CARIN Consumer Directed Payer Data Exchange (CARIN IG for Blue Button®)
2.0.0 - STU 2 US

This page is part of the CARIN Blue Button Implementation Guide (v2.0.0: STU 2) based on FHIR R4. This is the current published version. For a full list of available versions, see the Directory of published versions

Resource Profile: C4BBPatient - Detailed Descriptions

Active as of 2022-11-28

Definitions for the C4BB-Patient resource profile.

1. Patient
InvariantsDefined on this element
patient-meta-profile-version: Patient: meta.profile with canonical and major.minor. version required. (: meta.profile.exists($this.startsWith('http://hl7.org/fhir/us/carin-bb/StructureDefinition/C4BB-Patient|2.0.')))
2. Patient.meta
Control10..1
Must Supporttrue
3. Patient.meta.lastUpdated
Control1..?
Must Supporttrue
Comments

Defines the date the Resource was created or updated, whichever comes last (163). Payers SHALL provide the last time the data was updated or the date of creation in the payer’s system of record, whichever comes last. Apps will use the meta.lastUpdated value to determine if the Reference resources are as of the current date or date of service.

4. Patient.meta.profile
Control1..?
Comments

meta.profile is required as a matter of convenience of receiving systems. The meta.profile should be used by the Server to hint/assert/declare that this instance conforms to one (or more) stated profiles (with business versions). meta.profile does not capture any business logic, processing directives, or semantics (for example, inpatient or outpatient). Clients should not assume that the Server will exhaustively indicate all profiles with all versions that this instance conforms to. Clients can (and should) perform their own validation of conformance to the indicated profile(s) and to any other profiles of interest. CPCDS data element (190)

5. Patient.identifier
NoteThis is a business identifier, not a resource identifier (see discussion)
SlicingThis element introduces a set of slices on Patient.identifier. The slices are unordered and Open, and can be differentiated using the following discriminators:
  • pattern @ type
6. Patient.identifier.type
BindingThe codes SHALL be taken from C4BB Patient Identifier Type Value Set; other codes may be used where these codes are not suitableThe codes SHALL be taken from Identifier Type Codes; other codes may be used where these codes are not suitable
7. Patient.identifier:memberid
SliceNamememberid
NoteThis is a business identifier, not a resource identifier (see discussion)
Control1..*
Must Supporttrue
Comments

Identifier for a member assigned by the Payer for a contract; it may be different for various lines of business; ie. QHP vs MA. If members receive ID cards, that is the identifier that should be provided. (1).

8. Patient.identifier:memberid.type
Control1..?
Pattern Value<valueCodeableConcept xmlns="http://hl7.org/fhir">
  <coding>
    <system value="http://terminology.hl7.org/CodeSystem/v2-0203"/>
    <code value="MB"/>
  </coding>
</valueCodeableConcept>
9. Patient.identifier:uniquememberid
SliceNameuniquememberid
NoteThis is a business identifier, not a resource identifier (see discussion)
Control0..*
Must Supporttrue
Comments

Mastered person identifier that is a unique identifier for a member assigned by the Payer across all lines of business (191)

10. Patient.identifier:uniquememberid.type
Control1..?
Pattern Value<valueCodeableConcept xmlns="http://hl7.org/fhir">
  <coding>
    <system value="http://hl7.org/fhir/us/carin-bb/CodeSystem/C4BBIdentifierType"/>
    <code value="um"/>
  </coding>
</valueCodeableConcept>
11. Patient.name
Comments

The name of the patient (130)

A patient may have multiple names with different uses or applicable periods. For animals, the name is a "HumanName" in the sense that is assigned and used by humans and has the same patterns.

12. Patient.gender
Comments

Gender of the member (71)

The gender might not match the biological sex as determined by genetics or the individual's preferred identification. Note that for both humans and particularly animals, there are other legitimate possibilities than male and female, though the vast majority of systems and contexts only support male and female. Systems providing decision support or enforcing business rules should ideally do this on the basis of Observations dealing with the specific sex or gender aspect of interest (anatomical, chromosomal, social, etc.) However, because these observations are infrequently recorded, defaulting to the administrative gender is common practice. Where such defaulting occurs, rule enforcement should allow for the variation between administrative and biological, chromosomal and other gender aspects. For example, an alert about a hysterectomy on a male should be handled as a warning or overridable error, not a "hard" error. See the Patient Gender and Sex section for additional information about communicating patient gender and sex.

13. Patient.birthDate
Comments

Date of birth of the member (70)

At least an estimated year should be provided as a guess if the real DOB is unknown There is a standard extension "patient-birthTime" available that should be used where Time is required (such as in maternity/infant care systems).

14. Patient.deceased[x]
[x] NoteSee Choice of Data Types for further information about how to use [x]
Must Supporttrue
SlicingThis element introduces a set of slices on Patient.deceased[x]. The slices are unordered and Open, and can be differentiated using the following discriminators:
  • type @ $this
15. Patient.deceasedDateTime
Control0..1
TypedateTime
Comments

deceasedDateTime - Date of death of the member (124) or deceasedBoolean - Indicates if the patient is deceased (150)

16. Patient.address
Control0..?
17. Patient.address.line
Comments

Member's street name, number, direction & P.O. Box etc. (158)

18. Patient.address.city
Comments

The city for the member's primary address (192)

19. Patient.address.state
Comments

The state for the member's primary address (126)

20. Patient.address.postalCode
Comments

This represents the member's 5 digit zip code (131)

21. Patient.address.country
Must Supporttrue
Comments

The country for the member's primary address (127)

ISO 3166 3 letter codes can be used in place of a human readable country name.

1. Patient
Definition

The US Core Patient Profile is based upon the core FHIR Patient Resource and designed to meet the applicable patient demographic data elements from the 2015 Edition Common Clinical Data Set.

Demographics and other administrative information about an individual or animal receiving care or other health-related services.

Control0..*
Alternate NamesSubjectOfCare Client Resident
InvariantsDefined on this element
dom-2: If the resource is contained in another resource, it SHALL NOT contain nested Resources (: contained.contained.empty())
dom-3: If the resource is contained in another resource, it SHALL be referred to from elsewhere in the resource or SHALL refer to the containing resource (: contained.where((('#'+id in (%resource.descendants().reference | %resource.descendants().as(canonical) | %resource.descendants().as(uri) | %resource.descendants().as(url))) or descendants().where(reference = '#').exists() or descendants().where(as(canonical) = '#').exists() or descendants().where(as(canonical) = '#').exists()).not()).trace('unmatched', id).empty())
dom-4: If a resource is contained in another resource, it SHALL NOT have a meta.versionId or a meta.lastUpdated (: contained.meta.versionId.empty() and contained.meta.lastUpdated.empty())
dom-5: If a resource is contained in another resource, it SHALL NOT have a security label (: contained.meta.security.empty())
dom-6: A resource should have narrative for robust management (: text.`div`.exists())
patient-meta-profile-version: Patient: meta.profile with canonical and major.minor. version required. (: meta.profile.exists($this.startsWith('http://hl7.org/fhir/us/carin-bb/StructureDefinition/C4BB-Patient|2.0.')))
2. Patient.meta
Definition

The metadata about the resource. This is content that is maintained by the infrastructure. Changes to the content might not always be associated with version changes to the resource.

Control10..1
TypeMeta
Must Supporttrue
InvariantsDefined on this element
ele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (: hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
3. Patient.meta.lastUpdated
Definition

When the resource last changed - e.g. when the version changed.

Control10..1
Typeinstant
Must Supporttrue
Comments

Defines the date the Resource was created or updated, whichever comes last (163). Payers SHALL provide the last time the data was updated or the date of creation in the payer’s system of record, whichever comes last. Apps will use the meta.lastUpdated value to determine if the Reference resources are as of the current date or date of service.

This value is always populated except when the resource is first being created. The server / resource manager sets this value; what a client provides is irrelevant. This is equivalent to the HTTP Last-Modified and SHOULD have the same value on a read interaction.

InvariantsDefined on this element
ele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (: hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
4. Patient.meta.profile
Definition

A list of profiles (references to StructureDefinition resources) that this resource claims to conform to. The URL is a reference to StructureDefinition.url.

Control10..*
Typecanonical(StructureDefinition))
Comments

meta.profile is required as a matter of convenience of receiving systems. The meta.profile should be used by the Server to hint/assert/declare that this instance conforms to one (or more) stated profiles (with business versions). meta.profile does not capture any business logic, processing directives, or semantics (for example, inpatient or outpatient). Clients should not assume that the Server will exhaustively indicate all profiles with all versions that this instance conforms to. Clients can (and should) perform their own validation of conformance to the indicated profile(s) and to any other profiles of interest. CPCDS data element (190)

It is up to the server and/or other infrastructure of policy to determine whether/how these claims are verified and/or updated over time. The list of profile URLs is a set.

InvariantsDefined on this element
ele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (: hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
5. Patient.implicitRules
Definition

A reference to a set of rules that were followed when the resource was constructed, and which must be understood when processing the content. Often, this is a reference to an implementation guide that defines the special rules along with other profiles etc.

Control0..1
Typeuri
Is Modifiertrue
Comments

Asserting this rule set restricts the content to be only understood by a limited set of trading partners. This inherently limits the usefulness of the data in the long term. However, the existing health eco-system is highly fractured, and not yet ready to define, collect, and exchange data in a generally computable sense. Wherever possible, implementers and/or specification writers should avoid using this element. Often, when used, the URL is a reference to an implementation guide that defines these special rules as part of it's narrative along with other profiles, value sets, etc.

InvariantsDefined on this element
ele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (: hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
6. Patient.extension:race
SliceNamerace
Definition

Concepts classifying the person into a named category of humans sharing common history, traits, geographical origin or nationality. The race codes used to represent these concepts are based upon the CDC Race and Ethnicity Code Set Version 1.0 which includes over 900 concepts for representing race and ethnicity of which 921 reference race. The race concepts are grouped by and pre-mapped to the 5 OMB race categories:

  • American Indian or Alaska Native
  • Asian
  • Black or African American
  • Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander
  • White.

May be used to represent additional information that is not part of the basic definition of the resource. To make the use of extensions safe and manageable, there is a strict set of governance applied to the definition and use of extensions. Though any implementer can define an extension, there is a set of requirements that SHALL be met as part of the definition of the extension.

Control0..1* This element is affected by the following invariants: ele-1
TypeExtension(USCoreRaceExtension) (Complex Extension)
Must Supporttrue
InvariantsDefined on this element
ele-1: (: )
ext-1: (: )
7. Patient.extension:ethnicity
SliceNameethnicity
Definition

Concepts classifying the person into a named category of humans sharing common history, traits, geographical origin or nationality. The ethnicity codes used to represent these concepts are based upon the CDC ethnicity and Ethnicity Code Set Version 1.0 which includes over 900 concepts for representing race and ethnicity of which 43 reference ethnicity. The ethnicity concepts are grouped by and pre-mapped to the 2 OMB ethnicity categories: - Hispanic or Latino - Not Hispanic or Latino.

May be used to represent additional information that is not part of the basic definition of the resource. To make the use of extensions safe and manageable, there is a strict set of governance applied to the definition and use of extensions. Though any implementer can define an extension, there is a set of requirements that SHALL be met as part of the definition of the extension.

Control0..1* This element is affected by the following invariants: ele-1
TypeExtension(USCoreEthnicityExtension) (Complex Extension)
Must Supporttrue
InvariantsDefined on this element
ele-1: (: )
ext-1: (: )
8. Patient.extension:birthsex
SliceNamebirthsex
Definition

A code classifying the person's sex assigned at birth as specified by the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT (ONC).

