that is used to identify this version of the evidence variable when it is referenced in a specification, model, design or instance. This is an arbitrary value managed by the evidence variable 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 can be placed in a lexicographical sequence. To provide a version consistent with the Decision Support Service specification, use the format Major.Minor.Revision (e.g. 1.0.0). For more information on versioning knowledge assets, refer to the Decision Support Service specification. Note that a version is required for non-experimental active artifactsversion : string [0..1]A natural language name identifying the evidence variable. This name should be usable as an identifier for the module by machine processing applications such as code generationname : string [0..1]A short, descriptive, user-friendly title for the evidence variabletitle : string [0..1]The short title provides an alternate title for use in informal descriptive contexts where the full, formal title is not necessaryshortTitle : string [0..1]An explanatory or alternate title for the EvidenceVariable giving additional information about its contentsubtitle : string [0..1]The status of this evidence variable. Enables tracking the life-cycle of the content (this element modifies the meaning of other elements)status : code [1..1] « The lifecycle status of an artifact. (Strength=Required)PublicationStatus! »The date (and optionally time) when the evidence variable was published. The date must change when the business version changes and it must change if the status code changes. In addition, it should change when the substantive content of the evidence variable changesdate : dateTime [0..1]A free text natural language description of the evidence variable from a consumer's perspectivedescription : markdown [0..1]A human-readable string to clarify or explain concepts about the resourcenote : Annotation [0..*]The content was developed with a focus and intent of supporting the contexts that are listed. These contexts may be general categories (gender, age, ...) or may be references to specific programs (insurance plans, studies, ...) and may be used to assist with indexing and searching for appropriate evidence variable instancesuseContext : UsageContext [0..*]The name of the organization or individual that published the evidence variablepublisher : string [0..1]Contact details to assist a user in finding and communicating with the publishercontact : ContactDetail [0..*]An individiual or organization primarily involved in the creation and maintenance of the contentauthor : ContactDetail [0..*]An individual or organization primarily responsible for internal coherence of the contenteditor : ContactDetail [0..*]An individual or organization primarily responsible for review of some aspect of the contentreviewer : ContactDetail [0..*]An individual or organization responsible for officially endorsing the content for use in some settingendorser : ContactDetail [0..*]Related artifacts such as additional documentation, justification, or bibliographic referencesrelatedArtifact : RelatedArtifact [0..*]True if the actual variable measured, false if a conceptual representation of the intended variableactual : boolean [0..1]Used to specify if two or more characteristics are combined with OR or ANDcharacteristicCombination : code [0..1] « Logical grouping of characteristics. (Strength=Required)CharacteristicCombination! »Used for an outcome to classifyhandling : code [0..1] « The handling of the variable in statistical analysis for exposures or outcomes (E.g. Dichotomous, Continuous, Descriptive). (Strength=Required)EvidenceVariableHandling! »CharacteristicA short, natural language description of the characteristic that could be used to communicate the criteria to an end-userdescription : string [0..1]Define members of the evidence element using Codes (such as condition, medication, or observation), Expressions ( using an expression language such as FHIRPath or CQL) or DataRequirements (such as Diabetes diagnosis onset in the last year)definition[x] : DataType [1..1] « Reference(Group|EvidenceVariable)| canonical(Any)|CodeableConcept|Expression »Method used for describing characteristicmethod : CodeableConcept [0..1] « The method used to determine the characteristic(s) of the variable. (Strength=Example)CharacteristicMethod?? »Device used for determining characteristicdevice : Reference [0..1] « Device|DeviceMetric »When true, members with this characteristic are excluded from the elementexclude : boolean [0..1]Indicates how elements are aggregated within the study effective periodgroupMeasure : code [0..1] « Possible group measure aggregates (E.g. Mean, Median). (Strength=Required)GroupMeasure! »TimeFromStartA short, natural language descriptiondescription : string [0..1]Used to express the observation at a defined amount of time after the study startquantity : Quantity [0..1]Used to express the observation within a period after the study startrange : Range [0..1]A human-readable string to clarify or explain concepts about the resourcenote : Annotation [0..*]CategoryA human-readable title or representation of the groupingname : string [0..1]Value or set of values that define the groupingvalue[x] : DataType [0..1] « CodeableConcept|Quantity|Range »Indicates duration, period, or point of observation from the participant's study entrytimeFromStart[0..1]A characteristic that defines the members of the evidence element. Multiple characteristics are applied with "and" semanticscharacteristic[0..*]A grouping (or set of values) described along with other groupings to specify the set of groupings allowed for the variablecategory[0..*]

