FHIR Release 3 (STU)

This page is part of the FHIR Specification (v3.0.2: STU 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 R3 R2

FHIR Infrastructure Work GroupMaturity Level: 3 Trial UseCompartments: Not linked to any defined compartments

Detailed Descriptions for the elements in the SearchParameter resource.

SearchParameter
Definition

A search parameter that defines a named search item that can be used to search/filter on a resource.

Control1..1
Comments

In FHIR, search is not performed directly on a resource (by XML or JSON path), but on a named parameter that maps into the resource content.

InvariantsDefined on this element
spd-1: If an xpath is present, there SHALL be an xpathUsage (expression : xpath.empty() or xpathUsage.exists(), xpath: not(exists(f:xpath)) or exists(f:xpathUsage))
spd-2: Search parameters can only have chain names when the search parameter type is 'reference' (expression : chain.empty() or type = 'reference', xpath: not(exists(f:chain)) or (f:type/@value = 'reference'))
SearchParameter.url
Definition

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

Control1..1
Typeuri
Requirements

Allows the search parameter to be referenced by a single globally unique identifier. To allow referencing and reusing search parameter definitions under other names on operational systems (in case of name clash).

Summarytrue
Comments

Can be a urn:uuid: or a urn:oid:, but real http: addresses are preferred. Multiple instances may share the same url if they have a distinct version.

SearchParameter.version
Definition

The identifier that is used to identify this version of the search parameter when it is referenced in a specification, model, design or instance. This is an arbitrary value managed by the search parameter 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.

NoteThis is a business versionId, not a resource version id (see discussion)
Control0..1
Typestring
Summarytrue
Comments

There may be different search parameter instances that have the same identifier but different versions. The version can be appended to the url in a reference to allow a refrence to a particular business version of the search parameter with the format [url]|[version].

SearchParameter.name
Definition

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

Control1..1
Typestring
Requirements

Support human navigation and code generation.

Summarytrue
Comments

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

SearchParameter.status
Definition

The status of this search parameter. Enables tracking the life-cycle of the content.

Control1..1
Terminology BindingPublicationStatus (Required)
Typecode
Is Modifiertrue
Summarytrue
Comments

Allows filtering of search parameters that are appropriate for use vs. not.
This is labeled as "Is Modifier" because applications should not use a retired search parameter without due consideration.

SearchParameter.experimental
Definition

A boolean value to indicate that this search parameter is authored for testing purposes (or education/evaluation/marketing), and is not intended to be used for genuine usage.

Control0..1
Typeboolean
Is Modifiertrue
Requirements

Enables experimental content to be developed following the same lifecycle that would be used for a production-level search parameter.

Summarytrue
Comments

Allows filtering of search parameter that are appropriate for use vs. not. This is labeled as "Is Modifier" because applications should not use an experimental search parameter in production.

SearchParameter.date
Definition

The date (and optionally time) when the search parameter was published. The date must change if and 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 search parameter changes.

Control0..1
TypedateTime
Alternate NamesRevision Date
Summarytrue
Comments

Note that this is not the same as the resource last-modified-date, since the resource may be a secondary representation of the search parameter. Additional specific dates may be added as extensions or be found by consulting Provenances associated with past versions of the resource.

SearchParameter.publisher
Definition

The name of the individual or organization that published the search parameter.

Control0..1
Typestring
Requirements

Helps establish the "authority/credibility" of the search parameter. May also allow for contact.

Summarytrue
Comments

Usually an organization, but may be an individual. The publisher (or steward) of the search parameter is the organization or individual primarily responsible for the maintenance and upkeep of the search parameter. 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 search parameter. This item SHOULD be populated unless the information is available from context.

SearchParameter.contact
Definition

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

Control0..*
TypeContactDetail
Summarytrue
Comments

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

SearchParameter.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 for appropriate search parameter instances.

Control0..*
TypeUsageContext
Requirements

Assist in searching for appropriate content.

Summarytrue
Comments

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

SearchParameter.jurisdiction
Definition

A legal or geographic region in which the search parameter is intended to be used.

Control0..*
Terminology BindingJurisdiction ValueSet (Extensible)
TypeCodeableConcept
Summarytrue
Comments

It may be possible for the search parameter to be used in jurisdictions other than those for which it was originally designed or intended.

SearchParameter.purpose
Definition

Explaination of why this search parameter is needed and why it has been designed as it has.

Control0..1
Typemarkdown
Comments

This element does not describe the usage of the search parameter Instead it provides 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 search parameter.

SearchParameter.code
Definition

The code used in the URL or the parameter name in a parameters resource for this search parameter.