Control0..1 This element is affected by the following invariants: ele-1
TypeExtension(USCoreBirthSexExtension) (Extension Type: code)
Must Supporttrue
Comments

The codes required are intended to present birth sex (i.e., the sex recorded on the patient’s birth certificate) and not gender identity or reassigned sex.

InvariantsDefined on this element
ele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (: hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
ext-1: Must have either extensions or value[x], not both (: extension.exists() != value.exists())
9. Patient.modifierExtension
Definition

May be used to represent additional information that is not part of the basic definition of the resource and that modifies the understanding of the element that contains it and/or the understanding of the containing element's descendants. Usually modifier elements provide negation or qualification. To make the use of extensions safe and manageable, there is a strict set of governance applied to the definition and use of extensions. Though any implementer is allowed to define an extension, there is a set of requirements that SHALL be met as part of the definition of the extension. Applications processing a resource are required to check for modifier extensions.

Modifier extensions SHALL NOT change the meaning of any elements on Resource or DomainResource (including cannot change the meaning of modifierExtension itself).

Control0..*
TypeExtension
Is Modifiertrue
Requirements

Modifier extensions allow for extensions that cannot be safely ignored to be clearly distinguished from the vast majority of extensions which can be safely ignored. This promotes interoperability by eliminating the need for implementers to prohibit the presence of extensions. For further information, see the definition of modifier extensions.

Alternate Namesextensions, user content
Comments

There can be no stigma associated with the use of extensions by any application, project, or standard - regardless of the institution or jurisdiction that uses or defines the extensions. The use of extensions is what allows the FHIR specification to retain a core level of simplicity for everyone.

InvariantsDefined on this element
ele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (: hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
ext-1: Must have either extensions or value[x], not both (: extension.exists() != value.exists())
10. Patient.identifier
Definition

An identifier for this patient.

NoteThis is a business identifier, not a resource identifier (see discussion)
Control10..*
TypeIdentifier
Must Supporttrue
Requirements

Patients are almost always assigned specific numerical identifiers.

InvariantsDefined on this element
ele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (: hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
SlicingThis element introduces a set of slices on Patient.identifier. The slices are unordered and Open, and can be differentiated using the following discriminators:
  • pattern @ type
11. Patient.identifier.use
Definition

The purpose of this identifier.

Control0..1
BindingThe codes SHALL be taken from IdentifierUse

Identifies the purpose for this identifier, if known .

Typecode
Is Modifiertrue
Requirements

Allows the appropriate identifier for a particular context of use to be selected from among a set of identifiers.

Comments

Applications can assume that an identifier is permanent unless it explicitly says that it is temporary.

InvariantsDefined on this element
ele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (: hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
12. Patient.identifier.type
Definition

A coded type for the identifier that can be used to determine which identifier to use for a specific purpose.

Control0..1
BindingThe codes SHALL be taken from C4BB Patient Identifier Type Value Set; other codes may be used where these codes are not suitableThe codes SHALL be taken from Identifier Type Codes; other codes may be used where these codes are not suitable
TypeCodeableConcept
Requirements

Allows users to make use of identifiers when the identifier system is not known.

Comments

This element deals only with general categories of identifiers. It SHOULD not be used for codes that correspond 1..1 with the Identifier.system. Some identifiers may fall into multiple categories due to common usage. Where the system is known, a type is unnecessary because the type is always part of the system definition. However systems often need to handle identifiers where the system is not known. There is not a 1:1 relationship between type and system, since many different systems have the same type.

InvariantsDefined on this element
ele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (: hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
13. Patient.identifier.system
Definition

Establishes the namespace for the value - that is, a URL that describes a set values that are unique.

Control10..1
Typeuri
Must Supporttrue
Requirements

There are many sets of identifiers. To perform matching of two identifiers, we need to know what set we're dealing with. The system identifies a particular set of unique identifiers.

Comments

Identifier.system is always case sensitive.

Example
General:http://www.acme.com/identifiers/patient
InvariantsDefined on this element
ele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (: hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
14. Patient.identifier.value
Definition

The portion of the identifier typically relevant to the user and which is unique within the context of the system.

Control10..1
Typestring
Must Supporttrue
Comments

If the value is a full URI, then the system SHALL be urn:ietf:rfc:3986. The value's primary purpose is computational mapping. As a result, it may be normalized for comparison purposes (e.g. removing non-significant whitespace, dashes, etc.) A value formatted for human display can be conveyed using the Rendered Value extension. Identifier.value is to be treated as case sensitive unless knowledge of the Identifier.system allows the processer to be confident that non-case-sensitive processing is safe.

Example
General:123456
InvariantsDefined on this element
ele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (: hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
15. Patient.identifier:memberid
SliceNamememberid
Definition

An identifier for this patient.

NoteThis is a business identifier, not a resource identifier (see discussion)
Control10..*
TypeIdentifier
Must Supporttrue
Requirements

Patients are almost always assigned specific numerical identifiers.

Comments

Identifier for a member assigned by the Payer for a contract; it may be different for various lines of business; ie. QHP vs MA. If members receive ID cards, that is the identifier that should be provided. (1).

InvariantsDefined on this element
ele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (: hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
16. Patient.identifier:memberid.use
Definition

The purpose of this identifier.

Control0..1
BindingThe codes SHALL be taken from IdentifierUse

Identifies the purpose for this identifier, if known .

Typecode
Is Modifiertrue
Requirements

Allows the appropriate identifier for a particular context of use to be selected from among a set of identifiers.

Comments

Applications can assume that an identifier is permanent unless it explicitly says that it is temporary.

InvariantsDefined on this element
ele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (: hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
17. Patient.identifier:memberid.type
Definition

A coded type for the identifier that can be used to determine which identifier to use for a specific purpose.

Control10..1
BindingThe codes SHALL be taken from Identifier Type Codes; other codes may be used where these codes are not suitable

A coded type for an identifier that can be used to determine which identifier to use for a specific purpose.

TypeCodeableConcept
Requirements

Allows users to make use of identifiers when the identifier system is not known.

Comments

This element deals only with general categories of identifiers. It SHOULD not be used for codes that correspond 1..1 with the Identifier.system. Some identifiers may fall into multiple categories due to common usage. Where the system is known, a type is unnecessary because the type is always part of the system definition. However systems often need to handle identifiers where the system is not known. There is not a 1:1 relationship between type and system, since many different systems have the same type.

Pattern Value<valueCodeableConcept xmlns="http://hl7.org/fhir">
  <coding>
    <system value="http://terminology.hl7.org/CodeSystem/v2-0203"/>
    <code value="MB"/>
  </coding>
</valueCodeableConcept>
InvariantsDefined on this element
ele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (: hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
18. Patient.identifier:memberid.system
Definition

Establishes the namespace for the value - that is, a URL that describes a set values that are unique.

Control10..1
Typeuri
Must Supporttrue
Requirements

There are many sets of identifiers. To perform matching of two identifiers, we need to know what set we're dealing with. The system identifies a particular set of unique identifiers.

Comments

Identifier.system is always case sensitive.

Example
General:http://www.acme.com/identifiers/patient
InvariantsDefined on this element
ele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (: hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
19. Patient.identifier:memberid.value
Definition

The portion of the identifier typically relevant to the user and which is unique within the context of the system.

Control10..1
Typestring
Must Supporttrue
Comments

If the value is a full URI, then the system SHALL be urn:ietf:rfc:3986. The value's primary purpose is computational mapping. As a result, it may be normalized for comparison purposes (e.g. removing non-significant whitespace, dashes, etc.) A value formatted for human display can be conveyed using the Rendered Value extension. Identifier.value is to be treated as case sensitive unless knowledge of the Identifier.system allows the processer to be confident that non-case-sensitive processing is safe.

Example
General:123456
InvariantsDefined on this element
ele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (: hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
20. Patient.identifier:uniquememberid
SliceNameuniquememberid
Definition

An identifier for this patient.

NoteThis is a business identifier, not a resource identifier (see discussion)
Control0..*
TypeIdentifier
Must Supporttrue
Requirements

Patients are almost always assigned specific numerical identifiers.

Comments

Mastered person identifier that is a unique identifier for a member assigned by the Payer across all lines of business (191)

InvariantsDefined on this element
ele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (: hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
21. Patient.identifier:uniquememberid.use
Definition

The purpose of this identifier.

Control0..1
BindingThe codes SHALL be taken from IdentifierUse

Identifies the purpose for this identifier, if known .

Typecode
Is Modifiertrue
Requirements

Allows the appropriate identifier for a particular context of use to be selected from among a set of identifiers.

Comments

Applications can assume that an identifier is permanent unless it explicitly says that it is temporary.

InvariantsDefined on this element
ele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (: hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
22. Patient.identifier:uniquememberid.type
Definition

A coded type for the identifier that can be used to determine which identifier to use for a specific purpose.

Control10..1
BindingThe codes SHALL be taken from Identifier Type Codes; other codes may be used where these codes are not suitable

A coded type for an identifier that can be used to determine which identifier to use for a specific purpose.

TypeCodeableConcept
Requirements

Allows users to make use of identifiers when the identifier system is not known.

Comments

This element deals only with general categories of identifiers. It SHOULD not be used for codes that correspond 1..1 with the Identifier.system. Some identifiers may fall into multiple categories due to common usage. Where the system is known, a type is unnecessary because the type is always part of the system definition. However systems often need to handle identifiers where the system is not known. There is not a 1:1 relationship between type and system, since many different systems have the same type.

Pattern Value<valueCodeableConcept xmlns="http://hl7.org/fhir">
  <coding>
    <system value="http://hl7.org/fhir/us/carin-bb/CodeSystem/C4BBIdentifierType"/>
    <code value="um"/>
  </coding>
</valueCodeableConcept>
InvariantsDefined on this element
ele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (: hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
23. Patient.identifier:uniquememberid.system
Definition

Establishes the namespace for the value - that is, a URL that describes a set values that are unique.

Control10..1
Typeuri
Must Supporttrue
Requirements

There are many sets of identifiers. To perform matching of two identifiers, we need to know what set we're dealing with. The system identifies a particular set of unique identifiers.

Comments

Identifier.system is always case sensitive.

Example
General:http://www.acme.com/identifiers/patient
InvariantsDefined on this element
ele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (: hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
24. Patient.identifier:uniquememberid.value
Definition

The portion of the identifier typically relevant to the user and which is unique within the context of the system.

Control10..1
Typestring
Must Supporttrue
Comments

If the value is a full URI, then the system SHALL be urn:ietf:rfc:3986. The value's primary purpose is computational mapping. As a result, it may be normalized for comparison purposes (e.g. removing non-significant whitespace, dashes, etc.) A value formatted for human display can be conveyed using the Rendered Value extension. Identifier.value is to be treated as case sensitive unless knowledge of the Identifier.system allows the processer to be confident that non-case-sensitive processing is safe.

Example
General:123456
InvariantsDefined on this element
ele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (: hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
25. Patient.active
Definition

Whether this patient record is in active use. Many systems use this property to mark as non-current patients, such as those that have not been seen for a period of time based on an organization's business rules.

It is often used to filter patient lists to exclude inactive patients

Deceased patients may also be marked as inactive for the same reasons, but may be active for some time after death.

Control0..1
Typeboolean
Is Modifiertrue
Requirements

Need to be able to mark a patient record as not to be used because it was created in error.

Comments

If a record is inactive, and linked to an active record, then future patient/record updates should occur on the other patient.

