BBMRI.de/GBA Implementation Guide
1.2.0 - CI Build

BBMRI.de/GBA Implementation Guide - Local Development build (v1.2.0). See the Directory of published versions

Resource Profile: Patient - Detailed Descriptions

Active as of 2023-09-01

Definitions for the Patient resource profile.

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

0. Patient
LOINC Code
2. Patient.active
Control0..0
LOINC Code
4. Patient.name
Control0..0
LOINC Code
6. Patient.telecom
Control0..0
LOINC Code
8. Patient.gender
Must Supporttrue
LOINC Code
10. Patient.birthDate
Must Supporttrue
LOINC Code
12. Patient.deceased[x]
TypedateTime, boolean
[x] NoteSee Choice of Data Types for further information about how to use [x]
Primitive ValueThis primitive element may be present, or absent, or replaced by an extension
Must Supporttrue
LOINC Code
14. Patient.address
Control0..0
LOINC Code
16. Patient.maritalStatus
Control0..0
LOINC Code
18. Patient.photo
Control0..0
LOINC Code
20. Patient.contact
Control0..0
LOINC Code
22. Patient.communication
Control0..0
LOINC Code
24. Patient.generalPractitioner
Control0..0
LOINC Code

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

0. Patient
Definition

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

ShortInformation about an individual or animal receiving health care services
Control0..*
Is Modifierfalse
Summaryfalse
Alternate NamesSubjectOfCare Client Resident
Invariantsdom-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.

ShortA set of rules under which this content was created
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.

Control0..1
Typeuri
Is Modifiertrue because This element is labeled as a modifier because the implicit rules may provide additional knowledge about the resource that modifies it's meaning or interpretation
Primitive ValueThis primitive element may be present, or absent, or replaced by an extension
Summarytrue
Invariantsele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
4. 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).

ShortExtensions that cannot be ignored
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.

Control0..*
TypeExtension
Is Modifiertrue because Modifier extensions are expected to modify the meaning or interpretation of the resource that contains them
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
Invariantsele-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.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.

ShortWhether this patient's record is in active use
Comments

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

Control0..01
Typeboolean
Is Modifiertrue because This element is labelled as a modifier because it is a status element that can indicate that a record should not be treated as valid
Primitive ValueThis primitive element may be present, or absent, or replaced by an extension
Summarytrue
Requirements

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

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

A name associated with the individual.

ShortA name associated with the patient
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.

Control0..0*
TypeHumanName
Is Modifierfalse
Summarytrue
Requirements

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

Invariantsele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
10. Patient.telecom
Definition

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

ShortA contact detail for the individual
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).

Control0..0*
TypeContactPoint
Is Modifierfalse
Summarytrue
Requirements

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

Invariantsele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
12. Patient.gender
Definition

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

Shortmale | female | other | unknown
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.

Control0..1
BindingThe codes SHALL be taken from AdministrativeGenderhttp://hl7.org/fhir/ValueSet/administrative-gender|4.0.1

The gender of a person used for administrative purposes.

Typecode
Is Modifierfalse
Primitive ValueThis primitive element may be present, or absent, or replaced by an extension
Must Supporttrue
Summarytrue
Requirements

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

Invariantsele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
14. Patient.birthDate
Definition

The date of birth for the individual.

ShortThe date of birth for the individual
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).

Control0..1
Typedate
Is Modifierfalse
Primitive ValueThis primitive element may be present, or absent, or replaced by an extension
Must Supporttrue
Summarytrue
Requirements

Age of the individual drives many clinical processes.

Invariantsele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
LOINC Code21112-8
16. Patient.deceased[x]
Definition

Indicates if the individual is deceased or not.

ShortIndicates if the individual is deceased or not
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.

Control0..1
TypedateTime, boolean
[x] NoteSee Choice of Data Types for further information about how to use [x]
Is Modifiertrue because This element is labeled as a modifier because once a patient is marked as deceased, the actions that are appropriate to perform on the patient may be significantly different.
Primitive ValueThis primitive element may be present, or absent, or replaced by an extension
Must Supporttrue
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.

Invariantsele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
18. Patient.address
Definition

An address for the individual.

ShortAn address for the individual
Comments

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

Control0..0*
TypeAddress
Is Modifierfalse
Summarytrue
Requirements

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

Invariantsele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
20. Patient.maritalStatus
Definition

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

ShortMarital (civil) status of a patient
Control0..01
BindingUnless not suitable, these codes SHALL be taken from Marital Status Codeshttp://hl7.org/fhir/ValueSet/marital-status

The domestic partnership status of a person.

TypeCodeableConcept
Is Modifierfalse
Summaryfalse
Requirements

Most, if not all systems capture it.

Invariantsele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
22. Patient.photo
Definition

Image of the patient.

ShortImage of the patient
Comments

Guidelines:

  • Use id photos, not clinical photos.
  • Limit dimensions to thumbnail.
  • Keep byte count low to ease resource updates.
Control0..0*
TypeAttachment
Is Modifierfalse
Summaryfalse
Requirements

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

Invariantsele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
24. Patient.contact
Definition

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

ShortA contact party (e.g. guardian, partner, friend) for 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.

