eHealth Infrastructure
2.9.0 - release

eHealth Infrastructure - Local Development build (v2.9.0). See the Directory of published versions

Resource Profile: ehealth-skrs-patient - Detailed Descriptions

Active as of 2023-08-23

Definitions for the ehealth-skrs-patient resource profile.

Guidance on how to interpret the contents of this table can be found here.

1. Patient
2. Patient.extension
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
3. Patient.extension:nameAndAddressProtection
SliceNamenameAndAddressProtection
Control0..1
TypeExtension(ehealth-nameandaddressprotection) (Extension Type: Period)
4. Patient.identifier
NoteThis is a business identifier, not a resource identifier (see discussion)
Control10..1*
Must Supporttrue
SlicingThis element introduces a set of slices on Patient.identifier. The slices are unordered and Open, and can be differentiated using the following discriminators:
  • value @ system
5. Patient.identifier:ehealth-dk-crn-identifier
SliceNameehealth-dk-crn-identifier
NoteThis is a business identifier, not a resource identifier (see discussion)
Control1..1
TypeIdentifier(DkCoreCprIdentifier)
6. Patient.deceased[x]
[x] NoteSee Choice of Data Types for further information about how to use [x]
SlicingThis element introduces a set of slices on Patient.deceased[x]. The slices are unordered and Closed, and can be differentiated using the following discriminators:
  • type @ $this
7. Patient.deceasedDateTime
Control0..1
TypedateTime
8. Patient.address
Control0..1*
SlicingThis element introduces a set of slices on Patient.address. The slices are unordered and Closed, and can be differentiated using the following discriminators:
  • value @ use
9. Patient.address:officialHomeAddress
SliceNameofficialHomeAddress
Control0..1
10. Patient.address:officialHomeAddress.extension:municipalityCodes
SliceNamemunicipalityCodes
Control0..*
TypeExtension(MunicipalityCodes) (Extension Type: CodeableConcept)
11. Patient.address:officialHomeAddress.extension:regionalSubDivisionCodes
SliceNameregionalSubDivisionCodes
Control0..*
TypeExtension(RegionalSubDivisionCodes) (Extension Type: CodeableConcept)
12. Patient.address:officialHomeAddress.use
Control1..?
Fixed Valuehome

Guidance on how to interpret the contents of this table can be found here.

1. Patient
Definition

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

Control0..*
Summaryfalse
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())
2. 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
Summarytrue
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()))
3. Patient.extension
Definition

An Extension

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..*
TypeExtension
Summaryfalse
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())
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
4. Patient.extension:nameAndAddressProtection
SliceNamenameAndAddressProtection
Definition

Period of name and address protection. Patients with name and address protection are marked with security label ‘restricted’ (R in http://hl7.org/fhir/v3/Confidentiality).

Control0..1 This element is affected by the following invariants: ele-1
TypeExtension(ehealth-nameandaddressprotection) (Extension Type: Period)
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())
5. 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
Summaryfalse
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())
6. Patient.identifier
Definition

An identifier for this patient.

NoteThis is a business identifier, not a resource identifier (see discussion)
Control10..1*
TypeIdentifier
Must Supporttrue
Summarytrue
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:
  • value @ system
7. Patient.identifier:ehealth-dk-crn-identifier
SliceNameehealth-dk-crn-identifier
Definition

An identifier - identifies some entity uniquely and unambiguously. Typically this is used for business identifiers.

An identifier for this patient.

NoteThis is a business identifier, not a resource identifier (see discussion)
Control10..1* This element is affected by the following invariants: ele-1
TypeIdentifier(DkCoreCprIdentifier)
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()))
8. 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
Summarytrue
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()))
9. 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
Summarytrue
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
10. 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
Summarytrue
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()))
11. Patient.address
Definition

An address for the individual.

Control0..1*
TypeAddress
Summarytrue
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()))
SlicingThis element introduces a set of slices on Patient.address. The slices are unordered and Closed, and can be differentiated using the following discriminators:
  • value @ use
12. Patient.address:officialHomeAddress
SliceNameofficialHomeAddress
Definition

An address for the individual.