Meaning if MissingThis resource is generally assumed to be active if no value is provided for the active element
InvariantsDefined on this element
ele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (: hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
26. Patient.name
Definition

A name associated with the individual.

Control10..*
TypeHumanName
Must Supporttrue
Requirements

Need to be able to track the patient by multiple names. Examples are your official name and a partner name.

Comments

The name of the patient (130)

A patient may have multiple names with different uses or applicable periods. For animals, the name is a "HumanName" in the sense that is assigned and used by humans and has the same patterns.

InvariantsDefined on this element
ele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (: hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
us-core-8: Either Patient.name.given and/or Patient.name.family SHALL be present or a Data Absent Reason Extension SHALL be present. (: (family.exists() or given.exists()) xor extension.where(url='http://hl7.org/fhir/StructureDefinition/data-absent-reason').exists())
27. Patient.name.use
Definition

Identifies the purpose for this name.

Control0..1
BindingThe codes SHALL be taken from NameUse

The use of a human name.

Typecode
Is Modifiertrue
Requirements

Allows the appropriate name for a particular context of use to be selected from among a set of names.

Comments

Applications can assume that a name is current unless it explicitly says that it is temporary or old.

InvariantsDefined on this element
ele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (: hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
28. Patient.name.family
Definition

The part of a name that links to the genealogy. In some cultures (e.g. Eritrea) the family name of a son is the first name of his father.

Control0..1 This element is affected by the following invariants: us-core-8
Typestring
Must Supporttrue
Alternate Namessurname
Comments

Family Name may be decomposed into specific parts using extensions (de, nl, es related cultures).

InvariantsDefined on this element
ele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (: hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
29. Patient.name.given
Definition

Given name.

Control0..* This element is affected by the following invariants: us-core-8
Typestring
Must Supporttrue
Alternate Namesfirst name, middle name
Comments

If only initials are recorded, they may be used in place of the full name parts. Initials may be separated into multiple given names but often aren't due to paractical limitations. This element is not called "first name" since given names do not always come first.

InvariantsDefined on this element
ele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (: hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
30. Patient.telecom
Definition

A contact detail (e.g. a telephone number or an email address) by which the individual may be contacted.

Control0..*
TypeContactPoint
Must Supporttrue
Requirements

People have (primary) ways to contact them in some way such as phone, email.

Comments

A Patient may have multiple ways to be contacted with different uses or applicable periods. May need to have options for contacting the person urgently and also to help with identification. The address might not go directly to the individual, but may reach another party that is able to proxy for the patient (i.e. home phone, or pet owner's phone).

InvariantsDefined on this element
ele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (: hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
31. Patient.telecom.system
Definition

Telecommunications form for contact point - what communications system is required to make use of the contact.

Control10..1 This element is affected by the following invariants: cpt-2
BindingThe codes SHALL be taken from ContactPointSystem

Telecommunications form for contact point.

Typecode
Must Supporttrue
InvariantsDefined on this element
ele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (: hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
32. Patient.telecom.value
Definition

The actual contact point details, in a form that is meaningful to the designated communication system (i.e. phone number or email address).

Control10..1
Typestring
Must Supporttrue
Requirements

Need to support legacy numbers that are not in a tightly controlled format.

Comments

Additional text data such as phone extension numbers, or notes about use of the contact are sometimes included in the value.

InvariantsDefined on this element
ele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (: hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
33. Patient.telecom.use
Definition

Identifies the purpose for the contact point.

Control0..1
BindingThe codes SHALL be taken from ContactPointUse
Typecode
Is Modifiertrue
Must Supporttrue
Requirements

Need to track the way a person uses this contact, so a user can choose which is appropriate for their purpose.

Comments

Applications can assume that a contact is current unless it explicitly says that it is temporary or old.

InvariantsDefined on this element
ele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (: hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
34. Patient.gender
Definition

Administrative Gender - the gender that the patient is considered to have for administration and record keeping purposes.

Control10..1
BindingThe codes SHALL be taken from AdministrativeGender
Typecode
Must Supporttrue
Requirements

Needed for identification of the individual, in combination with (at least) name and birth date.

Comments

Gender of the member (71)

The gender might not match the biological sex as determined by genetics or the individual's preferred identification. Note that for both humans and particularly animals, there are other legitimate possibilities than male and female, though the vast majority of systems and contexts only support male and female. Systems providing decision support or enforcing business rules should ideally do this on the basis of Observations dealing with the specific sex or gender aspect of interest (anatomical, chromosomal, social, etc.) However, because these observations are infrequently recorded, defaulting to the administrative gender is common practice. Where such defaulting occurs, rule enforcement should allow for the variation between administrative and biological, chromosomal and other gender aspects. For example, an alert about a hysterectomy on a male should be handled as a warning or overridable error, not a "hard" error. See the Patient Gender and Sex section for additional information about communicating patient gender and sex.

InvariantsDefined on this element
ele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (: hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
35. Patient.birthDate
Definition

The date of birth for the individual.

Control0..1
Typedate
Must Supporttrue
Requirements

Age of the individual drives many clinical processes.

Comments

Date of birth of the member (70)

At least an estimated year should be provided as a guess if the real DOB is unknown There is a standard extension "patient-birthTime" available that should be used where Time is required (such as in maternity/infant care systems).

InvariantsDefined on this element
ele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (: hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
LOINC Code21112-8
36. Patient.deceased[x]
Definition

Indicates if the individual is deceased or not.

Control0..1
TypeChoice of: boolean, dateTime
[x] NoteSee Choice of Data Types for further information about how to use [x]
Is Modifiertrue
Must Supporttrue
Must Support TypesNo must-support rules about the choice of types/profiles
Requirements

The fact that a patient is deceased influences the clinical process. Also, in human communication and relation management it is necessary to know whether the person is alive.

Comments

If there's no value in the instance, it means there is no statement on whether or not the individual is deceased. Most systems will interpret the absence of a value as a sign of the person being alive.

InvariantsDefined on this element
ele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (: hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
SlicingThis element introduces a set of slices on Patient.deceased[x]. The slices are unordered and Open, and can be differentiated using the following discriminators:
  • type @ $this
37. Patient.deceased[x]:deceasedDateTime
SliceNamedeceasedDateTime
Definition

Indicates if the individual is deceased or not.

Control0..1
TypeChoice of: dateTime, boolean
[x] NoteSee Choice of Data Types for further information about how to use [x]
Is Modifiertrue
Requirements

The fact that a patient is deceased influences the clinical process. Also, in human communication and relation management it is necessary to know whether the person is alive.

Comments

deceasedDateTime - Date of death of the member (124) or deceasedBoolean - Indicates if the patient is deceased (150)

If there's no value in the instance, it means there is no statement on whether or not the individual is deceased. Most systems will interpret the absence of a value as a sign of the person being alive.

InvariantsDefined on this element
ele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (: hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
38. Patient.address
Definition

An address for the individual.

Control0..*
TypeAddress
Must Supporttrue
Requirements

May need to keep track of patient addresses for contacting, billing or reporting requirements and also to help with identification.

Comments

Patient may have multiple addresses with different uses or applicable periods.

InvariantsDefined on this element
ele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (: hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
39. Patient.address.use
Definition

The purpose of this address.

Control0..1
BindingThe codes SHALL be taken from AddressUse

The use of an address.

Typecode
Is Modifiertrue
Requirements

Allows an appropriate address to be chosen from a list of many.

Comments

Applications can assume that an address is current unless it explicitly says that it is temporary or old.

Example
General:home
InvariantsDefined on this element
ele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (: hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
40. Patient.address.line
Definition

This component contains the house number, apartment number, street name, street direction, P.O. Box number, delivery hints, and similar address information.

Control0..*
Typestring
Must Supporttrue
Comments

Member's street name, number, direction & P.O. Box etc. (158)

Example
General:137 Nowhere Street
InvariantsDefined on this element
ele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (: hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
41. Patient.address.city
Definition

The name of the city, town, suburb, village or other community or delivery center.

Control0..1
Typestring
Must Supporttrue
Alternate NamesMunicpality
Comments

The city for the member's primary address (192)

Example
General:Erewhon
InvariantsDefined on this element
ele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (: hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
42. Patient.address.state
Definition

Sub-unit of a country with limited sovereignty in a federally organized country. A code may be used if codes are in common use (e.g. US 2 letter state codes).

Control0..1
BindingThe codes SHALL be taken from USPS Two Letter Alphabetic Codes; other codes may be used where these codes are not suitableFor codes, see (unbound) Two Letter USPS alphabetic codes
Typestring
Must Supporttrue
Alternate NamesProvince, Territory
Comments

The state for the member's primary address (126)

InvariantsDefined on this element
ele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (: hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
43. Patient.address.postalCode
Definition

A postal code designating a region defined by the postal service.

Control0..1
Typestring
Must Supporttrue
Alternate NamesZip, Zip Code
Comments

This represents the member's 5 digit zip code (131)

Example
General:9132
InvariantsDefined on this element
ele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (: hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
44. Patient.address.country
Definition

Country - a nation as commonly understood or generally accepted.

Control0..1
Typestring
Must Supporttrue
Comments

The country for the member's primary address (127)

ISO 3166 3 letter codes can be used in place of a human readable country name.

InvariantsDefined on this element
ele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (: hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
45. Patient.address.period
Definition

Time period when address was/is in use.

Control0..1
TypePeriod
Must Supporttrue
Requirements

Allows addresses to be placed in historical context.

Example
General:<valuePeriod xmlns="http://hl7.org/fhir">
  <start value="2010-03-23"/>
  <end value="2010-07-01"/>
</valuePeriod>
InvariantsDefined on this element
ele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (: hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
46. Patient.communication
Definition

A language which may be used to communicate with the patient about his or her health.

Control0..*
TypeBackboneElement
Must Supporttrue
Requirements

If a patient does not speak the local language, interpreters may be required, so languages spoken and proficiency are important things to keep track of both for patient and other persons of interest.

Comments

If no language is specified, this implies that the default local language is spoken. If you need to convey proficiency for multiple modes, then you need multiple Patient.Communication associations. For animals, language is not a relevant field, and should be absent from the instance. If the Patient does not speak the default local language, then the Interpreter Required Standard can be used to explicitly declare that an interpreter is required.

InvariantsDefined on this element
ele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (: hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
47. Patient.communication.modifierExtension
Definition

May be used to represent additional information that is not part of the basic definition of the element and that modifies the understanding of the element in which it is contained and/or the understanding of the containing element's descendants. Usually modifier elements provide negation or qualification. To make the use of extensions safe and manageable, there is a strict set of governance applied to the definition and use of extensions. Though any implementer can define an extension, there is a set of requirements that SHALL be met as part of the definition of the extension. Applications processing a resource are required to check for modifier extensions.

Modifier extensions SHALL NOT change the meaning of any elements on Resource or DomainResource (including cannot change the meaning of modifierExtension itself).

Control0..*
TypeExtension
Is Modifiertrue
Requirements

Modifier extensions allow for extensions that cannot be safely ignored to be clearly distinguished from the vast majority of extensions which can be safely ignored. This promotes interoperability by eliminating the need for implementers to prohibit the presence of extensions. For further information, see the definition of modifier extensions.

Alternate Namesextensions, user content, modifiers
Comments

There can be no stigma associated with the use of extensions by any application, project, or standard - regardless of the institution or jurisdiction that uses or defines the extensions. The use of extensions is what allows the FHIR specification to retain a core level of simplicity for everyone.

InvariantsDefined on this element
ele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (: hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
ext-1: Must have either extensions or value[x], not both (: extension.exists() != value.exists())
48. Patient.communication.language
Definition

The ISO-639-1 alpha 2 code in lower case for the language, optionally followed by a hyphen and the ISO-3166-1 alpha 2 code for the region in upper case; e.g. "en" for English, or "en-US" for American English versus "en-EN" for England English.