Control0..0*
TypeBackboneElement
Is Modifierfalse
Summaryfalse
Requirements

Need to track people you can contact about the patient.

Invariantsele-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())
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())
27. Patient.communication
Definition

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

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

Control0..0*
TypeBackboneElement
Is Modifierfalse
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.

Invariantsele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
31. Patient.generalPractitioner
Definition

Patient's nominated care provider.

ShortPatient's nominated primary care provider
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.

Control0..0*
TypeReference(Organization, Practitioner, PractitionerRole)
Is Modifierfalse
Summaryfalse
Alternate NamescareProvider
Invariantsele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
33. Patient.link
Definition

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

ShortLink to another patient resource that concerns the same actual person
Comments

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

Control0..*
TypeBackboneElement
Is Modifiertrue because This element is labeled as a modifier because it might not be the main Patient resource, and the referenced patient should be used instead of this Patient record. This is when the link.type value is 'replaced-by'
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.
Invariantsele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
35. 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).

ShortExtensions that cannot be ignored even if unrecognized
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.

Control0..*
TypeExtension
Is Modifiertrue because Modifier extensions are expected to modify the meaning or interpretation of the element that contains them
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
Invariantsele-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())
37. Patient.link.other
Definition

The other patient resource that the link refers to.

ShortThe other patient or related person resource that the link refers to
Comments

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

Control1..1
TypeReference(Patient, RelatedPerson)
Is Modifierfalse
Summarytrue
Invariantsele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
39. Patient.link.type
Definition

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

Shortreplaced-by | replaces | refer | seealso
Control1..1
BindingThe codes SHALL be taken from LinkTypehttp://hl7.org/fhir/ValueSet/link-type|4.0.1

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

Typecode
Is Modifierfalse
Primitive ValueThis primitive element may be present, or absent, or replaced by an extension
Summarytrue
Invariantsele-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

0. Patient
Definition

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

ShortInformation about an individual or animal receiving health care services
Control0..*
Is Modifierfalse
Summaryfalse
Alternate NamesSubjectOfCare Client Resident
Invariantsdom-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.id
Definition

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

ShortLogical id of this artifact
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.

Control0..1
Typeid
Is Modifierfalse
Summarytrue
4. 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.

ShortMetadata about the resource
Control0..1
TypeMeta
Is Modifierfalse
Summarytrue
Invariantsele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
6. 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.

ShortA set of rules under which this content was created
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.

Control0..1
Typeuri
Is Modifiertrue because This element is labeled as a modifier because the implicit rules may provide additional knowledge about the resource that modifies it's meaning or interpretation
Primitive ValueThis primitive element may be present, or absent, or replaced by an extension
Summarytrue
Invariantsele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
8. Patient.language
Definition

The base language in which the resource is written.

ShortLanguage of the resource content
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).

Control0..1
BindingThe codes SHOULD be taken from CommonLanguages: A human language.
Additional BindingsPurpose
AllLanguagesMax Binding
Typecode
Is Modifierfalse
Primitive ValueThis primitive element may be present, or absent, or replaced by an extension
Summaryfalse
Invariantsele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
10. 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.

ShortText summary of the resource, for human interpretation
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.

Control0..1
TypeNarrative
Is Modifierfalse
Summaryfalse
Alternate Namesnarrative, html, xhtml, display
Invariantsele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
12. 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.

ShortContained, inline 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.

Control0..*
TypeResource
Is Modifierfalse
Summaryfalse
Alternate Namesinline resources, anonymous resources, contained resources
14. Patient.extension
Definition

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.

ShortAdditional content defined by implementations
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.

Control0..*
TypeExtension
Is Modifierfalse
Summaryfalse
Alternate Namesextensions, user content
Invariantsele-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())
16. 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.

ShortExtensions that cannot be ignored
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.

Control0..*
TypeExtension
Is Modifiertrue because Modifier extensions are expected to modify the meaning or interpretation of the resource that contains them
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
Invariantsele-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.identifier
Definition

An identifier for this patient.

ShortAn identifier for this patient
NoteThis is a business identifier, not a resource identifier (see discussion)
Control0..*
TypeIdentifier
Is Modifierfalse
Summarytrue
Requirements

Patients are almost always assigned specific numerical identifiers.

Invariantsele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
20. 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.

ShortWhether this patient's record is in active use
Comments

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

Control0..0
Typeboolean
Is Modifiertrue because This element is labelled as a modifier because it is a status element that can indicate that a record should not be treated as valid
Primitive ValueThis primitive element may be present, or absent, or replaced by an extension
Summarytrue
Requirements

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

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

A name associated with the individual.

ShortA name associated with the patient
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.

Control0..0
TypeHumanName
Is Modifierfalse
Summarytrue
Requirements

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

Invariantsele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
24. Patient.telecom
Definition

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

ShortA contact detail for the individual
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).

Control0..0
TypeContactPoint
Is Modifierfalse
Summarytrue
Requirements

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

Invariantsele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
26. Patient.gender
Definition

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

Shortmale | female | other | unknown
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.