XML Template

<EvidenceVariable xmlns="http://hl7.org/fhir"> doco
 <!-- from Resource: id, meta, implicitRules, and language -->
 <url value="[uri]"/><!-- 0..1 Canonical identifier for this evidence variable, represented as a URI (globally unique) -->
 <identifier><!-- 0..* Identifier Additional identifier for the evidence variable --></identifier>
 <version value="[string]"/><!-- 0..1 Business version of the evidence variable -->
 <name value="[string]"/><!-- ?? 0..1 Name for this evidence variable (computer friendly) -->
 <title value="[string]"/><!-- 0..1 Name for this evidence variable (human friendly) -->
 <shortTitle value="[string]"/><!-- 0..1 Title for use in informal contexts -->
 <subtitle value="[string]"/><!-- 0..1 Subordinate title of the EvidenceVariable -->
 <status value="[code]"/><!-- 1..1 draft | active | retired | unknown -->
 <date value="[dateTime]"/><!-- 0..1 Date last changed -->
 <description value="[markdown]"/><!-- 0..1 Natural language description of the evidence variable -->
 <note><!-- 0..* Annotation Used for footnotes or explanatory notes --></note>
 <useContext><!-- 0..* UsageContext The context that the content is intended to support --></useContext>
 <publisher value="[string]"/><!-- 0..1 Name of the publisher (organization or individual) -->
 <contact><!-- 0..* ContactDetail Contact details for the publisher --></contact>
 <author><!-- 0..* ContactDetail Who authored the content --></author>
 <editor><!-- 0..* ContactDetail Who edited the content --></editor>
 <reviewer><!-- 0..* ContactDetail Who reviewed the content --></reviewer>
 <endorser><!-- 0..* ContactDetail Who endorsed the content --></endorser>
 <relatedArtifact><!-- 0..* RelatedArtifact Additional documentation, citations, etc. --></relatedArtifact>
 <actual value="[boolean]"/><!-- 0..1 Actual or conceptual -->
 <characteristicCombination value="[code]"/><!-- 0..1 intersection | union -->
 <characteristic>  <!-- 0..* What defines the members of the evidence element -->
  <description value="[string]"/><!-- 0..1 Natural language description of the characteristic -->
  <definition[x]><!-- 1..1 Reference(EvidenceVariable|Group)|canonical(Any)|
    CodeableConcept|Expression What code or expression defines members? --></definition[x]>
  <method><!-- 0..1 CodeableConcept Method used for describing characteristic --></method>
  <device><!-- 0..1 Reference(Device|DeviceMetric) Device used for determining characteristic --></device>
  <exclude value="[boolean]"/><!-- 0..1 Whether the characteristic includes or excludes members -->
  <timeFromStart>  <!-- 0..1 Observation time from study start -->
   <description value="[string]"/><!-- 0..1 Human readable description -->
   <quantity><!-- 0..1 Quantity Used to express the observation at a defined amount of time after the study start --></quantity>
   <range><!-- 0..1 Range Used to express the observation within a period after the study start --></range>
   <note><!-- 0..* Annotation Used for footnotes or explanatory notes --></note>
  </timeFromStart>
  <groupMeasure value="[code]"/><!-- 0..1 mean | median | mean-of-mean | mean-of-median | median-of-mean | median-of-median -->
 </characteristic>
 <handling value="[code]"/><!-- 0..1 continuous | dichotomous | ordinal | polychotomous -->
 <category>  <!-- 0..* A grouping for ordinal or polychotomous variables -->
  <name value="[string]"/><!-- 0..1 Description of the grouping -->
  <value[x]><!-- 0..1 CodeableConcept|Quantity|Range Definition of the grouping --></value[x]>
 </category>
</EvidenceVariable>

JSON Template

{doco
  "resourceType" : "EvidenceVariable",
  // from Resource: id, meta, implicitRules, and language
  "url" : "<uri>", // Canonical identifier for this evidence variable, represented as a URI (globally unique)
  "identifier" : [{ Identifier }], // Additional identifier for the evidence variable
  "version" : "<string>", // Business version of the evidence variable
  "name" : "<string>", // C? Name for this evidence variable (computer friendly)
  "title" : "<string>", // Name for this evidence variable (human friendly)
  "shortTitle" : "<string>", // Title for use in informal contexts
  "subtitle" : "<string>", // Subordinate title of the EvidenceVariable
  "status" : "<code>", // R!  draft | active | retired | unknown
  "date" : "<dateTime>", // Date last changed
  "description" : "<markdown>", // Natural language description of the evidence variable
  "note" : [{ Annotation }], // Used for footnotes or explanatory notes
  "useContext" : [{ UsageContext }], // The context that the content is intended to support
  "publisher" : "<string>", // Name of the publisher (organization or individual)
  "contact" : [{ ContactDetail }], // Contact details for the publisher
  "author" : [{ ContactDetail }], // Who authored the content
  "editor" : [{ ContactDetail }], // Who edited the content
  "reviewer" : [{ ContactDetail }], // Who reviewed the content
  "endorser" : [{ ContactDetail }], // Who endorsed the content
  "relatedArtifact" : [{ RelatedArtifact }], // Additional documentation, citations, etc.
  "actual" : <boolean>, // Actual or conceptual
  "characteristicCombination" : "<code>", // intersection | union
  "characteristic" : [{ // What defines the members of the evidence element
    "description" : "<string>", // Natural language description of the characteristic
    // definition[x]: What code or expression defines members?. One of these 4:
    "definitionReference" : { Reference(EvidenceVariable|Group) },
    "definitionCanonical" : { canonical(Any) },
    "definitionCodeableConcept" : { CodeableConcept },
    "definitionExpression" : { Expression },
    "method" : { CodeableConcept }, // Method used for describing characteristic
    "device" : { Reference(Device|DeviceMetric) }, // Device used for determining characteristic
    "exclude" : <boolean>, // Whether the characteristic includes or excludes members
    "timeFromStart" : { // Observation time from study start
      "description" : "<string>", // Human readable description
      "quantity" : { Quantity }, // Used to express the observation at a defined amount of time after the study start
      "range" : { Range }, // Used to express the observation within a period after the study start
      "note" : [{ Annotation }] // Used for footnotes or explanatory notes
    },
    "groupMeasure" : "<code>" // mean | median | mean-of-mean | mean-of-median | median-of-mean | median-of-median
  }],
  "handling" : "<code>", // continuous | dichotomous | ordinal | polychotomous
  "category" : [{ // A grouping for ordinal or polychotomous variables
    "name" : "<string>", // Description of the grouping
    // value[x]: Definition of the grouping. One of these 3:
    "valueCodeableConcept" : { CodeableConcept }
    "valueQuantity" : { Quantity }
    "valueRange" : { Range }
  }]
}