Control1..1
BindingThe codes SHALL be taken from Language codes with language and optionally a region modifier; other codes may be used where these codes are not suitableThe codes SHOULD be taken from CommonLanguages
TypeCodeableConcept
Must Supporttrue
Requirements

Most systems in multilingual countries will want to convey language. Not all systems actually need the regional dialect.

Comments

The structure aa-BB with this exact casing is one the most widely used notations for locale. However not all systems actually code this but instead have it as free text. Hence CodeableConcept instead of code as the data type.

InvariantsDefined on this element
ele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (: hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
49. Patient.link
Definition

Link to another patient resource that concerns the same actual patient.

Control0..*
TypeBackboneElement
Is Modifiertrue
Requirements

There are multiple use cases:

  • Duplicate patient records due to the clerical errors associated with the difficulties of identifying humans consistently, and
  • Distribution of patient information across multiple servers.
Comments

There is no assumption that linked patient records have mutual links.

InvariantsDefined on this element
ele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (: hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
50. Patient.link.modifierExtension
Definition

May be used to represent additional information that is not part of the basic definition of the element and that modifies the understanding of the element in which it is contained and/or the understanding of the containing element's descendants. Usually modifier elements provide negation or qualification. To make the use of extensions safe and manageable, there is a strict set of governance applied to the definition and use of extensions. Though any implementer can define an extension, there is a set of requirements that SHALL be met as part of the definition of the extension. Applications processing a resource are required to check for modifier extensions.

Modifier extensions SHALL NOT change the meaning of any elements on Resource or DomainResource (including cannot change the meaning of modifierExtension itself).

Control0..*
TypeExtension
Is Modifiertrue
Requirements

Modifier extensions allow for extensions that cannot be safely ignored to be clearly distinguished from the vast majority of extensions which can be safely ignored. This promotes interoperability by eliminating the need for implementers to prohibit the presence of extensions. For further information, see the definition of modifier extensions.

Alternate Namesextensions, user content, modifiers
Comments

There can be no stigma associated with the use of extensions by any application, project, or standard - regardless of the institution or jurisdiction that uses or defines the extensions. The use of extensions is what allows the FHIR specification to retain a core level of simplicity for everyone.

InvariantsDefined on this element
ele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (: hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
ext-1: Must have either extensions or value[x], not both (: extension.exists() != value.exists())
51. Patient.link.other
Definition

The other patient resource that the link refers to.

Control1..1
TypeReference(Patient|RelatedPerson))
Comments

Referencing a RelatedPerson here removes the need to use a Person record to associate a Patient and RelatedPerson as the same individual.

InvariantsDefined on this element
ele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (: hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
52. Patient.link.type
Definition

The type of link between this patient resource and another patient resource.

Control1..1
BindingThe codes SHALL be taken from LinkType

The type of link between this patient resource and another patient resource.

Typecode
InvariantsDefined on this element
ele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (: hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
1. Patient
Definition

The US Core Patient Profile is based upon the core FHIR Patient Resource and designed to meet the applicable patient demographic data elements from the 2015 Edition Common Clinical Data Set.

Control0..*
Alternate NamesSubjectOfCare Client Resident
2. Patient.id
Definition

The logical id of the resource, as used in the URL for the resource. Once assigned, this value never changes.

Control0..1
Typeid
Comments

The only time that a resource does not have an id is when it is being submitted to the server using a create operation.

3. Patient.meta
Definition

The metadata about the resource. This is content that is maintained by the infrastructure. Changes to the content might not always be associated with version changes to the resource.

Control1..1
TypeMeta
Must Supporttrue
InvariantsDefined on this element
ele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (: hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
4. Patient.meta.id
Definition

Unique id for the element within a resource (for internal references). This may be any string value that does not contain spaces.

Control0..1
Typestring
XML RepresentationIn the XML format, this property is represented as an attribute.
5. Patient.meta.extension
Definition

May be used to represent additional information that is not part of the basic definition of the element. To make the use of extensions safe and manageable, there is a strict set of governance applied to the definition and use of extensions. Though any implementer can define an extension, there is a set of requirements that SHALL be met as part of the definition of the extension.

Control0..*
TypeExtension
Alternate Namesextensionsuser content
Comments

There can be no stigma associated with the use of extensions by any application, project, or standard - regardless of the institution or jurisdiction that uses or defines the extensions. The use of extensions is what allows the FHIR specification to retain a core level of simplicity for everyone.

InvariantsDefined on this element
ele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (: hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
ext-1: Must have either extensions or value[x], not both (: extension.exists() != value.exists())
SlicingThis element introduces a set of slices on Patient.meta.extension. The slices are unordered and Open, and can be differentiated using the following discriminators:
  • value @ url
6. Patient.meta.versionId
Definition

The version specific identifier, as it appears in the version portion of the URL. This value changes when the resource is created, updated, or deleted.

Control0..1
Typeid
Comments

The server assigns this value, and ignores what the client specifies, except in the case that the server is imposing version integrity on updates/deletes.

InvariantsDefined on this element
ele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (: hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
7. Patient.meta.lastUpdated
Definition

When the resource last changed - e.g. when the version changed.

Control1..1
Typeinstant
Must Supporttrue
Comments

Defines the date the Resource was created or updated, whichever comes last (163). Payers SHALL provide the last time the data was updated or the date of creation in the payer’s system of record, whichever comes last. Apps will use the meta.lastUpdated value to determine if the Reference resources are as of the current date or date of service.

InvariantsDefined on this element
ele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (: hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
8. Patient.meta.source
Definition

A uri that identifies the source system of the resource. This provides a minimal amount of Provenance information that can be used to track or differentiate the source of information in the resource. The source may identify another FHIR server, document, message, database, etc.

Control0..1
Typeuri
Comments

In the provenance resource, this corresponds to Provenance.entity.what[x]. The exact use of the source (and the implied Provenance.entity.role) is left to implementer discretion. Only one nominated source is allowed; for additional provenance details, a full Provenance resource should be used.

This element can be used to indicate where the current master source of a resource that has a canonical URL if the resource is no longer hosted at the canonical URL.

InvariantsDefined on this element
ele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (: hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
9. Patient.meta.profile
Definition

A list of profiles (references to StructureDefinition resources) that this resource claims to conform to. The URL is a reference to StructureDefinition.url.

Control1..*
Typecanonical(StructureDefinition))
Comments

meta.profile is required as a matter of convenience of receiving systems. The meta.profile should be used by the Server to hint/assert/declare that this instance conforms to one (or more) stated profiles (with business versions). meta.profile does not capture any business logic, processing directives, or semantics (for example, inpatient or outpatient). Clients should not assume that the Server will exhaustively indicate all profiles with all versions that this instance conforms to. Clients can (and should) perform their own validation of conformance to the indicated profile(s) and to any other profiles of interest. CPCDS data element (190)

InvariantsDefined on this element
ele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (: hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
10. Patient.meta.security
Definition

Security labels applied to this resource. These tags connect specific resources to the overall security policy and infrastructure.

Control0..*
BindingThe codes SHALL be taken from All Security Labels; other codes may be used where these codes are not suitable Security Labels from the Healthcare Privacy and Security Classification System
TypeCoding
Comments

The security labels can be updated without changing the stated version of the resource. The list of security labels is a set. Uniqueness is based the system/code, and version and display are ignored.

InvariantsDefined on this element
ele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (: hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
11. Patient.meta.tag
Definition

Tags applied to this resource. Tags are intended to be used to identify and relate resources to process and workflow, and applications are not required to consider the tags when interpreting the meaning of a resource.

Control0..*
BindingFor example codes, see CommonTags Codes that represent various types of tags, commonly workflow-related; e.g. "Needs review by Dr. Jones"
TypeCoding
Comments

The tags can be updated without changing the stated version of the resource. The list of tags is a set. Uniqueness is based the system/code, and version and display are ignored.

InvariantsDefined on this element
ele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (: hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
12. Patient.implicitRules
Definition

A reference to a set of rules that were followed when the resource was constructed, and which must be understood when processing the content. Often, this is a reference to an implementation guide that defines the special rules along with other profiles etc.

Control0..1
Typeuri
Is Modifiertrue
Comments

Asserting this rule set restricts the content to be only understood by a limited set of trading partners. This inherently limits the usefulness of the data in the long term. However, the existing health eco-system is highly fractured, and not yet ready to define, collect, and exchange data in a generally computable sense. Wherever possible, implementers and/or specification writers should avoid using this element. Often, when used, the URL is a reference to an implementation guide that defines these special rules as part of it's narrative along with other profiles, value sets, etc.

InvariantsDefined on this element
ele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (: hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
13. Patient.language
Definition

The base language in which the resource is written.

Control0..1
BindingThe codes SHOULD be taken from CommonLanguages A human language
Additional BindingsPurpose
AllLanguagesMax Binding
Typecode
Comments

Language is provided to support indexing and accessibility (typically, services such as text to speech use the language tag). The html language tag in the narrative applies to the narrative. The language tag on the resource may be used to specify the language of other presentations generated from the data in the resource. Not all the content has to be in the base language. The Resource.language should not be assumed to apply to the narrative automatically. If a language is specified, it should it also be specified on the div element in the html (see rules in HTML5 for information about the relationship between xml:lang and the html lang attribute).

InvariantsDefined on this element
ele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (: hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
14. Patient.text
Definition

A human-readable narrative that contains a summary of the resource and can be used to represent the content of the resource to a human. The narrative need not encode all the structured data, but is required to contain sufficient detail to make it "clinically safe" for a human to just read the narrative. Resource definitions may define what content should be represented in the narrative to ensure clinical safety.

Control0..1
TypeNarrative
Alternate Namesnarrativehtmlxhtmldisplay
Comments

Contained resources do not have narrative. Resources that are not contained SHOULD have a narrative. In some cases, a resource may only have text with little or no additional discrete data (as long as all minOccurs=1 elements are satisfied). This may be necessary for data from legacy systems where information is captured as a "text blob" or where text is additionally entered raw or narrated and encoded information is added later.

InvariantsDefined on this element
ele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (: hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
15. Patient.contained
Definition

These resources do not have an independent existence apart from the resource that contains them - they cannot be identified independently, and nor can they have their own independent transaction scope.

Control0..*
TypeResource
Alternate Namesinline resourcesanonymous resourcescontained resources
Comments

This should never be done when the content can be identified properly, as once identification is lost, it is extremely difficult (and context dependent) to restore it again. Contained resources may have profiles and tags In their meta elements, but SHALL NOT have security labels.

16. Patient.extension
Definition

An Extension

Control0..*
TypeExtension
InvariantsDefined on this element
ele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (: hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
ext-1: Must have either extensions or value[x], not both (: extension.exists() != value.exists())
SlicingThis element introduces a set of slices on Patient.extension. The slices are unordered and Open, and can be differentiated using the following discriminators:
  • value @ url
17. Patient.extension:race
SliceNamerace
Definition

Concepts classifying the person into a named category of humans sharing common history, traits, geographical origin or nationality. The race codes used to represent these concepts are based upon the CDC Race and Ethnicity Code Set Version 1.0 which includes over 900 concepts for representing race and ethnicity of which 921 reference race. The race concepts are grouped by and pre-mapped to the 5 OMB race categories:

  • American Indian or Alaska Native
  • Asian
  • Black or African American
  • Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander
  • White.
Control0..1 This element is affected by the following invariants: ele-1
TypeExtension(USCoreRaceExtension) (Complex Extension)
Must Supporttrue
InvariantsDefined on this element
ele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (: hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
ext-1: Must have either extensions or value[x], not both (: extension.exists() != value.exists())
18. Patient.extension:ethnicity
SliceNameethnicity
Definition

Concepts classifying the person into a named category of humans sharing common history, traits, geographical origin or nationality. The ethnicity codes used to represent these concepts are based upon the CDC ethnicity and Ethnicity Code Set Version 1.0 which includes over 900 concepts for representing race and ethnicity of which 43 reference ethnicity. The ethnicity concepts are grouped by and pre-mapped to the 2 OMB ethnicity categories: - Hispanic or Latino - Not Hispanic or Latino.