Control0..1
BindingThe codes SHALL be taken from AdministrativeGender: The gender of a person used for administrative purposes.
Typecode
Is Modifierfalse
Primitive ValueThis primitive element may be present, or absent, or replaced by an extension
Must Supporttrue
Summarytrue
Requirements

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

Invariantsele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
28. Patient.birthDate
Definition

The date of birth for the individual.

ShortThe date of birth for the individual
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).

Control0..1
Typedate
Is Modifierfalse
Primitive ValueThis primitive element may be present, or absent, or replaced by an extension
Must Supporttrue
Summarytrue
Requirements

Age of the individual drives many clinical processes.

Invariantsele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
LOINC Code21112-8
30. Patient.deceased[x]
Definition

Indicates if the individual is deceased or not.

ShortIndicates if the individual is deceased or not
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.

Control0..1
TypedateTime
[x] NoteSee Choice of Data Types for further information about how to use [x]
Is Modifiertrue because This element is labeled as a modifier because once a patient is marked as deceased, the actions that are appropriate to perform on the patient may be significantly different.
Primitive ValueThis primitive element may be present, or absent, or replaced by an extension
Must Supporttrue
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.

Invariantsele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
32. Patient.address
Definition

An address for the individual.

ShortAn address for the individual
Comments

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

Control0..0
TypeAddress
Is Modifierfalse
Summarytrue
Requirements

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

Invariantsele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
34. Patient.maritalStatus
Definition

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

ShortMarital (civil) status of a patient
Control0..0
BindingUnless not suitable, these codes SHALL be taken from Marital Status Codes: The domestic partnership status of a person.
TypeCodeableConcept
Is Modifierfalse
Summaryfalse
Requirements

Most, if not all systems capture it.

Invariantsele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
36. Patient.multipleBirth[x]
Definition

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

ShortWhether patient is part of a multiple birth
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).

Control0..1
TypeChoice of: boolean, integer
[x] NoteSee Choice of Data Types for further information about how to use [x]
Is Modifierfalse
Primitive ValueThis primitive element may be present, or absent, or replaced by an extension
Summaryfalse
Requirements

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

Invariantsele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
38. Patient.photo
Definition

Image of the patient.

ShortImage of the patient
Comments

Guidelines:

Control0..0
TypeAttachment
Is Modifierfalse
Summaryfalse
Requirements

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

Invariantsele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
40. Patient.contact
Definition

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

ShortA contact party (e.g. guardian, partner, friend) for 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.

Control0..0
TypeBackboneElement
Is Modifierfalse
Summaryfalse
Requirements

Need to track people you can contact about the patient.

Invariantsele-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())
52. Patient.communication
Definition

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

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

Control0..0
TypeBackboneElement
Is Modifierfalse
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.

Invariantsele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
59. Patient.generalPractitioner
Definition

Patient's nominated care provider.

ShortPatient's nominated primary care provider
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.

Control0..0
TypeReference(Organization, Practitioner, PractitionerRole)
Is Modifierfalse
Summaryfalse
Alternate NamescareProvider
Invariantsele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
61. Patient.managingOrganization
Definition

Organization that is the custodian of the patient record.

ShortOrganization that is the custodian of the patient record
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).

Control0..1
TypeReference(Organization)
Is Modifierfalse
Summarytrue
Requirements

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

Invariantsele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
63. Patient.link
Definition

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

ShortLink to another patient resource that concerns the same actual person
Comments

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

Control0..*
TypeBackboneElement
Is Modifiertrue because This element is labeled as a modifier because it might not be the main Patient resource, and the referenced patient should be used instead of this Patient record. This is when the link.type value is 'replaced-by'
Summarytrue
Requirements

There are multiple use cases:

Invariantsele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
65. 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.

ShortUnique id for inter-element referencing
Control0..1
Typestring
Is Modifierfalse
XML FormatIn the XML format, this property is represented as an attribute.
Summaryfalse
67. 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.

ShortAdditional content defined by implementations
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.

Control0..*
TypeExtension
Is Modifierfalse
Summaryfalse
Alternate Namesextensions, user content
Invariantsele-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())
69. 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.

ShortExtensions that cannot be ignored even if unrecognized
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.

Control0..*
TypeExtension
Is Modifiertrue because Modifier extensions are expected to modify the meaning or interpretation of the element that contains them
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
Invariantsele-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())
71. Patient.link.other
Definition

The other patient resource that the link refers to.

ShortThe other patient or related person resource that the link refers to
Comments

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

Control1..1
TypeReference(Patient, RelatedPerson)
Is Modifierfalse
Summarytrue
Invariantsele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
73. Patient.link.type
Definition

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

Shortreplaced-by | replaces | refer | seealso
Control1..1
BindingThe codes SHALL be taken from LinkType: The type of link between this patient resource and another patient resource.
Typecode
Is Modifierfalse
Primitive ValueThis primitive element may be present, or absent, or replaced by an extension
Summarytrue
Invariantsele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))