Turtle Template

@prefix fhir: <http://hl7.org/fhir/> .doco


[ a fhir:EvidenceVariable;
  fhir:nodeRole fhir:treeRoot; # if this is the parser root

  # from Resource: .id, .meta, .implicitRules, and .language
  fhir:EvidenceVariable.url [ uri ]; # 0..1 Canonical identifier for this evidence variable, represented as a URI (globally unique)
  fhir:EvidenceVariable.identifier [ Identifier ], ... ; # 0..* Additional identifier for the evidence variable
  fhir:EvidenceVariable.version [ string ]; # 0..1 Business version of the evidence variable
  fhir:EvidenceVariable.name [ string ]; # 0..1 Name for this evidence variable (computer friendly)
  fhir:EvidenceVariable.title [ string ]; # 0..1 Name for this evidence variable (human friendly)
  fhir:EvidenceVariable.shortTitle [ string ]; # 0..1 Title for use in informal contexts
  fhir:EvidenceVariable.subtitle [ string ]; # 0..1 Subordinate title of the EvidenceVariable
  fhir:EvidenceVariable.status [ code ]; # 1..1 draft | active | retired | unknown
  fhir:EvidenceVariable.date [ dateTime ]; # 0..1 Date last changed
  fhir:EvidenceVariable.description [ markdown ]; # 0..1 Natural language description of the evidence variable
  fhir:EvidenceVariable.note [ Annotation ], ... ; # 0..* Used for footnotes or explanatory notes
  fhir:EvidenceVariable.useContext [ UsageContext ], ... ; # 0..* The context that the content is intended to support
  fhir:EvidenceVariable.publisher [ string ]; # 0..1 Name of the publisher (organization or individual)
  fhir:EvidenceVariable.contact [ ContactDetail ], ... ; # 0..* Contact details for the publisher
  fhir:EvidenceVariable.author [ ContactDetail ], ... ; # 0..* Who authored the content
  fhir:EvidenceVariable.editor [ ContactDetail ], ... ; # 0..* Who edited the content
  fhir:EvidenceVariable.reviewer [ ContactDetail ], ... ; # 0..* Who reviewed the content
  fhir:EvidenceVariable.endorser [ ContactDetail ], ... ; # 0..* Who endorsed the content
  fhir:EvidenceVariable.relatedArtifact [ RelatedArtifact ], ... ; # 0..* Additional documentation, citations, etc.
  fhir:EvidenceVariable.actual [ boolean ]; # 0..1 Actual or conceptual
  fhir:EvidenceVariable.characteristicCombination [ code ]; # 0..1 intersection | union
  fhir:EvidenceVariable.characteristic [ # 0..* What defines the members of the evidence element
    fhir:EvidenceVariable.characteristic.description [ string ]; # 0..1 Natural language description of the characteristic
    # EvidenceVariable.characteristic.definition[x] : 1..1 What code or expression defines members?. One of these 4
      fhir:EvidenceVariable.characteristic.definitionReference [ Reference(EvidenceVariable|Group) ]
      fhir:EvidenceVariable.characteristic.definitionCanonical [ canonical(Any) ]
      fhir:EvidenceVariable.characteristic.definitionCodeableConcept [ CodeableConcept ]
      fhir:EvidenceVariable.characteristic.definitionExpression [ Expression ]
    fhir:EvidenceVariable.characteristic.method [ CodeableConcept ]; # 0..1 Method used for describing characteristic
    fhir:EvidenceVariable.characteristic.device [ Reference(Device|DeviceMetric) ]; # 0..1 Device used for determining characteristic
    fhir:EvidenceVariable.characteristic.exclude [ boolean ]; # 0..1 Whether the characteristic includes or excludes members
    fhir:EvidenceVariable.characteristic.timeFromStart [ # 0..1 Observation time from study start
      fhir:EvidenceVariable.characteristic.timeFromStart.description [ string ]; # 0..1 Human readable description
      fhir:EvidenceVariable.characteristic.timeFromStart.quantity [ Quantity ]; # 0..1 Used to express the observation at a defined amount of time after the study start
      fhir:EvidenceVariable.characteristic.timeFromStart.range [ Range ]; # 0..1 Used to express the observation within a period after the study start
      fhir:EvidenceVariable.characteristic.timeFromStart.note [ Annotation ], ... ; # 0..* Used for footnotes or explanatory notes
    ];
    fhir:EvidenceVariable.characteristic.groupMeasure [ code ]; # 0..1 mean | median | mean-of-mean | mean-of-median | median-of-mean | median-of-median
  ], ...;
  fhir:EvidenceVariable.handling [ code ]; # 0..1 continuous | dichotomous | ordinal | polychotomous
  fhir:EvidenceVariable.category [ # 0..* A grouping for ordinal or polychotomous variables
    fhir:EvidenceVariable.category.name [ string ]; # 0..1 Description of the grouping
    # EvidenceVariable.category.value[x] : 0..1 Definition of the grouping. One of these 3
      fhir:EvidenceVariable.category.valueCodeableConcept [ CodeableConcept ]
      fhir:EvidenceVariable.category.valueQuantity [ Quantity ]
      fhir:EvidenceVariable.category.valueRange [ Range ]
  ], ...;
]