Control0..1 This element is affected by the following invariants: ele-1
TypeExtension(USCoreEthnicityExtension) (Complex Extension)
Must Supporttrue
InvariantsDefined on this element
ele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (: hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
ext-1: Must have either extensions or value[x], not both (: extension.exists() != value.exists())
19. Patient.extension:birthsex
SliceNamebirthsex
Definition

A code classifying the person's sex assigned at birth as specified by the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT (ONC).

Control0..1 This element is affected by the following invariants: ele-1
TypeExtension(USCoreBirthSexExtension) (Extension Type: code)
Must Supporttrue
Comments

The codes required are intended to present birth sex (i.e., the sex recorded on the patient’s birth certificate) and not gender identity or reassigned sex.

InvariantsDefined on this element
ele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (: hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
ext-1: Must have either extensions or value[x], not both (: extension.exists() != value.exists())
20. Patient.modifierExtension
Definition

May be used to represent additional information that is not part of the basic definition of the resource and that modifies the understanding of the element that contains it and/or the understanding of the containing element's descendants. Usually modifier elements provide negation or qualification. To make the use of extensions safe and manageable, there is a strict set of governance applied to the definition and use of extensions. Though any implementer is allowed to define an extension, there is a set of requirements that SHALL be met as part of the definition of the extension. Applications processing a resource are required to check for modifier extensions.

Modifier extensions SHALL NOT change the meaning of any elements on Resource or DomainResource (including cannot change the meaning of modifierExtension itself).

Control0..*
TypeExtension
Is Modifiertrue
Requirements

Modifier extensions allow for extensions that cannot be safely ignored to be clearly distinguished from the vast majority of extensions which can be safely ignored. This promotes interoperability by eliminating the need for implementers to prohibit the presence of extensions. For further information, see the definition of modifier extensions.

Alternate Namesextensionsuser content
Comments

There can be no stigma associated with the use of extensions by any application, project, or standard - regardless of the institution or jurisdiction that uses or defines the extensions. The use of extensions is what allows the FHIR specification to retain a core level of simplicity for everyone.

InvariantsDefined on this element
ele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (: hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
ext-1: Must have either extensions or value[x], not both (: extension.exists() != value.exists())
21. Patient.identifier
Definition

An identifier for this patient.

NoteThis is a business identifier, not a resource identifier (see discussion)
Control1..*
TypeIdentifier
Must Supporttrue
Requirements

Patients are almost always assigned specific numerical identifiers.

InvariantsDefined on this element
ele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (: hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
SlicingThis element introduces a set of slices on Patient.identifier. The slices are unordered and Open, and can be differentiated using the following discriminators:
  • pattern @ type
22. Patient.identifier.id
Definition

Unique id for the element within a resource (for internal references). This may be any string value that does not contain spaces.

Control0..1
Typestring
XML RepresentationIn the XML format, this property is represented as an attribute.
23. Patient.identifier.extension
Definition

May be used to represent additional information that is not part of the basic definition of the element. To make the use of extensions safe and manageable, there is a strict set of governance applied to the definition and use of extensions. Though any implementer can define an extension, there is a set of requirements that SHALL be met as part of the definition of the extension.

Control0..*
TypeExtension
Alternate Namesextensionsuser content
Comments

There can be no stigma associated with the use of extensions by any application, project, or standard - regardless of the institution or jurisdiction that uses or defines the extensions. The use of extensions is what allows the FHIR specification to retain a core level of simplicity for everyone.

InvariantsDefined on this element
ele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (: hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
ext-1: Must have either extensions or value[x], not both (: extension.exists() != value.exists())
SlicingThis element introduces a set of slices on Patient.identifier.extension. The slices are unordered and Open, and can be differentiated using the following discriminators:
  • value @ url
24. Patient.identifier.use
Definition

The purpose of this identifier.

Control0..1
BindingThe codes SHALL be taken from IdentifierUse Identifies the purpose for this identifier, if known
Typecode
Is Modifiertrue
Requirements

Allows the appropriate identifier for a particular context of use to be selected from among a set of identifiers.

Comments

Applications can assume that an identifier is permanent unless it explicitly says that it is temporary.

InvariantsDefined on this element
ele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (: hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
25. Patient.identifier.type
Definition

A coded type for the identifier that can be used to determine which identifier to use for a specific purpose.

Control0..1
BindingThe codes SHALL be taken from C4BB Patient Identifier Type Value Set; other codes may be used where these codes are not suitable
TypeCodeableConcept
Requirements

Allows users to make use of identifiers when the identifier system is not known.

Comments

This element deals only with general categories of identifiers. It SHOULD not be used for codes that correspond 1..1 with the Identifier.system. Some identifiers may fall into multiple categories due to common usage. Where the system is known, a type is unnecessary because the type is always part of the system definition. However systems often need to handle identifiers where the system is not known. There is not a 1:1 relationship between type and system, since many different systems have the same type.

InvariantsDefined on this element
ele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (: hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
26. Patient.identifier.system
Definition

Establishes the namespace for the value - that is, a URL that describes a set values that are unique.

Control1..1
Typeuri
Must Supporttrue
Requirements

There are many sets of identifiers. To perform matching of two identifiers, we need to know what set we're dealing with. The system identifies a particular set of unique identifiers.

Comments

Identifier.system is always case sensitive.

Example
General:http://www.acme.com/identifiers/patient
InvariantsDefined on this element
ele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (: hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
27. Patient.identifier.value
Definition

The portion of the identifier typically relevant to the user and which is unique within the context of the system.

Control1..1
Typestring
Must Supporttrue
Comments

If the value is a full URI, then the system SHALL be urn:ietf:rfc:3986. The value's primary purpose is computational mapping. As a result, it may be normalized for comparison purposes (e.g. removing non-significant whitespace, dashes, etc.) A value formatted for human display can be conveyed using the Rendered Value extension. Identifier.value is to be treated as case sensitive unless knowledge of the Identifier.system allows the processer to be confident that non-case-sensitive processing is safe.

Example
General:123456
InvariantsDefined on this element
ele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (: hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
28. Patient.identifier.period
Definition

Time period during which identifier is/was valid for use.

Control0..1
TypePeriod
InvariantsDefined on this element
ele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (: hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
29. Patient.identifier.assigner
Definition

Organization that issued/manages the identifier.

Control0..1
TypeReference(Organization))
Comments

The Identifier.assigner may omit the .reference element and only contain a .display element reflecting the name or other textual information about the assigning organization.

InvariantsDefined on this element
ele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (: hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
30. Patient.identifier:memberid
SliceNamememberid
Definition

An identifier for this patient.

NoteThis is a business identifier, not a resource identifier (see discussion)
Control1..*
TypeIdentifier
Must Supporttrue
Requirements

Patients are almost always assigned specific numerical identifiers.

Comments

Identifier for a member assigned by the Payer for a contract; it may be different for various lines of business; ie. QHP vs MA. If members receive ID cards, that is the identifier that should be provided. (1).

InvariantsDefined on this element
ele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (: hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
31. Patient.identifier:memberid.id
Definition

Unique id for the element within a resource (for internal references). This may be any string value that does not contain spaces.

Control0..1
Typestring
XML RepresentationIn the XML format, this property is represented as an attribute.
32. Patient.identifier:memberid.extension
Definition

May be used to represent additional information that is not part of the basic definition of the element. To make the use of extensions safe and manageable, there is a strict set of governance applied to the definition and use of extensions. Though any implementer can define an extension, there is a set of requirements that SHALL be met as part of the definition of the extension.

Control0..*
TypeExtension
Alternate Namesextensionsuser content
Comments

There can be no stigma associated with the use of extensions by any application, project, or standard - regardless of the institution or jurisdiction that uses or defines the extensions. The use of extensions is what allows the FHIR specification to retain a core level of simplicity for everyone.

InvariantsDefined on this element
ele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (: hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
ext-1: Must have either extensions or value[x], not both (: extension.exists() != value.exists())
SlicingThis element introduces a set of slices on Patient.identifier.extension. The slices are unordered and Open, and can be differentiated using the following discriminators:
  • value @ url
33. Patient.identifier:memberid.use
Definition

The purpose of this identifier.

Control0..1
BindingThe codes SHALL be taken from IdentifierUse Identifies the purpose for this identifier, if known
Typecode
Is Modifiertrue
Requirements

Allows the appropriate identifier for a particular context of use to be selected from among a set of identifiers.

Comments

Applications can assume that an identifier is permanent unless it explicitly says that it is temporary.

InvariantsDefined on this element
ele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (: hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
34. Patient.identifier:memberid.type
Definition

A coded type for the identifier that can be used to determine which identifier to use for a specific purpose.

Control1..1
BindingThe codes SHALL be taken from Identifier Type Codes; other codes may be used where these codes are not suitable A coded type for an identifier that can be used to determine which identifier to use for a specific purpose
TypeCodeableConcept
Requirements

Allows users to make use of identifiers when the identifier system is not known.

Comments

This element deals only with general categories of identifiers. It SHOULD not be used for codes that correspond 1..1 with the Identifier.system. Some identifiers may fall into multiple categories due to common usage. Where the system is known, a type is unnecessary because the type is always part of the system definition. However systems often need to handle identifiers where the system is not known. There is not a 1:1 relationship between type and system, since many different systems have the same type.

Pattern Value<valueCodeableConcept xmlns="http://hl7.org/fhir">
  <coding>
    <system value="http://terminology.hl7.org/CodeSystem/v2-0203"/>
    <code value="MB"/>
  </coding>
</valueCodeableConcept>
InvariantsDefined on this element
ele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (: hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
35. Patient.identifier:memberid.system
Definition

Establishes the namespace for the value - that is, a URL that describes a set values that are unique.

Control1..1
Typeuri
Must Supporttrue
Requirements

There are many sets of identifiers. To perform matching of two identifiers, we need to know what set we're dealing with. The system identifies a particular set of unique identifiers.

Comments

Identifier.system is always case sensitive.

Example
General:http://www.acme.com/identifiers/patient
InvariantsDefined on this element
ele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (: hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
36. Patient.identifier:memberid.value
Definition

The portion of the identifier typically relevant to the user and which is unique within the context of the system.

Control1..1
Typestring
Must Supporttrue
Comments

If the value is a full URI, then the system SHALL be urn:ietf:rfc:3986. The value's primary purpose is computational mapping. As a result, it may be normalized for comparison purposes (e.g. removing non-significant whitespace, dashes, etc.) A value formatted for human display can be conveyed using the Rendered Value extension. Identifier.value is to be treated as case sensitive unless knowledge of the Identifier.system allows the processer to be confident that non-case-sensitive processing is safe.

Example
General:123456
InvariantsDefined on this element
ele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (: hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
37. Patient.identifier:memberid.period
Definition

Time period during which identifier is/was valid for use.

