What FHIR is for

A record leaves one system. Will the next one understand it?

A health record leaves one system and arrives in another. Will the receiving system find it, and understand it? That is the problem FHIR is built to solve.

Many systems, one shared way to exchange

Healthcare records are increasingly digital. As patients move around the healthcare system, their records must be available, discoverable and understandable. FHIR, the Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources specification, is a standard for exchanging healthcare information electronically, so that records can move between systems and still make sense.

• Hospital record
• Lab system
• Patient app
• Available · box
• Discoverable · search
• Understandable · text

Everything exchangeable is a resource

The basic building block in FHIR is the resource. All exchangeable content is defined as a resource. Resources share three things: a common way to define and represent them, built from datatypes that are reusable patterns of elements; a common set of metadata; and a human readable part.

• Datatypes · Reusable patterns of elements · box
• Metadata · A common set for every resource · tag
• Human-readable part · Text a person can read · text

Resources combine; extensions fill the gaps

FHIR builds a base set of resources that, by themselves or combined, satisfy the majority of common use cases. Specific use cases are usually implemented by combining resources through resource references. And a built-in extension mechanism covers the remaining content as needed.

• The base · A base set of resources · Covers the majority of common use cases. · layers
• The combination · Linked by references · Use cases combine resources together. · link
• The remainder · A built-in extension mechanism · Covers the remaining content as needed. · gear

FHIR builds on what came before

FHIR did not start from nothing. It is informed by lessons gained in defining and implementing HL7 version two, HL7 version three and the R I M, and C D A. It can be used as a stand-alone data exchange standard, and it can also be used in partnership with existing widely used standards.

• Learns from · HL7 V2, HL7 v3 and the RIM, CDA · file
• Used alone · A stand-alone data exchange standard · box
• Used together · In partnership with existing widely used standards · link

Published by HL7, under an open licence

FHIR is published by HL7. The specification carries an open licence, CC zero, so anyone can read and use it. The name FHIR itself is a registered mark of HL7.

Check yourself

Pause and think. What is the basic building block in FHIR? The answer: the resource. All exchangeable content is defined as a resource.

• The resource
• The message
• The database table
• The document

Keep these in mind

FHIR is a standard for exchanging healthcare information. Everything exchangeable is a resource. Resources combine through references, and extensions fill the gaps. And FHIR works alongside existing standards, or on its own.

• FHIR is a standard for exchanging healthcare information
• Everything exchangeable is a resource
• Resources combine through references; extensions fill gaps
• It works alongside existing standards, or alone