Changes since R3

EvidenceVariable
EvidenceVariable.status
  • Change value set from http://hl7.org/fhir/ValueSet/publication-status|4.0.0 to http://hl7.org/fhir/ValueSet/publication-status|4.5.0
EvidenceVariable.actual
  • Added Element
EvidenceVariable.characteristicCombination
  • Added Element
EvidenceVariable.characteristic
  • Min Cardinality changed from 1 to 0
EvidenceVariable.characteristic.definition[x]
  • Remove Types DataRequirement, TriggerDefinition
EvidenceVariable.characteristic.method
  • Added Element
EvidenceVariable.characteristic.device
  • Added Element
EvidenceVariable.characteristic.timeFromStart
  • Type changed from Duration to BackboneElement
EvidenceVariable.characteristic.timeFromStart.description
  • Added Element
EvidenceVariable.characteristic.timeFromStart.quantity
  • Added Element
EvidenceVariable.characteristic.timeFromStart.range
  • Added Element
EvidenceVariable.characteristic.timeFromStart.note
  • Added Element
EvidenceVariable.characteristic.groupMeasure
  • Change value set from http://hl7.org/fhir/ValueSet/group-measure|4.0.0 to http://hl7.org/fhir/ValueSet/group-measure|4.5.0
EvidenceVariable.handling
  • Added Element
EvidenceVariable.category
  • Added Element
EvidenceVariable.category.name
  • Added Element
EvidenceVariable.category.value[x]
  • Added Element
EvidenceVariable.jurisdiction
  • deleted
EvidenceVariable.copyright
  • deleted
EvidenceVariable.approvalDate
  • deleted
EvidenceVariable.lastReviewDate
  • deleted
EvidenceVariable.effectivePeriod
  • deleted
EvidenceVariable.topic
  • deleted
EvidenceVariable.type
  • deleted
EvidenceVariable.characteristic.usageContext
  • deleted
EvidenceVariable.characteristic.participantEffective[x]
  • deleted

See the Full Difference for further information

This analysis is available as XML or JSON.

Structure

NameFlagsCard.TypeDescription & Constraintsdoco
.. EvidenceVariable TUMetadataResourceA definition of an exposure, outcome, or other variable
+ Warning: Name should be usable as an identifier for the module by machine processing applications such as code generation
Elements defined in Ancestors: id, meta, implicitRules, language, text, contained, extension, modifierExtension, url, identifier, version, name, title, status, experimental, date, publisher, contact, description, useContext, jurisdiction, purpose, copyright, approvalDate, lastReviewDate, effectivePeriod
... url Σ0..1uriCanonical identifier for this evidence variable, represented as a URI (globally unique)
... identifier Σ0..*IdentifierAdditional identifier for the evidence variable
... version Σ0..1stringBusiness version of the evidence variable
... title Σ0..1stringName for this evidence variable (human friendly)
... shortTitle Σ0..1stringTitle for use in informal contexts
... subtitle 0..1stringSubordinate title of the EvidenceVariable
... status ?!Σ1..1codedraft | active | retired | unknown
PublicationStatus (Required)
... date Σ0..1dateTimeDate last changed
... description Σ0..1markdownNatural language description of the evidence variable
... note 0..*AnnotationUsed for footnotes or explanatory notes
... useContext Σ0..*UsageContextThe context that the content is intended to support
... publisher Σ0..1stringName of the publisher (organization or individual)
... contact Σ0..*ContactDetailContact details for the publisher
... author 0..*ContactDetailWho authored the content
... editor 0..*ContactDetailWho edited the content
... reviewer 0..*ContactDetailWho reviewed the content
... endorser 0..*ContactDetailWho endorsed the content
... relatedArtifact 0..*RelatedArtifactAdditional documentation, citations, etc.
... actual 0..1booleanActual or conceptual
... characteristicCombination 0..1codeintersection | union
CharacteristicCombination (Required)
... characteristic Σ0..*BackboneElementWhat defines the members of the evidence element
.... description 0..1stringNatural language description of the characteristic
.... definition[x] Σ1..1What code or expression defines members?
..... definitionReferenceReference(Group | EvidenceVariable)
..... definitionCanonicalcanonical(Any)
..... definitionCodeableConceptCodeableConcept
..... definitionExpressionExpression
.... method 0..1CodeableConceptMethod used for describing characteristic
CharacteristicMethod (Example)
.... device 0..1Reference(Device | DeviceMetric)Device used for determining characteristic
.... exclude 0..1booleanWhether the characteristic includes or excludes members
.... timeFromStart 0..1BackboneElementObservation time from study start
..... description 0..1stringHuman readable description
..... quantity 0..1QuantityUsed to express the observation at a defined amount of time after the study start
..... range 0..1RangeUsed to express the observation within a period after the study start
..... note 0..*AnnotationUsed for footnotes or explanatory notes
.... groupMeasure 0..1codemean | median | mean-of-mean | mean-of-median | median-of-mean | median-of-median
GroupMeasure (Required)
... handling Σ0..1codecontinuous | dichotomous | ordinal | polychotomous
EvidenceVariableHandling (Required)
... category 0..*BackboneElementA grouping for ordinal or polychotomous variables
.... name 0..1stringDescription of the grouping
.... value[x] 0..1Definition of the grouping
..... valueCodeableConceptCodeableConcept
..... valueQuantityQuantity
..... valueRangeRange

doco Documentation for this format

UML Diagram (Legend)

