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: 4 Trial UseCompartments: Not linked to any defined compartments

Detailed Descriptions for the elements in the OperationDefinition resource.

OperationDefinition
Definition

A formal computable definition of an operation (on the RESTful interface) or a named query (using the search interaction).

Control1..1
OperationDefinition.url
Definition

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

Control0..1
Typeuri
Requirements

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

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.

OperationDefinition.version
Definition

The identifier that is used to identify this version of the operation definition when it is referenced in a specification, model, design or instance. This is an arbitrary value managed by the operation 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 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 operation definition 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 operation definition with the format [url]|[version].

OperationDefinition.name
Definition

A natural language name identifying the operation definition. 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.

OperationDefinition.status
Definition

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

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

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

OperationDefinition.kind
Definition

Whether this is an operation or a named query.

Control1..1
Terminology BindingOperationKind (Required)
Typecode
Comments

Named queries are invoked differently, and have different capabilities.

OperationDefinition.experimental
Definition

A boolean value to indicate that this operation definition 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 operation definition.

Summarytrue
Comments

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

OperationDefinition.date
Definition

The date (and optionally time) when the operation definition 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 operation definition 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 operation definition. Additional specific dates may be added as extensions or be found by consulting Provenances associated with past versions of the resource.

OperationDefinition.publisher
Definition

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

Control0..1
Typestring
Requirements

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

Summarytrue
Comments

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

OperationDefinition.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.

OperationDefinition.description
Definition

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

Control0..1
Typemarkdown
Comments

This description can be used to capture details such as why the operation 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 operation definition 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).

OperationDefinition.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 operation definition 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.

OperationDefinition.jurisdiction
Definition

A legal or geographic region in which the operation definition is intended to be used.

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

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

OperationDefinition.purpose
Definition

Explaination of why this operation definition is needed and why it has been designed as it has.

Control0..1
Typemarkdown
Comments

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

OperationDefinition.idempotent
Definition

Operations that are idempotent (see HTTP specification definition of idempotent ) may be invoked by performing an HTTP GET operation instead of a POST.

Control0..1
Typeboolean
Summarytrue
OperationDefinition.code
Definition

The name used to invoke the operation.

Control1..1
Typecode
Summarytrue
Comments

The code does not include the '$' prefix that is always included in the URL when the operation is invoked.

OperationDefinition.comment
Definition

Additional information about how to use this operation or named query.

Control0..1
Typestring
OperationDefinition.base
Definition

Indicates that this operation definition is a constraining profile on the base.

Control0..1
TypeReference(OperationDefinition)
Summarytrue
Comments

A constrained profile can make optional parameters required or not used and clarify documentation.

OperationDefinition.resource
Definition

The types on which this operation can be executed.

Control0..*
Terminology BindingAny defined Resource Type name
Typecode
Summarytrue
Comments

If the type is an abstract resource ("Resource" or "DomainResource") then the operation can be invoked on any concrete specialization.

OperationDefinition.system
Definition

Indicates whether this operation or named query can be invoked at the system level (e.g. without needing to choose a resource type for the context).

Control1..1
Typeboolean
Summarytrue
OperationDefinition.type
Definition

Indicates whether this operation or named query can be invoked at the resource type level for any given resource type level (e.g. without needing to choose a specific resource id for the context).

Control1..1
Typeboolean
Summarytrue
OperationDefinition.instance
Definition

Indicates whether this operation can be invoked on a particular instance of one of the given types.

Control1..1
Typeboolean
Summarytrue
OperationDefinition.parameter
Definition

The parameters for the operation/query.

Control0..*
Comments

Query Definitions only have one output parameter, named "result". This may not be described, but can be to allow a profile to be defined.

InvariantsDefined on this element
opd-1: Either a type must be provided, or parts (expression : type.exists() or part.exists(), xpath: exists(f:type) or exists(f:part))
opd-2: A search type can only be specified for parameters of type string (expression : searchType implies type = 'string', xpath: not(exists(f:searchType)) or (f:type/@value = 'string'))
OperationDefinition.parameter.name
Definition

The name of used to identify the parameter.

Control1..1
Typecode
Comments

This name must be a token (start with a letter in a..z, and only contain letters, numerals, and underscore. Note that for search parameters (type = string, with a search type), the name may be altered by the search modifiers.

OperationDefinition.parameter.use
Definition

Whether this is an input or an output parameter.

Control1..1
Terminology BindingOperationParameterUse (Required)
Typecode
Comments

If a parameter name is used for both an input and an output parameter, the parameter should be defined twice.

OperationDefinition.parameter.min
Definition

The minimum number of times this parameter SHALL appear in the request or response.

Control1..1
Typeinteger
OperationDefinition.parameter.max
Definition

The maximum number of times this element is permitted to appear in the request or response.

Control1..1
Typestring
OperationDefinition.parameter.documentation
Definition

Describes the meaning or use of this parameter.

Control0..1
Typestring
OperationDefinition.parameter.type
Definition

The type for this parameter.

Control0..1
Terminology BindingAny defined Resource or Data Type name (including "Any" and "Type")
Typecode
Comments

if there is no stated parameter, then the parameter is a multi-part parameter; type and must have at least one part defined.

InvariantsAffect this element
opd-1: Either a type must be provided, or parts (expression : type.exists() or part.exists(), xpath: exists(f:type) or exists(f:part))
OperationDefinition.parameter.searchType
Definition

How the parameter is understood as a search parameter. This is only used if the parameter type is 'string'.

Control0..1
Terminology BindingSearchParamType (Required)
Typecode
InvariantsAffect this element
opd-2: A search type can only be specified for parameters of type string (expression : searchType implies type = 'string', xpath: not(exists(f:searchType)) or (f:type/@value = 'string'))
OperationDefinition.parameter.profile
Definition

A profile the specifies the rules that this parameter must conform to.

Control0..1
TypeReference(StructureDefinition)
OperationDefinition.parameter.binding
Definition

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

Control0..1
OperationDefinition.parameter.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
Terminology BindingBindingStrength (Required)
Typecode
Alternate Namesconformance; extensibility
Comments

For further discussion, see Using Terminologies.

OperationDefinition.parameter.binding.valueSet[x]
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
Typeuri|Reference(ValueSet)
[x] NoteSee Choice of Data Types for further information about how to use [x]
Comments

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

OperationDefinition.parameter.part
Definition

The parts of a nested Parameter.

Control0..*
TypeSee OperationDefinition.parameter
Comments

Query Definitions only have one output parameter, named "result". This may not be described, but can be to allow a profile to be defined.

InvariantsAffect this element
opd-1: Either a type must be provided, or parts (expression : type.exists() or part.exists(), xpath: exists(f:type) or exists(f:part))
OperationDefinition.overload
Definition

Defines an appropriate combination of parameters to use when invoking this operation, to help code generators when generating overloaded parameter sets for this operation.

Control0..*
Comments

The combinations are suggestions as to which sets of parameters to use together, but the combinations are not intended to be authoritative.

OperationDefinition.overload.parameterName
Definition

Name of parameter to include in overload.

Control0..*
Typestring
OperationDefinition.overload.comment
Definition

Comments to go on overload.

Control0..1
Typestring