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FHIR

The FHIR (Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources) data services implement the FHIR standard used in the healthcare industry. FHIR is developed and maintained by HL7 International, a nonprofit organization dedicated to establishing standards for the exchange of electronic health information. FHIR handles healthcare information such as patient records, treatments, and billing details.

FHIR message structure

FHIR messages are packaged in bundles that can contain resources with details about patient information, observations, or treatment details. FHIR messages use XML format, such as in the following example:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>

<Patient xmlns="http://hl7.org/fhir">
<id value="example"/>
<!-- MRN assigned by ACME healthcare on 6-May 2001 -->
<identifier>
<use value="usual"/>
<type>
<coding>
<system value="http://terminology.hl7.org/CodeSystem/v2-0203"/>
<code value="MR"/>
</coding>
</type>
<system value="urn:oid:1.2.36.146.595.217.0.1"/>
<value value="12345"/>
<period>
<start value="2001-05-06"/>
</period>
<assigner>
<display value="Acme Healthcare"/>
</assigner>
</identifier>
<active value="true"/>
<!-- Peter James Chalmers, but called "Jim" -->
<name>
<use value="official"/>
<family value="Chalmers"/>
<given value="Peter"/>
<given value="James"/>
</name>
<name>
<use value="usual"/>
<given value="Jim"/>
</name>
<name>
<!-- Maiden names apply for anyone whose name changes as a result of marriage - irrespective
of gender -->
<use value="maiden"/>
<family value="Windsor"/>
<given value="Peter"/>
<given value="James"/>
<period>
<end value="2002"/>
</period>
</name>
<!-- home communication details aren't known -->
<telecom>
<use value="home"/>
</telecom>
<telecom>
<system value="phone"/>
<value value="(03) 5555 6473"/>
<use value="work"/>
<rank value="1"/>
</telecom>
<telecom>
<system value="phone"/>
<value value="(03) 3410 5613"/>
<use value="mobile"/>
<rank value="2"/>
</telecom>
<telecom>
<system value="phone"/>
<value value="(03) 5555 8834"/>
<use value="old"/>
<period>
<end value="2014"/>
</period>
</telecom>
<!-- use FHIR code system for male / female -->
<gender value="male"/>
<birthDate value="1974-12-25">
<extension url="http://hl7.org/fhir/StructureDefinition/patient-birthTime">
<valueDateTime value="1974-12-25T14:35:45-05:00"/>
</extension>
</birthDate>
<deceasedBoolean value="false"/>
<address>
<use value="home"/>
<type value="both"/>
<text value="534 Erewhon St PeasantVille, Rainbow, Vic 3999"/>
<line value="534 Erewhon St"/>
<city value="PleasantVille"/>
<district value="Rainbow"/>
<state value="Vic"/>
<postalCode value="3999"/>
<period>
<start value="1974-12-25"/>
</period>
</address>
<contact>
<relationship>
<coding>
<system value="http://terminology.hl7.org/CodeSystem/v2-0131"/>
<code value="N"/>
</coding>
</relationship>
<name>
<family value="du Marché">
<!-- the "du" part is a family name prefix (VV in iso 21090) -->
<extension url="http://hl7.org/fhir/StructureDefinition/humanname-own-prefix">
<valueString value="VV"/>
</extension>
</family>
<given value="Bénédicte"/>
</name>
<additionalName>
<use value="nickname"/>
<given value="Béné"/>
</additionalName>
<telecom>
<system value="phone"/>
<value value="+33 (237) 998327"/>
</telecom>
<address>
<use value="home"/>
<type value="both"/>
<line value="534 Erewhon St"/>
<city value="PleasantVille"/>
<district value="Rainbow"/>
<state value="Vic"/>
<postalCode value="3999"/>
<period>
<start value="1974-12-25"/>
</period>
</address>
<additionalAddress>
<use value="work"/>
<line value="123 Smart St"/>
<city value="PleasantVille"/>
<state value="Vic"/>
<postalCode value="3999"/>
</additionalAddress>
<gender value="female"/>
<period>
<!-- The contact relationship started in 2012 -->
<start value="2012"/>
</period>
</contact>
<managingOrganization>
<reference value="Organization/1"/>
</managingOrganization>
</Patient>
You can use the FHIR validation service from the data services repository to validate the XML structure of a FHIR message before writing it to a FHIR server.