EvidenceVariable (MetadataResource)An absolute URI that is used to identify this evidence variable when it is referenced in a specification, model, design or an instance; also called its canonical identifier. This SHOULD be globally unique and SHOULD be a literal address at which at which an authoritative instance of this evidence variable is (or will be) published. This URL can be the target of a canonical reference. It SHALL remain the same when the evidence variable is stored on different serversurl : uri [0..1]A formal identifier that is used to identify this evidence variable when it is represented in other formats, or referenced in a specification, model, design or an instanceidentifier : Identifier [0..*]The identifier that is used to identify this version of the evidence variable when it is referenced in a specification, model, design or instance. This is an arbitrary value managed by the evidence variable 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 can be placed in a lexicographical sequence. To provide a version consistent with the Decision Support Service specification, use the format Major.Minor.Revision (e.g. 1.0.0). For more information on versioning knowledge assets, refer to the Decision Support Service specification. Note that a version is required for non-experimental active artifactsversion : string [0..1]A natural language name identifying the evidence variable. This name should be usable as an identifier for the module by machine processing applications such as code generationname : string [0..1]A short, descriptive, user-friendly title for the evidence variabletitle : string [0..1]The short title provides an alternate title for use in informal descriptive contexts where the full, formal title is not necessaryshortTitle : string [0..1]An explanatory or alternate title for the EvidenceVariable giving additional information about its contentsubtitle : string [0..1]The status of this evidence variable. Enables tracking the life-cycle of the content (this element modifies the meaning of other elements)status : code [1..1] « The lifecycle status of an artifact. (Strength=Required)PublicationStatus! »The date (and optionally time) when the evidence variable was published. The date must change when the business version changes and it must change if the status code changes. In addition, it should change when the substantive content of the evidence variable changesdate : dateTime [0..1]A free text natural language description of the evidence variable from a consumer's perspectivedescription : markdown [0..1]A human-readable string to clarify or explain concepts about the resourcenote : Annotation [0..*]The content was developed with a focus and intent of supporting the contexts that are listed. These contexts may be general categories (gender, age, ...) or may be references to specific programs (insurance plans, studies, ...) and may be used to assist with indexing and searching for appropriate evidence variable instancesuseContext : UsageContext [0..*]The name of the organization or individual that published the evidence variablepublisher : string [0..1]Contact details to assist a user in finding and communicating with the publishercontact : ContactDetail [0..*]An individiual or organization primarily involved in the creation and maintenance of the contentauthor : ContactDetail [0..*]An individual or organization primarily responsible for internal coherence of the contenteditor : ContactDetail [0..*]An individual or organization primarily responsible for review of some aspect of the contentreviewer : ContactDetail [0..*]An individual or organization responsible for officially endorsing the content for use in some settingendorser : ContactDetail [0..*]Related artifacts such as additional documentation, justification, or bibliographic referencesrelatedArtifact : RelatedArtifact [0..*]True if the actual variable measured, false if a conceptual representation of the intended variableactual : boolean [0..1]Used to specify if two or more characteristics are combined with OR or ANDcharacteristicCombination : code [0..1] « Logical grouping of characteristics. (Strength=Required)CharacteristicCombination! »Used for an outcome to classifyhandling : code [0..1] « The handling of the variable in statistical analysis for exposures or outcomes (E.g. Dichotomous, Continuous, Descriptive). (Strength=Required)EvidenceVariableHandling! »CharacteristicA short, natural language description of the characteristic that could be used to communicate the criteria to an end-userdescription : string [0..1]Define members of the evidence element using Codes (such as condition, medication, or observation), Expressions ( using an expression language such as FHIRPath or CQL) or DataRequirements (such as Diabetes diagnosis onset in the last year)definition[x] : DataType [1..1] « Reference(Group|EvidenceVariable)| canonical(Any)|CodeableConcept|Expression »Method used for describing characteristicmethod : CodeableConcept [0..1] « The method used to determine the characteristic(s) of the variable. (Strength=Example)CharacteristicMethod?? »Device used for determining characteristicdevice : Reference [0..1] « Device|DeviceMetric »When true, members with this characteristic are excluded from the elementexclude : boolean [0..1]Indicates how elements are aggregated within the study effective periodgroupMeasure : code [0..1] « Possible group measure aggregates (E.g. Mean, Median). (Strength=Required)GroupMeasure! »TimeFromStartA short, natural language descriptiondescription : string [0..1]Used to express the observation at a defined amount of time after the study startquantity : Quantity [0..1]Used to express the observation within a period after the study startrange : Range [0..1]A human-readable string to clarify or explain concepts about the resourcenote : Annotation [0..*]CategoryA human-readable title or representation of the groupingname : string [0..1]Value or set of values that define the groupingvalue[x] : DataType [0..1] « CodeableConcept|Quantity|Range »Indicates duration, period, or point of observation from the participant's study entrytimeFromStart[0..1]A characteristic that defines the members of the evidence element. Multiple characteristics are applied with "and" semanticscharacteristic[0..*]A grouping (or set of values) described along with other groupings to specify the set of groupings allowed for the variablecategory[0..*]