Control0..1
TypePeriod
InvariantsDefined on this element
ele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (: hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
38. Patient.identifier:memberid.assigner
Definition

Organization that issued/manages the identifier.

Control0..1
TypeReference(Organization))
Comments

The Identifier.assigner may omit the .reference element and only contain a .display element reflecting the name or other textual information about the assigning organization.

InvariantsDefined on this element
ele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (: hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
39. Patient.identifier:uniquememberid
SliceNameuniquememberid
Definition

An identifier for this patient.

NoteThis is a business identifier, not a resource identifier (see discussion)
Control0..*
TypeIdentifier
Must Supporttrue
Requirements

Patients are almost always assigned specific numerical identifiers.

Comments

Mastered person identifier that is a unique identifier for a member assigned by the Payer across all lines of business (191)

InvariantsDefined on this element
ele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (: hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
40. Patient.identifier:uniquememberid.id
Definition

Unique id for the element within a resource (for internal references). This may be any string value that does not contain spaces.

Control0..1
Typestring
XML RepresentationIn the XML format, this property is represented as an attribute.
41. Patient.identifier:uniquememberid.extension
Definition

May be used to represent additional information that is not part of the basic definition of the element. To make the use of extensions safe and manageable, there is a strict set of governance applied to the definition and use of extensions. Though any implementer can define an extension, there is a set of requirements that SHALL be met as part of the definition of the extension.

Control0..*
TypeExtension
Alternate Namesextensionsuser content
Comments

There can be no stigma associated with the use of extensions by any application, project, or standard - regardless of the institution or jurisdiction that uses or defines the extensions. The use of extensions is what allows the FHIR specification to retain a core level of simplicity for everyone.

InvariantsDefined on this element
ele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (: hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
ext-1: Must have either extensions or value[x], not both (: extension.exists() != value.exists())
SlicingThis element introduces a set of slices on Patient.identifier.extension. The slices are unordered and Open, and can be differentiated using the following discriminators:
  • value @ url
42. Patient.identifier:uniquememberid.use
Definition

The purpose of this identifier.

Control0..1
BindingThe codes SHALL be taken from IdentifierUse Identifies the purpose for this identifier, if known
Typecode
Is Modifiertrue
Requirements

Allows the appropriate identifier for a particular context of use to be selected from among a set of identifiers.

Comments

Applications can assume that an identifier is permanent unless it explicitly says that it is temporary.

InvariantsDefined on this element
ele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (: hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
43. Patient.identifier:uniquememberid.type
Definition

A coded type for the identifier that can be used to determine which identifier to use for a specific purpose.

Control1..1
BindingThe codes SHALL be taken from Identifier Type Codes; other codes may be used where these codes are not suitable A coded type for an identifier that can be used to determine which identifier to use for a specific purpose
TypeCodeableConcept
Requirements

Allows users to make use of identifiers when the identifier system is not known.

Comments

This element deals only with general categories of identifiers. It SHOULD not be used for codes that correspond 1..1 with the Identifier.system. Some identifiers may fall into multiple categories due to common usage. Where the system is known, a type is unnecessary because the type is always part of the system definition. However systems often need to handle identifiers where the system is not known. There is not a 1:1 relationship between type and system, since many different systems have the same type.

Pattern Value<valueCodeableConcept xmlns="http://hl7.org/fhir">
  <coding>
    <system value="http://hl7.org/fhir/us/carin-bb/CodeSystem/C4BBIdentifierType"/>
    <code value="um"/>
  </coding>
</valueCodeableConcept>
InvariantsDefined on this element
ele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (: hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
44. Patient.identifier:uniquememberid.system
Definition

Establishes the namespace for the value - that is, a URL that describes a set values that are unique.

Control1..1
Typeuri
Must Supporttrue
Requirements

There are many sets of identifiers. To perform matching of two identifiers, we need to know what set we're dealing with. The system identifies a particular set of unique identifiers.

Comments

Identifier.system is always case sensitive.

Example
General:http://www.acme.com/identifiers/patient
InvariantsDefined on this element
ele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (: hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
45. Patient.identifier:uniquememberid.value
Definition

The portion of the identifier typically relevant to the user and which is unique within the context of the system.

Control1..1
Typestring
Must Supporttrue
Comments

If the value is a full URI, then the system SHALL be urn:ietf:rfc:3986. The value's primary purpose is computational mapping. As a result, it may be normalized for comparison purposes (e.g. removing non-significant whitespace, dashes, etc.) A value formatted for human display can be conveyed using the Rendered Value extension. Identifier.value is to be treated as case sensitive unless knowledge of the Identifier.system allows the processer to be confident that non-case-sensitive processing is safe.

Example
General:123456
InvariantsDefined on this element
ele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (: hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
46. Patient.identifier:uniquememberid.period
Definition

Time period during which identifier is/was valid for use.

Control0..1
TypePeriod
InvariantsDefined on this element
ele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (: hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
47. Patient.identifier:uniquememberid.assigner
Definition

Organization that issued/manages the identifier.

Control0..1
TypeReference(Organization))
Comments

The Identifier.assigner may omit the .reference element and only contain a .display element reflecting the name or other textual information about the assigning organization.

InvariantsDefined on this element
ele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (: hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
48. Patient.active
Definition

Whether this patient record is in active use. Many systems use this property to mark as non-current patients, such as those that have not been seen for a period of time based on an organization's business rules.

It is often used to filter patient lists to exclude inactive patients

Deceased patients may also be marked as inactive for the same reasons, but may be active for some time after death.

Control0..1
Typeboolean
Is Modifiertrue
Requirements

Need to be able to mark a patient record as not to be used because it was created in error.

Comments

If a record is inactive, and linked to an active record, then future patient/record updates should occur on the other patient.

Meaning if MissingThis resource is generally assumed to be active if no value is provided for the active element
InvariantsDefined on this element
ele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (: hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
49. Patient.name
Definition

A name associated with the individual.

Control1..*
TypeHumanName
Must Supporttrue
Requirements

Need to be able to track the patient by multiple names. Examples are your official name and a partner name.

Comments

The name of the patient (130)

InvariantsDefined on this element
ele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (: hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
us-core-8: Either Patient.name.given and/or Patient.name.family SHALL be present or a Data Absent Reason Extension SHALL be present. (: (family.exists() or given.exists()) xor extension.where(url='http://hl7.org/fhir/StructureDefinition/data-absent-reason').exists())
50. Patient.name.id
Definition

Unique id for the element within a resource (for internal references). This may be any string value that does not contain spaces.

Control0..1
Typestring
XML RepresentationIn the XML format, this property is represented as an attribute.
51. Patient.name.extension
Definition

May be used to represent additional information that is not part of the basic definition of the element. To make the use of extensions safe and manageable, there is a strict set of governance applied to the definition and use of extensions. Though any implementer can define an extension, there is a set of requirements that SHALL be met as part of the definition of the extension.

Control0..*
TypeExtension
Alternate Namesextensionsuser content
Comments

There can be no stigma associated with the use of extensions by any application, project, or standard - regardless of the institution or jurisdiction that uses or defines the extensions. The use of extensions is what allows the FHIR specification to retain a core level of simplicity for everyone.

InvariantsDefined on this element
ele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (: hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
ext-1: Must have either extensions or value[x], not both (: extension.exists() != value.exists())
SlicingThis element introduces a set of slices on Patient.name.extension. The slices are unordered and Open, and can be differentiated using the following discriminators:
  • value @ url
52. Patient.name.use
Definition

Identifies the purpose for this name.

Control0..1
BindingThe codes SHALL be taken from NameUse The use of a human name
Typecode
Is Modifiertrue
Requirements

Allows the appropriate name for a particular context of use to be selected from among a set of names.

Comments

Applications can assume that a name is current unless it explicitly says that it is temporary or old.

InvariantsDefined on this element
ele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (: hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
53. Patient.name.text
Definition

Specifies the entire name as it should be displayed e.g. on an application UI. This may be provided instead of or as well as the specific parts.

Control0..1
Typestring
Requirements

A renderable, unencoded form.

Comments

Can provide both a text representation and parts. Applications updating a name SHALL ensure that when both text and parts are present, no content is included in the text that isn't found in a part.

InvariantsDefined on this element
ele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (: hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
54. Patient.name.family
Definition

The part of a name that links to the genealogy. In some cultures (e.g. Eritrea) the family name of a son is the first name of his father.

Control0..1 This element is affected by the following invariants: us-core-8
Typestring
Must Supporttrue
Alternate Namessurname
Comments

Family Name may be decomposed into specific parts using extensions (de, nl, es related cultures).

InvariantsDefined on this element
ele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (: hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
55. Patient.name.given
Definition

Given name.

Control0..* This element is affected by the following invariants: us-core-8
Typestring
Must Supporttrue
Alternate Namesfirst namemiddle name
Comments

If only initials are recorded, they may be used in place of the full name parts. Initials may be separated into multiple given names but often aren't due to paractical limitations. This element is not called "first name" since given names do not always come first.

InvariantsDefined on this element
ele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (: hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
56. Patient.name.prefix
Definition

Part of the name that is acquired as a title due to academic, legal, employment or nobility status, etc. and that appears at the start of the name.

Control0..*
Typestring
InvariantsDefined on this element
ele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (: hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
57. Patient.name.suffix
Definition

Part of the name that is acquired as a title due to academic, legal, employment or nobility status, etc. and that appears at the end of the name.

Control0..*
Typestring
InvariantsDefined on this element
ele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (: hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
58. Patient.name.period
Definition

Indicates the period of time when this name was valid for the named person.

Control0..1
TypePeriod
Requirements

Allows names to be placed in historical context.

InvariantsDefined on this element
ele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (: hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
59. Patient.telecom
Definition

A contact detail (e.g. a telephone number or an email address) by which the individual may be contacted.

Control0..*
TypeContactPoint
Must Supporttrue
Requirements

People have (primary) ways to contact them in some way such as phone, email.

Comments

A Patient may have multiple ways to be contacted with different uses or applicable periods. May need to have options for contacting the person urgently and also to help with identification. The address might not go directly to the individual, but may reach another party that is able to proxy for the patient (i.e. home phone, or pet owner's phone).

InvariantsDefined on this element
ele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (: hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
60. Patient.telecom.id
Definition

Unique id for the element within a resource (for internal references). This may be any string value that does not contain spaces.

Control0..1
Typestring
XML RepresentationIn the XML format, this property is represented as an attribute.
61. Patient.telecom.extension
Definition

May be used to represent additional information that is not part of the basic definition of the element. To make the use of extensions safe and manageable, there is a strict set of governance applied to the definition and use of extensions. Though any implementer can define an extension, there is a set of requirements that SHALL be met as part of the definition of the extension.

Control0..*
TypeExtension
Alternate Namesextensionsuser content
Comments

There can be no stigma associated with the use of extensions by any application, project, or standard - regardless of the institution or jurisdiction that uses or defines the extensions. The use of extensions is what allows the FHIR specification to retain a core level of simplicity for everyone.

InvariantsDefined on this element
ele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (: hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
ext-1: Must have either extensions or value[x], not both (: extension.exists() != value.exists())
SlicingThis element introduces a set of slices on Patient.telecom.extension. The slices are unordered and Open, and can be differentiated using the following discriminators:
  • value @ url
62. Patient.telecom.system
Definition

Telecommunications form for contact point - what communications system is required to make use of the contact.

Control1..1 This element is affected by the following invariants: cpt-2
BindingThe codes SHALL be taken from ContactPointSystem Telecommunications form for contact point
Typecode
Must Supporttrue
InvariantsDefined on this element
ele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (: hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
63. Patient.telecom.value
Definition

The actual contact point details, in a form that is meaningful to the designated communication system (i.e. phone number or email address).