Control0..1*
TypeAddress
Summarytrue
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()))
13. Patient.address:officialHomeAddress.extension:municipalityCodes
SliceNamemunicipalityCodes
Definition

Identifier holding the official identifier for a danish municipality

Control0..*
TypeExtension(MunicipalityCodes) (Extension Type: CodeableConcept)
Summaryfalse
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())
14. Patient.address:officialHomeAddress.extension:regionalSubDivisionCodes
SliceNameregionalSubDivisionCodes
Definition

Identifier holding the official organization identifier for a danish region

Control0..*
TypeExtension(RegionalSubDivisionCodes) (Extension Type: CodeableConcept)
Summaryfalse
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())
15. Patient.address:officialHomeAddress.use
Definition

The purpose of this address.

Control10..1
BindingThe codes SHALL be taken from AddressUse

The use of an address.

Typecode
Is Modifiertrue
Summarytrue
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.

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

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

Control0..*
TypeBackboneElement
Is Modifiertrue
Summarytrue
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()))
17. 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
Summarytrue
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())
18. Patient.link.other
Definition

The other patient resource that the link refers to.

Control1..1
TypeReference(Patient|RelatedPerson)
Summarytrue
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()))
19. 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
Summarytrue
InvariantsDefined on this element
ele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (: hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))

Guidance on how to interpret the contents of this table can be found here.

1. Patient
Definition

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

Control0..*
Summaryfalse
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
Summarytrue
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.

Control0..1
TypeMeta
Summarytrue
InvariantsDefined on this element
ele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (: hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
4. 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
Summarytrue
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()))
5. 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
Summaryfalse
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()))
6. 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
Summaryfalse
Alternate Namesnarrative, html, xhtml, display
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()))
7. 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
Summaryfalse
Alternate Namesinline resources, anonymous resources, contained 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.

8. Patient.extension
Definition

An Extension

Control0..*
TypeExtension
Summaryfalse
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
9. Patient.extension:nameAndAddressProtection
SliceNamenameAndAddressProtection
Definition

Period of name and address protection. Patients with name and address protection are marked with security label ‘restricted’ (R in http://hl7.org/fhir/v3/Confidentiality).

Control0..1 This element is affected by the following invariants: ele-1
TypeExtension(ehealth-nameandaddressprotection) (Extension Type: Period)
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.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
Summaryfalse
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())
11. Patient.identifier
Definition

An identifier for this patient.

NoteThis is a business identifier, not a resource identifier (see discussion)
Control1..1
TypeIdentifier
Must Supporttrue
Summarytrue
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:
  • value @ system
12. Patient.identifier:ehealth-dk-crn-identifier
SliceNameehealth-dk-crn-identifier
Definition

An identifier - identifies some entity uniquely and unambiguously. Typically this is used for business identifiers.

NoteThis is a business identifier, not a resource identifier (see discussion)
Control1..1 This element is affected by the following invariants: ele-1
TypeIdentifier(DkCoreCprIdentifier)
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()))
13. 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
Summarytrue
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()))
14. Patient.name
Definition

A name associated with the individual.

Control0..*
TypeHumanName
Summarytrue
Requirements

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

Comments

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()))
15. Patient.telecom
Definition

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

Control0..*
TypeContactPoint
Summarytrue
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()))
16. Patient.gender
Definition

Administrative Gender - the gender that the patient 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
Summarytrue
Requirements

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

Comments

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()))
17. Patient.birthDate
Definition

The date of birth for the individual.

Control0..1
Typedate
Summarytrue
Requirements

Age of the individual drives many clinical processes.

Comments

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
18. 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
Summarytrue
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
19. 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
Summarytrue
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()))
20. Patient.address
Definition

An address for the individual.

Control0..1
TypeAddress
Summarytrue
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()))
SlicingThis element introduces a set of slices on Patient.address. The slices are unordered and Closed, and can be differentiated using the following discriminators:
  • value @ use
21. Patient.address:officialHomeAddress
SliceNameofficialHomeAddress
Definition

An address for the individual.