XML Template

<EvidenceVariable xmlns="http://hl7.org/fhir"> doco
 <!-- from Resource: id, meta, implicitRules, and language -->
 <url value="[uri]"/><!-- 0..1 Canonical identifier for this evidence variable, represented as a URI (globally unique) -->
 <identifier><!-- 0..* Identifier Additional identifier for the evidence variable --></identifier>
 <version value="[string]"/><!-- 0..1 Business version of the evidence variable -->
 <name value="[string]"/><!-- ?? 0..1 Name for this evidence variable (computer friendly) -->
 <title value="[string]"/><!-- 0..1 Name for this evidence variable (human friendly) -->
 <shortTitle value="[string]"/><!-- 0..1 Title for use in informal contexts -->
 <subtitle value="[string]"/><!-- 0..1 Subordinate title of the EvidenceVariable -->
 <status value="[code]"/><!-- 1..1 draft | active | retired | unknown -->
 <date value="[dateTime]"/><!-- 0..1 Date last changed -->
 <description value="[markdown]"/><!-- 0..1 Natural language description of the evidence variable -->
 <note><!-- 0..* Annotation Used for footnotes or explanatory notes --></note>
 <useContext><!-- 0..* UsageContext The context that the content is intended to support --></useContext>
 <publisher value="[string]"/><!-- 0..1 Name of the publisher (organization or individual) -->
 <contact><!-- 0..* ContactDetail Contact details for the publisher --></contact>
 <author><!-- 0..* ContactDetail Who authored the content --></author>
 <editor><!-- 0..* ContactDetail Who edited the content --></editor>
 <reviewer><!-- 0..* ContactDetail Who reviewed the content --></reviewer>
 <endorser><!-- 0..* ContactDetail Who endorsed the content --></endorser>
 <relatedArtifact><!-- 0..* RelatedArtifact Additional documentation, citations, etc. --></relatedArtifact>
 <actual value="[boolean]"/><!-- 0..1 Actual or conceptual -->
 <characteristicCombination value="[code]"/><!-- 0..1 intersection | union -->
 <characteristic>  <!-- 0..* What defines the members of the evidence element -->
  <description value="[string]"/><!-- 0..1 Natural language description of the characteristic -->
  <definition[x]><!-- 1..1 Reference(EvidenceVariable|Group)|canonical(Any)|
    CodeableConcept|Expression What code or expression defines members? --></definition[x]>
  <method><!-- 0..1 CodeableConcept Method used for describing characteristic --></method>
  <device><!-- 0..1 Reference(Device|DeviceMetric) Device used for determining characteristic --></device>
  <exclude value="[boolean]"/><!-- 0..1 Whether the characteristic includes or excludes members -->
  <timeFromStart>  <!-- 0..1 Observation time from study start -->
   <description value="[string]"/><!-- 0..1 Human readable description -->
   <quantity><!-- 0..1 Quantity Used to express the observation at a defined amount of time after the study start --></quantity>
   <range><!-- 0..1 Range Used to express the observation within a period after the study start --></range>
   <note><!-- 0..* Annotation Used for footnotes or explanatory notes --></note>
  </timeFromStart>
  <groupMeasure value="[code]"/><!-- 0..1 mean | median | mean-of-mean | mean-of-median | median-of-mean | median-of-median -->
 </characteristic>
 <handling value="[code]"/><!-- 0..1 continuous | dichotomous | ordinal | polychotomous -->
 <category>  <!-- 0..* A grouping for ordinal or polychotomous variables -->
  <name value="[string]"/><!-- 0..1 Description of the grouping -->
  <value[x]><!-- 0..1 CodeableConcept|Quantity|Range Definition of the grouping --></value[x]>
 </category>
</EvidenceVariable>

JSON Template

{doco
  "resourceType" : "EvidenceVariable",
  // from Resource: id, meta, implicitRules, and language
  "url" : "<uri>", // Canonical identifier for this evidence variable, represented as a URI (globally unique)
  "identifier" : [{ Identifier }], // Additional identifier for the evidence variable
  "version" : "<string>", // Business version of the evidence variable
  "name" : "<string>", // C? Name for this evidence variable (computer friendly)
  "title" : "<string>", // Name for this evidence variable (human friendly)
  "shortTitle" : "<string>", // Title for use in informal contexts
  "subtitle" : "<string>", // Subordinate title of the EvidenceVariable
  "status" : "<code>", // R!  draft | active | retired | unknown
  "date" : "<dateTime>", // Date last changed
  "description" : "<markdown>", // Natural language description of the evidence variable
  "note" : [{ Annotation }], // Used for footnotes or explanatory notes
  "useContext" : [{ UsageContext }], // The context that the content is intended to support
  "publisher" : "<string>", // Name of the publisher (organization or individual)
  "contact" : [{ ContactDetail }], // Contact details for the publisher
  "author" : [{ ContactDetail }], // Who authored the content
  "editor" : [{ ContactDetail }], // Who edited the content
  "reviewer" : [{ ContactDetail }], // Who reviewed the content
  "endorser" : [{ ContactDetail }], // Who endorsed the content
  "relatedArtifact" : [{ RelatedArtifact }], // Additional documentation, citations, etc.
  "actual" : <boolean>, // Actual or conceptual
  "characteristicCombination" : "<code>", // intersection | union
  "characteristic" : [{ // What defines the members of the evidence element
    "description" : "<string>", // Natural language description of the characteristic
    // definition[x]: What code or expression defines members?. One of these 4:
    "definitionReference" : { Reference(EvidenceVariable|Group) },
    "definitionCanonical" : { canonical(Any) },
    "definitionCodeableConcept" : { CodeableConcept },
    "definitionExpression" : { Expression },
    "method" : { CodeableConcept }, // Method used for describing characteristic
    "device" : { Reference(Device|DeviceMetric) }, // Device used for determining characteristic
    "exclude" : <boolean>, // Whether the characteristic includes or excludes members
    "timeFromStart" : { // Observation time from study start
      "description" : "<string>", // Human readable description
      "quantity" : { Quantity }, // Used to express the observation at a defined amount of time after the study start
      "range" : { Range }, // Used to express the observation within a period after the study start
      "note" : [{ Annotation }] // Used for footnotes or explanatory notes
    },
    "groupMeasure" : "<code>" // mean | median | mean-of-mean | mean-of-median | median-of-mean | median-of-median
  }],
  "handling" : "<code>", // continuous | dichotomous | ordinal | polychotomous
  "category" : [{ // A grouping for ordinal or polychotomous variables
    "name" : "<string>", // Description of the grouping
    // value[x]: Definition of the grouping. One of these 3:
    "valueCodeableConcept" : { CodeableConcept }
    "valueQuantity" : { Quantity }
    "valueRange" : { Range }
  }]
}