Control1..1
Typestring
Must Supporttrue
Requirements

Need to support legacy numbers that are not in a tightly controlled format.

Comments

Additional text data such as phone extension numbers, or notes about use of the contact are sometimes included in the value.

InvariantsDefined on this element
ele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (: hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
64. Patient.telecom.use
Definition

Identifies the purpose for the contact point.

Control0..1
BindingThe codes SHALL be taken from ContactPointUse
Typecode
Is Modifiertrue
Must Supporttrue
Requirements

Need to track the way a person uses this contact, so a user can choose which is appropriate for their purpose.

Comments

Applications can assume that a contact is current unless it explicitly says that it is temporary or old.

InvariantsDefined on this element
ele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (: hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
65. Patient.telecom.rank
Definition

Specifies a preferred order in which to use a set of contacts. ContactPoints with lower rank values are more preferred than those with higher rank values.

Control0..1
TypepositiveInt
Comments

Note that rank does not necessarily follow the order in which the contacts are represented in the instance.

InvariantsDefined on this element
ele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (: hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
66. Patient.telecom.period
Definition

Time period when the contact point was/is in use.

Control0..1
TypePeriod
InvariantsDefined on this element
ele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (: hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
67. Patient.gender
Definition

Administrative Gender - the gender that the patient is considered to have for administration and record keeping purposes.

Control1..1
BindingThe codes SHALL be taken from AdministrativeGender
Typecode
Must Supporttrue
Requirements

Needed for identification of the individual, in combination with (at least) name and birth date.

Comments

Gender of the member (71)

InvariantsDefined on this element
ele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (: hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
68. Patient.birthDate
Definition

The date of birth for the individual.

Control0..1
Typedate
Must Supporttrue
Requirements

Age of the individual drives many clinical processes.

Comments

Date of birth of the member (70)

InvariantsDefined on this element
ele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (: hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
LOINC Code21112-8
69. Patient.deceased[x]
Definition

Indicates if the individual is deceased or not.

Control0..1
TypeChoice of: boolean, dateTime
[x] NoteSee Choice of Data Types for further information about how to use [x]
Is Modifiertrue
Must Supporttrue
Must Support TypesNo must-support rules about the choice of types/profiles
Requirements

The fact that a patient is deceased influences the clinical process. Also, in human communication and relation management it is necessary to know whether the person is alive.

Comments

If there's no value in the instance, it means there is no statement on whether or not the individual is deceased. Most systems will interpret the absence of a value as a sign of the person being alive.

InvariantsDefined on this element
ele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (: hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
SlicingThis element introduces a set of slices on Patient.deceased[x]. The slices are unordered and Open, and can be differentiated using the following discriminators:
  • type @ $this
70. Patient.deceased[x]:deceasedDateTime
SliceNamedeceasedDateTime
Definition

Indicates if the individual is deceased or not.

Control0..1
TypedateTime
[x] NoteSee Choice of Data Types for further information about how to use [x]
Is Modifiertrue
Requirements

The fact that a patient is deceased influences the clinical process. Also, in human communication and relation management it is necessary to know whether the person is alive.

Comments

deceasedDateTime - Date of death of the member (124) or deceasedBoolean - Indicates if the patient is deceased (150)

InvariantsDefined on this element
ele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (: hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
71. Patient.address
Definition

An address for the individual.

Control0..*
TypeAddress
Must Supporttrue
Requirements

May need to keep track of patient addresses for contacting, billing or reporting requirements and also to help with identification.

Comments

Patient may have multiple addresses with different uses or applicable periods.

InvariantsDefined on this element
ele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (: hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
72. Patient.address.id
Definition

Unique id for the element within a resource (for internal references). This may be any string value that does not contain spaces.

Control0..1
Typestring
XML RepresentationIn the XML format, this property is represented as an attribute.
73. Patient.address.extension
Definition

May be used to represent additional information that is not part of the basic definition of the element. To make the use of extensions safe and manageable, there is a strict set of governance applied to the definition and use of extensions. Though any implementer can define an extension, there is a set of requirements that SHALL be met as part of the definition of the extension.

Control0..*
TypeExtension
Alternate Namesextensionsuser content
Comments

There can be no stigma associated with the use of extensions by any application, project, or standard - regardless of the institution or jurisdiction that uses or defines the extensions. The use of extensions is what allows the FHIR specification to retain a core level of simplicity for everyone.

InvariantsDefined on this element
ele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (: hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
ext-1: Must have either extensions or value[x], not both (: extension.exists() != value.exists())
SlicingThis element introduces a set of slices on Patient.address.extension. The slices are unordered and Open, and can be differentiated using the following discriminators:
  • value @ url
74. Patient.address.use
Definition

The purpose of this address.

Control0..1
BindingThe codes SHALL be taken from AddressUse The use of an address
Typecode
Is Modifiertrue
Requirements

Allows an appropriate address to be chosen from a list of many.

Comments

Applications can assume that an address is current unless it explicitly says that it is temporary or old.

Example
General:home
InvariantsDefined on this element
ele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (: hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
75. Patient.address.type
Definition

Distinguishes between physical addresses (those you can visit) and mailing addresses (e.g. PO Boxes and care-of addresses). Most addresses are both.

Control0..1
BindingThe codes SHALL be taken from AddressType The type of an address (physical / postal)
Typecode
Comments

The definition of Address states that "address is intended to describe postal addresses, not physical locations". However, many applications track whether an address has a dual purpose of being a location that can be visited as well as being a valid delivery destination, and Postal addresses are often used as proxies for physical locations (also see the Location resource).

Example
General:both
InvariantsDefined on this element
ele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (: hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
76. Patient.address.text
Definition

Specifies the entire address as it should be displayed e.g. on a postal label. This may be provided instead of or as well as the specific parts.

Control0..1
Typestring
Requirements

A renderable, unencoded form.

Comments

Can provide both a text representation and parts. Applications updating an address SHALL ensure that when both text and parts are present, no content is included in the text that isn't found in a part.

Example
General:137 Nowhere Street, Erewhon 9132
InvariantsDefined on this element
ele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (: hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
77. Patient.address.line
Definition

This component contains the house number, apartment number, street name, street direction, P.O. Box number, delivery hints, and similar address information.

Control0..*
Typestring
Must Supporttrue
Comments

Member's street name, number, direction & P.O. Box etc. (158)

Example
General:137 Nowhere Street
InvariantsDefined on this element
ele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (: hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
78. Patient.address.city
Definition

The name of the city, town, suburb, village or other community or delivery center.

Control0..1
Typestring
Must Supporttrue
Alternate NamesMunicpality
Comments

The city for the member's primary address (192)

Example
General:Erewhon
InvariantsDefined on this element
ele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (: hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
79. Patient.address.district
Definition

The name of the administrative area (county).

Control0..1
Typestring
Alternate NamesCounty
Comments

District is sometimes known as county, but in some regions 'county' is used in place of city (municipality), so county name should be conveyed in city instead.

Example
General:Madison
InvariantsDefined on this element
ele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (: hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
80. Patient.address.state
Definition

Sub-unit of a country with limited sovereignty in a federally organized country. A code may be used if codes are in common use (e.g. US 2 letter state codes).

Control0..1
BindingThe codes SHALL be taken from USPS Two Letter Alphabetic Codes; other codes may be used where these codes are not suitable Two Letter USPS alphabetic codes
Typestring
Must Supporttrue
Alternate NamesProvinceTerritory
Comments

The state for the member's primary address (126)

InvariantsDefined on this element
ele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (: hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
81. Patient.address.postalCode
Definition

A postal code designating a region defined by the postal service.

Control0..1
Typestring
Must Supporttrue
Alternate NamesZipZip Code
Comments

This represents the member's 5 digit zip code (131)

Example
General:9132
InvariantsDefined on this element
ele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (: hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
82. Patient.address.country
Definition

Country - a nation as commonly understood or generally accepted.

Control0..1
Typestring
Must Supporttrue
Comments

The country for the member's primary address (127)

InvariantsDefined on this element
ele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (: hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
83. Patient.address.period
Definition

Time period when address was/is in use.

Control0..1
TypePeriod
Must Supporttrue
Requirements

Allows addresses to be placed in historical context.

Example
General:<valuePeriod xmlns="http://hl7.org/fhir">
  <start value="2010-03-23"/>
  <end value="2010-07-01"/>
</valuePeriod>
InvariantsDefined on this element
ele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (: hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
84. Patient.maritalStatus
Definition

This field contains a patient's most recent marital (civil) status.

Control0..1
BindingThe codes SHALL be taken from Marital Status Codes; other codes may be used where these codes are not suitable The domestic partnership status of a person
TypeCodeableConcept
Requirements

Most, if not all systems capture it.

InvariantsDefined on this element
ele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (: hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
85. Patient.multipleBirth[x]
Definition

Indicates whether the patient is part of a multiple (boolean) or indicates the actual birth order (integer).

Control0..1
TypeChoice of: boolean, integer
[x] NoteSee Choice of Data Types for further information about how to use [x]
Requirements

For disambiguation of multiple-birth children, especially relevant where the care provider doesn't meet the patient, such as labs.

Comments

Where the valueInteger is provided, the number is the birth number in the sequence. E.g. The middle birth in triplets would be valueInteger=2 and the third born would have valueInteger=3 If a boolean value was provided for this triplets example, then all 3 patient records would have valueBoolean=true (the ordering is not indicated).

InvariantsDefined on this element
ele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (: hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
86. Patient.photo
Definition

Image of the patient.

Control0..*
TypeAttachment
Requirements

Many EHR systems have the capability to capture an image of the patient. Fits with newer social media usage too.

Comments

Guidelines:

  • Use id photos, not clinical photos.
  • Limit dimensions to thumbnail.
  • Keep byte count low to ease resource updates.
InvariantsDefined on this element
ele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (: hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
87. Patient.contact
Definition

A contact party (e.g. guardian, partner, friend) for the patient.

Control0..*
TypeBackboneElement
Requirements

Need to track people you can contact about the patient.

Comments

Contact covers all kinds of contact parties: family members, business contacts, guardians, caregivers. Not applicable to register pedigree and family ties beyond use of having contact.

InvariantsDefined on this element
ele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (: hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
pat-1: SHALL at least contain a contact's details or a reference to an organization (: name.exists() or telecom.exists() or address.exists() or organization.exists())
88. Patient.contact.id
Definition

Unique id for the element within a resource (for internal references). This may be any string value that does not contain spaces.

Control0..1
Typestring
XML RepresentationIn the XML format, this property is represented as an attribute.
89. Patient.contact.extension
Definition

May be used to represent additional information that is not part of the basic definition of the element. To make the use of extensions safe and manageable, there is a strict set of governance applied to the definition and use of extensions. Though any implementer can define an extension, there is a set of requirements that SHALL be met as part of the definition of the extension.

Control0..*
TypeExtension
Alternate Namesextensionsuser content
Comments

There can be no stigma associated with the use of extensions by any application, project, or standard - regardless of the institution or jurisdiction that uses or defines the extensions. The use of extensions is what allows the FHIR specification to retain a core level of simplicity for everyone.

InvariantsDefined on this element
ele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (: hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
ext-1: Must have either extensions or value[x], not both (: extension.exists() != value.exists())
90. Patient.contact.modifierExtension
Definition

May be used to represent additional information that is not part of the basic definition of the element and that modifies the understanding of the element in which it is contained and/or the understanding of the containing element's descendants. Usually modifier elements provide negation or qualification. To make the use of extensions safe and manageable, there is a strict set of governance applied to the definition and use of extensions. Though any implementer can define an extension, there is a set of requirements that SHALL be met as part of the definition of the extension. Applications processing a resource are required to check for modifier extensions.