Control0..1
TypeAddress
Summarytrue
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()))
22. Patient.address:officialHomeAddress.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.
Summaryfalse
23. Patient.address:officialHomeAddress.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
Summaryfalse
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())
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
24. Patient.address:officialHomeAddress.extension:municipalityCodes
SliceNamemunicipalityCodes
Definition

Identifier holding the official identifier for a danish municipality

Control0..*
TypeExtension(MunicipalityCodes) (Extension Type: CodeableConcept)
Summaryfalse
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())
25. Patient.address:officialHomeAddress.extension:regionalSubDivisionCodes
SliceNameregionalSubDivisionCodes
Definition

Identifier holding the official organization identifier for a danish region

Control0..*
TypeExtension(RegionalSubDivisionCodes) (Extension Type: CodeableConcept)
Summaryfalse
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())
26. Patient.address:officialHomeAddress.use
Definition

The purpose of this address.

Control1..1
BindingThe codes SHALL be taken from AddressUse The use of an address
Typecode
Is Modifiertrue
Summarytrue
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.

Fixed Valuehome
Example
General:home
InvariantsDefined on this element
ele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (: hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
27. Patient.address:officialHomeAddress.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
Summarytrue
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()))
28. Patient.address:officialHomeAddress.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
Summarytrue
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()))
29. Patient.address:officialHomeAddress.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
Summarytrue
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()))
30. Patient.address:officialHomeAddress.city
Definition

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

Control0..1
Typestring
Summarytrue
Alternate NamesMunicpality
Example
General:Erewhon
InvariantsDefined on this element
ele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (: hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
31. Patient.address:officialHomeAddress.district
Definition

The name of the administrative area (county).

Control0..1
Typestring
Summarytrue
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()))
32. Patient.address:officialHomeAddress.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
Typestring
Summarytrue
Alternate NamesProvince, Territory
InvariantsDefined on this element
ele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (: hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
33. Patient.address:officialHomeAddress.postalCode
Definition

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

Control0..1
Typestring
Summarytrue
Alternate NamesZip
Example
General:9132
InvariantsDefined on this element
ele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (: hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
34. Patient.address:officialHomeAddress.country
Definition

Country - a nation as commonly understood or generally accepted.

Control0..1
Typestring
Summarytrue
Comments

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()))
35. Patient.address:officialHomeAddress.period
Definition

Time period when address was/is in use.

Control0..1
TypePeriod
Summarytrue
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()))
36. 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
Summaryfalse
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()))
37. 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]
Summaryfalse
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()))
38. Patient.photo
Definition

Image of the patient.

Control0..*
TypeAttachment
Summaryfalse
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()))
39. Patient.contact
Definition

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

Control0..*
TypeBackboneElement
Summaryfalse
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())
40. 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.
Summaryfalse
41. 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
Summaryfalse
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())
42. 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
Summarytrue
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())
43. 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
Summaryfalse
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()))
44. Patient.contact.name
Definition

A name associated with the contact person.

Control0..1
TypeHumanName
Summaryfalse
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()))
45. Patient.contact.telecom
Definition

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

Control0..*
TypeContactPoint
Summaryfalse
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()))
46. Patient.contact.address
Definition

Address for the contact person.

Control0..1
TypeAddress
Summaryfalse
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()))
47. 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
Summaryfalse
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()))
48. 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)
Summaryfalse
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()))
49. 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
Summaryfalse
InvariantsDefined on this element
ele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (: hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
50. Patient.communication
Definition

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

Control0..*
TypeBackboneElement
Summaryfalse
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()))
51. 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.
Summaryfalse
52. 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
Summaryfalse
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())
53. 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
Summarytrue
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())
54. 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 SHOULD be taken from CommonLanguages A human language
Additional BindingsPurpose
AllLanguagesMax Binding
TypeCodeableConcept
Summaryfalse
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()))
55. 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
Summaryfalse
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()))
56. Patient.generalPractitioner
Definition

Patient's nominated care provider.

Control0..*
TypeReference(Organization|Practitioner|PractitionerRole)
Summaryfalse
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()))
57. Patient.managingOrganization
Definition

Organization that is the custodian of the patient record.

Control0..1
TypeReference(Organization)
Summarytrue
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()))
58. Patient.link
Definition

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

Control0..*
TypeBackboneElement
Is Modifiertrue
Summarytrue
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()))
59. 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.
Summaryfalse
60. 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
Summaryfalse
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())
61. 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
Summarytrue
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())
62. Patient.link.other
Definition

The other patient resource that the link refers to.

Control1..1
TypeReference(Patient|RelatedPerson)
Summarytrue
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()))
63. 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
Summarytrue
InvariantsDefined on this element
ele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (: hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))