Turtle Template

@prefix fhir: <http://hl7.org/fhir/> .doco


[ a fhir:EvidenceVariable;
  fhir:nodeRole fhir:treeRoot; # if this is the parser root

  # from Resource: .id, .meta, .implicitRules, and .language
  fhir:EvidenceVariable.url [ uri ]; # 0..1 Canonical identifier for this evidence variable, represented as a URI (globally unique)
  fhir:EvidenceVariable.identifier [ Identifier ], ... ; # 0..* Additional identifier for the evidence variable
  fhir:EvidenceVariable.version [ string ]; # 0..1 Business version of the evidence variable
  fhir:EvidenceVariable.name [ string ]; # 0..1 Name for this evidence variable (computer friendly)
  fhir:EvidenceVariable.title [ string ]; # 0..1 Name for this evidence variable (human friendly)
  fhir:EvidenceVariable.shortTitle [ string ]; # 0..1 Title for use in informal contexts
  fhir:EvidenceVariable.subtitle [ string ]; # 0..1 Subordinate title of the EvidenceVariable
  fhir:EvidenceVariable.status [ code ]; # 1..1 draft | active | retired | unknown
  fhir:EvidenceVariable.date [ dateTime ]; # 0..1 Date last changed
  fhir:EvidenceVariable.description [ markdown ]; # 0..1 Natural language description of the evidence variable
  fhir:EvidenceVariable.note [ Annotation ], ... ; # 0..* Used for footnotes or explanatory notes
  fhir:EvidenceVariable.useContext [ UsageContext ], ... ; # 0..* The context that the content is intended to support
  fhir:EvidenceVariable.publisher [ string ]; # 0..1 Name of the publisher (organization or individual)
  fhir:EvidenceVariable.contact [ ContactDetail ], ... ; # 0..* Contact details for the publisher
  fhir:EvidenceVariable.author [ ContactDetail ], ... ; # 0..* Who authored the content
  fhir:EvidenceVariable.editor [ ContactDetail ], ... ; # 0..* Who edited the content
  fhir:EvidenceVariable.reviewer [ ContactDetail ], ... ; # 0..* Who reviewed the content
  fhir:EvidenceVariable.endorser [ ContactDetail ], ... ; # 0..* Who endorsed the content
  fhir:EvidenceVariable.relatedArtifact [ RelatedArtifact ], ... ; # 0..* Additional documentation, citations, etc.
  fhir:EvidenceVariable.actual [ boolean ]; # 0..1 Actual or conceptual
  fhir:EvidenceVariable.characteristicCombination [ code ]; # 0..1 intersection | union
  fhir:EvidenceVariable.characteristic [ # 0..* What defines the members of the evidence element
    fhir:EvidenceVariable.characteristic.description [ string ]; # 0..1 Natural language description of the characteristic
    # EvidenceVariable.characteristic.definition[x] : 1..1 What code or expression defines members?. One of these 4
      fhir:EvidenceVariable.characteristic.definitionReference [ Reference(EvidenceVariable|Group) ]
      fhir:EvidenceVariable.characteristic.definitionCanonical [ canonical(Any) ]
      fhir:EvidenceVariable.characteristic.definitionCodeableConcept [ CodeableConcept ]
      fhir:EvidenceVariable.characteristic.definitionExpression [ Expression ]
    fhir:EvidenceVariable.characteristic.method [ CodeableConcept ]; # 0..1 Method used for describing characteristic
    fhir:EvidenceVariable.characteristic.device [ Reference(Device|DeviceMetric) ]; # 0..1 Device used for determining characteristic
    fhir:EvidenceVariable.characteristic.exclude [ boolean ]; # 0..1 Whether the characteristic includes or excludes members
    fhir:EvidenceVariable.characteristic.timeFromStart [ # 0..1 Observation time from study start
      fhir:EvidenceVariable.characteristic.timeFromStart.description [ string ]; # 0..1 Human readable description
      fhir:EvidenceVariable.characteristic.timeFromStart.quantity [ Quantity ]; # 0..1 Used to express the observation at a defined amount of time after the study start
      fhir:EvidenceVariable.characteristic.timeFromStart.range [ Range ]; # 0..1 Used to express the observation within a period after the study start
      fhir:EvidenceVariable.characteristic.timeFromStart.note [ Annotation ], ... ; # 0..* Used for footnotes or explanatory notes
    ];
    fhir:EvidenceVariable.characteristic.groupMeasure [ code ]; # 0..1 mean | median | mean-of-mean | mean-of-median | median-of-mean | median-of-median
  ], ...;
  fhir:EvidenceVariable.handling [ code ]; # 0..1 continuous | dichotomous | ordinal | polychotomous
  fhir:EvidenceVariable.category [ # 0..* A grouping for ordinal or polychotomous variables
    fhir:EvidenceVariable.category.name [ string ]; # 0..1 Description of the grouping
    # EvidenceVariable.category.value[x] : 0..1 Definition of the grouping. One of these 3
      fhir:EvidenceVariable.category.valueCodeableConcept [ CodeableConcept ]
      fhir:EvidenceVariable.category.valueQuantity [ Quantity ]
      fhir:EvidenceVariable.category.valueRange [ Range ]
  ], ...;
]

