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

An absolute URI that is used to identify this service definition when it is referenced in a specification, model, design or an instance. This SHOULD be globally unique, and SHOULD be a literal address at which this service definition is (or will be) published.

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

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

The URL SHOULD include the major version of the service definition. For more information see Technical and Business Versions.

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

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

Typically, this is used for identifiers that can go in an HL7 V3 II (instance identifier) data type, e.g., to identify this service definition outside of FHIR, where it is not possible to use the logical URI.

The identifier that is used to identify this version of the service definition when it is referenced in a specification, model, design or instance. This is an arbitrary value managed by the service definition author and is not expected to be globally unique. For example, it might be a timestamp (e.g. yyyymmdd) if a managed version is not available. There is also no expectation that versions can be placed in a lexicographical sequence.

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

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

Support human navigation and code generation.

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

A short, descriptive, user-friendly title for the service definition.

This name does not need to be machine-processing friendly and may contain punctuation, white-space, etc.

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

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

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

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

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

The date (and optionally time) when the service definition was published. The date must change if and when the business version changes and it must change if the status code changes. In addition, it should change when the substantive content of the service definition changes.

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

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

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

Usually an organization, but may be an individual. The publisher (or steward) of the service definition is the organization or individual primarily responsible for the maintenance and upkeep of the service definition. This is not necessarily the same individual or organization that developed and initially authored the content. The publisher is the primary point of contact for questions or issues with the service definition. This item SHOULD be populated unless the information is available from context.

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

This description can be used to capture details such as why the service definition was built, comments about misuse, instructions for clinical use and interpretation, literature references, examples from the paper world, etc. It is not a rendering of the service definition as conveyed in the 'text' field of the resource itself. This item SHOULD be populated unless the information is available from context (e.g. the language of the profile is presumed to be the predominant language in the place the profile was created).

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

This element does not describe the usage of the service definition Instead it provides traceability of ''why'' the resource is either needed or ''why'' it is defined as it is. This may be used to point to source materials or specifications that drove the structure of this service definition.

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

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

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

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

Gives a sense of how "current" the content is. Resources that have not been reviewed in a long time may have a risk of being less appropriate/relevant.

If specified, this is usually after the approval date.

The period during which the service definition content was or is planned to be in active use.

Allows establishing a transition before a resource comes into effect and also allows for a sunsetting process when new versions of a the service definition are or are expected to be used instead.

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

The content was developed with a focus and intent of supporting the contexts that are listed. These terms may be used to assist with indexing and searching for appropriate service definition instances.

Assist in searching for appropriate content.

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

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

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

Descriptive topics related to the module. Topics provide a high-level categorization of the module that can be useful for filtering and searching.

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

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

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

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

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

A copyright statement relating to the service definition and/or its contents. Copyright statements are generally legal restrictions on the use and publishing of the service definition.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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