Control1..1
Typecode
Summarytrue
Comments

For maximum compatibility, use only lowercase ASCII characters.

SearchParameter.base
Definition

The base resource type(s) that this search parameter can be used against.

Control1..*
Terminology BindingAny defined Resource Type name
Typecode
Summarytrue
Comments

A search parameter must always have at least one type. When search parameters have more than one resource, they can be used against any of the listed resource types, or in a cross-type search (see Cross Resource Search).

SearchParameter.type
Definition

The type of value a search parameter refers to, and how the content is interpreted.

Control1..1
Terminology BindingSearchParamType (Required)
Typecode
Summarytrue
SearchParameter.derivedFrom
Definition

Where this search parameter is originally defined. If a derivedFrom is provided, then the details in the search parameter must be consistent with the definition from which it is defined. I.e. the parameter should have the same meaning, and (usually) the functionality should be a proper subset of the underlying search parameter.

Control0..1
Typeuri
Comments

The intent of this is that a server can designate that it provides support for a search parameter defined in the specification itself (e.g. value-quantity , but detail how it is supported by the server.

SearchParameter.description
Definition

A free text natural language description of the search parameter from a consumer's perspective. and how it used.

Control1..1
Typemarkdown
Summarytrue
Comments

This description can be used to capture details such as why the search parameter 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 search parameter as conveyed in the 'text' field of the resource itself. This item SHOULD be populated unless the information is available from context (e.g. the language of the profile is presumed to be the predominant language in the place the profile was created).

SearchParameter.expression
Definition

A FHIRPath expression that returns a set of elements for the search parameter.

Control0..1
Typestring
Comments

Note that the elements returned by the expression are sometimes complex elements where logic is required to determine quite how to handle them; e.g. CodeableConcepts may contain text and/or multiple codings, where the codings themselves contain a code and a system. For composite search parameters, the outcome of the expression must a collection of base elements from which the composites are derived.

InvariantsAffect this element
spd-1: If an xpath is present, there SHALL be an xpathUsage (expression : xpath.empty() or xpathUsage.exists(), xpath: not(exists(f:xpath)) or exists(f:xpathUsage))
SearchParameter.xpath
Definition

An XPath expression that returns a set of elements for the search parameter.

Control0..1
Typestring
Comments

Note that the elements returned by the XPath are sometimes complex elements where logic is required to determine quite how to handle them; e.g. CodeableConcepts may contain text and/or multiple codings, where the codings themselves contain a code and a system.

InvariantsAffect this element
spd-1: If an xpath is present, there SHALL be an xpathUsage (expression : xpath.empty() or xpathUsage.exists(), xpath: not(exists(f:xpath)) or exists(f:xpathUsage))
SearchParameter.xpathUsage
Definition

How the search parameter relates to the set of elements returned by evaluating the xpath query.

Control0..1
Terminology BindingXPathUsageType (Required)
Typecode
InvariantsAffect this element
spd-1: If an xpath is present, there SHALL be an xpathUsage (expression : xpath.empty() or xpathUsage.exists(), xpath: not(exists(f:xpath)) or exists(f:xpathUsage))
SearchParameter.target
Definition

Types of resource (if a resource is referenced).

Control0..*
Terminology BindingAny defined Resource Type name
Typecode
SearchParameter.comparator
Definition

Comparators supported for the search parameter.

Control0..*
Terminology BindingSearchComparator (Required)
Typecode
Comments

If no comparators are listed, clients should not expect servers to support any comparators.

SearchParameter.modifier
Definition

A modifier supported for the search parameter.

Control0..*
Terminology BindingSearchModifierCode (Required)
Typecode
SearchParameter.chain
Definition

Contains the names of any search parameters which may be chained to the containing search parameter. Chained parameters may be added to search parameters of type reference, and specify that resources will only be returned if they contain a reference to a resource which matches the chained parameter value. Values for this field should be drawn from SearchParameter.code for a parameter on the target resource type.

Control0..*
Typestring
Comments

Systems are not required to list all the chain names they support, but if they don't list them, clients may not know to use them.

SearchParameter.component
Definition

Used to define the parts of a composite search parameter.

Control0..*
SearchParameter.component.definition
Definition

The definition of the search parameter that describes this part.

Control1..1
TypeReference(SearchParameter)
SearchParameter.component.expression
Definition

A sub-expression that defines how to extract values for this component from the output of the main SearchParameter.expression.

Control1..1
Typestring
Comments

This expression overrides the expression in the definition, and extracts the index values from the outcome of the composite expression.