Modifier extensions SHALL NOT change the meaning of any elements on Resource or DomainResource (including cannot change the meaning of modifierExtension itself).

Control0..*
TypeExtension
Is Modifiertrue
Requirements

Modifier extensions allow for extensions that cannot be safely ignored to be clearly distinguished from the vast majority of extensions which can be safely ignored. This promotes interoperability by eliminating the need for implementers to prohibit the presence of extensions. For further information, see the definition of modifier extensions.

Alternate Namesextensionsuser contentmodifiers
Comments

There can be no stigma associated with the use of extensions by any application, project, or standard - regardless of the institution or jurisdiction that uses or defines the extensions. The use of extensions is what allows the FHIR specification to retain a core level of simplicity for everyone.

InvariantsDefined on this element
ele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (: hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
ext-1: Must have either extensions or value[x], not both (: extension.exists() != value.exists())
91. Patient.contact.relationship
Definition

The nature of the relationship between the patient and the contact person.

Control0..*
BindingThe codes SHALL be taken from PatientContactRelationship; other codes may be used where these codes are not suitable The nature of the relationship between a patient and a contact person for that patient
TypeCodeableConcept
Requirements

Used to determine which contact person is the most relevant to approach, depending on circumstances.

InvariantsDefined on this element
ele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (: hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
92. Patient.contact.name
Definition

A name associated with the contact person.

Control0..1
TypeHumanName
Requirements

Contact persons need to be identified by name, but it is uncommon to need details about multiple other names for that contact person.

InvariantsDefined on this element
ele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (: hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
93. Patient.contact.telecom
Definition

A contact detail for the person, e.g. a telephone number or an email address.

Control0..*
TypeContactPoint
Requirements

People have (primary) ways to contact them in some way such as phone, email.

Comments

Contact may have multiple ways to be contacted with different uses or applicable periods. May need to have options for contacting the person urgently, and also to help with identification.

InvariantsDefined on this element
ele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (: hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
94. Patient.contact.address
Definition

Address for the contact person.

Control0..1
TypeAddress
Requirements

Need to keep track where the contact person can be contacted per postal mail or visited.

InvariantsDefined on this element
ele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (: hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
95. Patient.contact.gender
Definition

Administrative Gender - the gender that the contact person is considered to have for administration and record keeping purposes.

Control0..1
BindingThe codes SHALL be taken from AdministrativeGender The gender of a person used for administrative purposes
Typecode
Requirements

Needed to address the person correctly.

InvariantsDefined on this element
ele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (: hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
96. Patient.contact.organization
Definition

Organization on behalf of which the contact is acting or for which the contact is working.

Control0..1 This element is affected by the following invariants: pat-1
TypeReference(Organization))
Requirements

For guardians or business related contacts, the organization is relevant.

InvariantsDefined on this element
ele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (: hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
97. Patient.contact.period
Definition

The period during which this contact person or organization is valid to be contacted relating to this patient.

Control0..1
TypePeriod
InvariantsDefined on this element
ele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (: hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
98. Patient.communication
Definition

A language which may be used to communicate with the patient about his or her health.

Control0..*
TypeBackboneElement
Must Supporttrue
Requirements

If a patient does not speak the local language, interpreters may be required, so languages spoken and proficiency are important things to keep track of both for patient and other persons of interest.

Comments

If no language is specified, this implies that the default local language is spoken. If you need to convey proficiency for multiple modes, then you need multiple Patient.Communication associations. For animals, language is not a relevant field, and should be absent from the instance. If the Patient does not speak the default local language, then the Interpreter Required Standard can be used to explicitly declare that an interpreter is required.

InvariantsDefined on this element
ele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (: hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
99. Patient.communication.id
Definition

Unique id for the element within a resource (for internal references). This may be any string value that does not contain spaces.

Control0..1
Typestring
XML RepresentationIn the XML format, this property is represented as an attribute.
100. Patient.communication.extension
Definition

May be used to represent additional information that is not part of the basic definition of the element. To make the use of extensions safe and manageable, there is a strict set of governance applied to the definition and use of extensions. Though any implementer can define an extension, there is a set of requirements that SHALL be met as part of the definition of the extension.

Control0..*
TypeExtension
Alternate Namesextensionsuser content
Comments

There can be no stigma associated with the use of extensions by any application, project, or standard - regardless of the institution or jurisdiction that uses or defines the extensions. The use of extensions is what allows the FHIR specification to retain a core level of simplicity for everyone.

InvariantsDefined on this element
ele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (: hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
ext-1: Must have either extensions or value[x], not both (: extension.exists() != value.exists())
101. Patient.communication.modifierExtension
Definition

May be used to represent additional information that is not part of the basic definition of the element and that modifies the understanding of the element in which it is contained and/or the understanding of the containing element's descendants. Usually modifier elements provide negation or qualification. To make the use of extensions safe and manageable, there is a strict set of governance applied to the definition and use of extensions. Though any implementer can define an extension, there is a set of requirements that SHALL be met as part of the definition of the extension. Applications processing a resource are required to check for modifier extensions.

Modifier extensions SHALL NOT change the meaning of any elements on Resource or DomainResource (including cannot change the meaning of modifierExtension itself).

Control0..*
TypeExtension
Is Modifiertrue
Requirements

Modifier extensions allow for extensions that cannot be safely ignored to be clearly distinguished from the vast majority of extensions which can be safely ignored. This promotes interoperability by eliminating the need for implementers to prohibit the presence of extensions. For further information, see the definition of modifier extensions.

Alternate Namesextensionsuser contentmodifiers
Comments

There can be no stigma associated with the use of extensions by any application, project, or standard - regardless of the institution or jurisdiction that uses or defines the extensions. The use of extensions is what allows the FHIR specification to retain a core level of simplicity for everyone.

InvariantsDefined on this element
ele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (: hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
ext-1: Must have either extensions or value[x], not both (: extension.exists() != value.exists())
102. Patient.communication.language
Definition

The ISO-639-1 alpha 2 code in lower case for the language, optionally followed by a hyphen and the ISO-3166-1 alpha 2 code for the region in upper case; e.g. "en" for English, or "en-US" for American English versus "en-EN" for England English.

Control1..1
BindingThe codes SHALL be taken from Language codes with language and optionally a region modifier; other codes may be used where these codes are not suitable
TypeCodeableConcept
Must Supporttrue
Requirements

Most systems in multilingual countries will want to convey language. Not all systems actually need the regional dialect.

Comments

The structure aa-BB with this exact casing is one the most widely used notations for locale. However not all systems actually code this but instead have it as free text. Hence CodeableConcept instead of code as the data type.

InvariantsDefined on this element
ele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (: hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
103. Patient.communication.preferred
Definition

Indicates whether or not the patient prefers this language (over other languages he masters up a certain level).

Control0..1
Typeboolean
Requirements

People that master multiple languages up to certain level may prefer one or more, i.e. feel more confident in communicating in a particular language making other languages sort of a fall back method.

Comments

This language is specifically identified for communicating healthcare information.

InvariantsDefined on this element
ele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (: hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
104. Patient.generalPractitioner
Definition

Patient's nominated care provider.

Control0..*
TypeReference(OrganizationPractitionerPractitionerRole))
Alternate NamescareProvider
Comments

This may be the primary care provider (in a GP context), or it may be a patient nominated care manager in a community/disability setting, or even organization that will provide people to perform the care provider roles. It is not to be used to record Care Teams, these should be in a CareTeam resource that may be linked to the CarePlan or EpisodeOfCare resources. Multiple GPs may be recorded against the patient for various reasons, such as a student that has his home GP listed along with the GP at university during the school semesters, or a "fly-in/fly-out" worker that has the onsite GP also included with his home GP to remain aware of medical issues.

Jurisdictions may decide that they can profile this down to 1 if desired, or 1 per type.

InvariantsDefined on this element
ele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (: hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
105. Patient.managingOrganization
Definition

Organization that is the custodian of the patient record.

Control0..1
TypeReference(Organization))
Requirements

Need to know who recognizes this patient record, manages and updates it.

Comments

There is only one managing organization for a specific patient record. Other organizations will have their own Patient record, and may use the Link property to join the records together (or a Person resource which can include confidence ratings for the association).

InvariantsDefined on this element
ele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (: hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
106. Patient.link
Definition

Link to another patient resource that concerns the same actual patient.

Control0..*
TypeBackboneElement
Is Modifiertrue
Requirements

There are multiple use cases:

  • Duplicate patient records due to the clerical errors associated with the difficulties of identifying humans consistently, and
  • Distribution of patient information across multiple servers.
Comments

There is no assumption that linked patient records have mutual links.

InvariantsDefined on this element
ele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (: hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
107. Patient.link.id
Definition

Unique id for the element within a resource (for internal references). This may be any string value that does not contain spaces.

Control0..1
Typestring
XML RepresentationIn the XML format, this property is represented as an attribute.
108. Patient.link.extension
Definition

May be used to represent additional information that is not part of the basic definition of the element. To make the use of extensions safe and manageable, there is a strict set of governance applied to the definition and use of extensions. Though any implementer can define an extension, there is a set of requirements that SHALL be met as part of the definition of the extension.

Control0..*
TypeExtension
Alternate Namesextensionsuser content
Comments

There can be no stigma associated with the use of extensions by any application, project, or standard - regardless of the institution or jurisdiction that uses or defines the extensions. The use of extensions is what allows the FHIR specification to retain a core level of simplicity for everyone.

InvariantsDefined on this element
ele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (: hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
ext-1: Must have either extensions or value[x], not both (: extension.exists() != value.exists())
109. Patient.link.modifierExtension
Definition

May be used to represent additional information that is not part of the basic definition of the element and that modifies the understanding of the element in which it is contained and/or the understanding of the containing element's descendants. Usually modifier elements provide negation or qualification. To make the use of extensions safe and manageable, there is a strict set of governance applied to the definition and use of extensions. Though any implementer can define an extension, there is a set of requirements that SHALL be met as part of the definition of the extension. Applications processing a resource are required to check for modifier extensions.

Modifier extensions SHALL NOT change the meaning of any elements on Resource or DomainResource (including cannot change the meaning of modifierExtension itself).

Control0..*
TypeExtension
Is Modifiertrue
Requirements

Modifier extensions allow for extensions that cannot be safely ignored to be clearly distinguished from the vast majority of extensions which can be safely ignored. This promotes interoperability by eliminating the need for implementers to prohibit the presence of extensions. For further information, see the definition of modifier extensions.

Alternate Namesextensionsuser contentmodifiers
Comments

There can be no stigma associated with the use of extensions by any application, project, or standard - regardless of the institution or jurisdiction that uses or defines the extensions. The use of extensions is what allows the FHIR specification to retain a core level of simplicity for everyone.

InvariantsDefined on this element
ele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (: hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
ext-1: Must have either extensions or value[x], not both (: extension.exists() != value.exists())
110. Patient.link.other
Definition

The other patient resource that the link refers to.

Control1..1
TypeReference(PatientRelatedPerson))
Comments

Referencing a RelatedPerson here removes the need to use a Person record to associate a Patient and RelatedPerson as the same individual.

InvariantsDefined on this element
ele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (: hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
111. Patient.link.type
Definition

The type of link between this patient resource and another patient resource.

Control1..1
BindingThe codes SHALL be taken from LinkType The type of link between this patient resource and another patient resource
Typecode
InvariantsDefined on this element
ele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (: hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))