Changes since Release 3

EvidenceVariable
EvidenceVariable.status
  • Change value set from http://hl7.org/fhir/ValueSet/publication-status|4.0.0 to http://hl7.org/fhir/ValueSet/publication-status|4.5.0
EvidenceVariable.actual
  • Added Element
EvidenceVariable.characteristicCombination
  • Added Element
EvidenceVariable.characteristic
  • Min Cardinality changed from 1 to 0
EvidenceVariable.characteristic.definition[x]
  • Remove Types DataRequirement, TriggerDefinition
EvidenceVariable.characteristic.method
  • Added Element
EvidenceVariable.characteristic.device
  • Added Element
EvidenceVariable.characteristic.timeFromStart
  • Type changed from Duration to BackboneElement
EvidenceVariable.characteristic.timeFromStart.description
  • Added Element
EvidenceVariable.characteristic.timeFromStart.quantity
  • Added Element
EvidenceVariable.characteristic.timeFromStart.range
  • Added Element
EvidenceVariable.characteristic.timeFromStart.note
  • Added Element
EvidenceVariable.characteristic.groupMeasure
  • Change value set from http://hl7.org/fhir/ValueSet/group-measure|4.0.0 to http://hl7.org/fhir/ValueSet/group-measure|4.5.0
EvidenceVariable.handling
  • Added Element
EvidenceVariable.category
  • Added Element
EvidenceVariable.category.name
  • Added Element
EvidenceVariable.category.value[x]
  • Added Element
EvidenceVariable.jurisdiction
  • deleted
EvidenceVariable.copyright
  • deleted
EvidenceVariable.approvalDate
  • deleted
EvidenceVariable.lastReviewDate
  • deleted
EvidenceVariable.effectivePeriod
  • deleted
EvidenceVariable.topic
  • deleted
EvidenceVariable.type
  • deleted
EvidenceVariable.characteristic.usageContext
  • deleted
EvidenceVariable.characteristic.participantEffective[x]
  • deleted

See the Full Difference for further information

This analysis is available as XML or JSON.

 

See the Profiles & Extensions and the alternate definitions: Master Definition XML + JSON, XML Schema/Schematron + JSON Schema, ShEx (for Turtle) , the spreadsheet version & the dependency analysis a

14.15.4.1 Terminology Bindings

PathDefinitionTypeReference
EvidenceVariable.status The lifecycle status of an artifact.RequiredPublicationStatus
EvidenceVariable.characteristicCombination Logical grouping of characteristics.RequiredCharacteristicCombination
EvidenceVariable.characteristic.method The method used to determine the characteristic(s) of the variable.ExampleCharacteristicMethod
EvidenceVariable.characteristic.groupMeasure Possible group measure aggregates (E.g. Mean, Median).RequiredGroupMeasure
EvidenceVariable.handling The handling of the variable in statistical analysis for exposures or outcomes (E.g. Dichotomous, Continuous, Descriptive).RequiredEvidenceVariableHandling

14.15.4.2 Constraints

idLevelLocationDescriptionExpression
cnl-0Warning (base)Name should be usable as an identifier for the module by machine processing applications such as code generationname.matches('[A-Z]([A-Za-z0-9_]){0,254}')

14.15.5 Search Parameters

Search parameters for this resource. The common parameters also apply. See Searching for more information about searching in REST, messaging, and services.

NameTypeDescriptionExpressionIn Common
composed-ofreferenceWhat resource is being referencedEvidenceVariable.relatedArtifact.where(type='composed-of').resource
(Any)
contexttokenA use context assigned to the evidence variable(EvidenceVariable.useContext.value as CodeableConcept)
context-quantityquantityA quantity- or range-valued use context assigned to the evidence variable(EvidenceVariable.useContext.value as Quantity) | (EvidenceVariable.useContext.value as Range)
context-typetokenA type of use context assigned to the evidence variableEvidenceVariable.useContext.code
context-type-quantitycompositeA use context type and quantity- or range-based value assigned to the evidence variableOn EvidenceVariable.useContext:
  context-type: code
  context-quantity: value.as(Quantity) | value.as(Range)
context-type-valuecompositeA use context type and value assigned to the evidence variableOn EvidenceVariable.useContext:
  context-type: code
  context: value.as(CodeableConcept)
date NdateThe evidence variable publication dateEvidenceVariable.date
depends-onreferenceWhat resource is being referencedEvidenceVariable.relatedArtifact.where(type='depends-on').resource
(Any)
derived-fromreferenceWhat resource is being referencedEvidenceVariable.relatedArtifact.where(type='derived-from').resource
(Any)
description NstringThe description of the evidence variableEvidenceVariable.description
identifiertokenExternal identifier for the evidence variableEvidenceVariable.identifier
name NstringComputationally friendly name of the evidence variableEvidenceVariable.name
predecessorreferenceWhat resource is being referencedEvidenceVariable.relatedArtifact.where(type='predecessor').resource
(Any)
publisher NstringName of the publisher of the evidence variableEvidenceVariable.publisher
status NtokenThe current status of the evidence variableEvidenceVariable.status
successorreferenceWhat resource is being referencedEvidenceVariable.relatedArtifact.where(type='successor').resource
(Any)
title NstringThe human-friendly name of the evidence variableEvidenceVariable.title
topictokenTopics associated with the EvidenceVariable
url NuriThe uri that identifies the evidence variableEvidenceVariable.url
version NtokenThe business version of the evidence variableEvidenceVariable.version