New Zealand NES IG
1.4.6 - Release

New Zealand NES IG - Local Development build (v1.4.6) built by the FHIR (HL7® FHIR® Standard) Build Tools. See the Directory of published versions

Resource Profile: NesPatient - Detailed Descriptions

Active as of 2024-09-04

Definitions for the NesPatient resource profile.

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

0. Patient
2. Patient.language
Control0..0
4. Patient.extension:ethnicity
Slice Nameethnicity
Control0..0
6. Patient.extension:nzCitizen
Slice NamenzCitizen
Control0..0
8. Patient.extension:dhb
Slice Namedhb
Control0..0
10. Patient.extension:domicile-code
Slice Namedomicile-code
Control0..0
12. Patient.extension:pho
Slice Namepho
Control0..0
14. Patient.extension:sex-at-birth
Slice Namesex-at-birth
Control0..0
16. Patient.extension:iwi
Slice Nameiwi
Control0..0
18. Patient.identifier
NoteThis is a business identifier, not a resource identifier (see discussion)
Control0..0
20. Patient.identifier:NHI
Slice NameNHI
NoteThis is a business identifier, not a resource identifier (see discussion)
Control0..0
22. Patient.active
Control0..0
24. Patient.telecom
Control0..0
26. Patient.gender
Control0..0
28. Patient.deceased[x]
Control0..0
30. Patient.address
Control0..0
32. Patient.maritalStatus
Control0..0
34. Patient.multipleBirth[x]
Control0..0
36. Patient.photo
Control0..0
38. Patient.contact
Control0..0
40. Patient.generalPractitioner
Control0..0
42. Patient.managingOrganization
Control0..0
44. Patient.link
Control0..0

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())
nz-pat-1: only a single official NHI (Patient.identifier.where(system='https://standards.digital.health.nz/ns/nhi-id' and use='official').count() < 2)
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.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..01
BindingThe codes SHOULD be taken from CommonLanguageshttp://hl7.org/fhir/ValueSet/languages
(preferred to http://hl7.org/fhir/ValueSet/languages)

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()))
6. Patient.extension:ethnicity
Slice Nameethnicity
Definition

The ethnic group or groups that a person identifies with or feels they belong to. Ethnicity is a measure of cultural affiliation as opposed to race, ancestry, nationality or citizen. Ethnicity is self-perceived and a person can belong to more than one group.

The Stats New Zealand standard can be found here.

ShortNZ Ethnicity
Control0..0
This element is affected by the following invariants: ele-1
TypeExtension(NZ Ethnicity) (Extension Type: CodeableConcept)
Is Modifierfalse
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())
ext-1: Must have either extensions or value[x], not both (extension.exists() != value.exists())
8. Patient.extension:nzCitizen
Slice NamenzCitizen
Definition

New Zealand citizenship

ShortNZ Citizenship
Control0..0
This element is affected by the following invariants: ele-1
TypeExtension(NZ Citizenship) (Complex Extension)
Is Modifierfalse
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())
10. Patient.extension:dhb
Slice Namedhb
Definition

District Health Board relating to a NZ Healthcare Service, Location (Facility) or Patient (primary, physical home address).

ShortDistrict Health Board linked to a NZ Healthcare Service, Location or Patient
Control0..0
This element is affected by the following invariants: ele-1
TypeExtension(District Health Board linked to a NZ Healthcare Service, Location or Patient) (Extension Type: CodeableConcept)
Is Modifierfalse
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())
ext-1: Must have either extensions or value[x], not both (extension.exists() != value.exists())
12. Patient.extension:domicile-code
Slice Namedomicile-code
Definition

NZ Domicile Code. Derived from a patient's primary physical, home address.

ShortNZ Domicile Code
Control0..0
This element is affected by the following invariants: ele-1
TypeExtension(NZ Domicile Code) (Extension Type: CodeableConcept)
Is Modifierfalse
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())
ext-1: Must have either extensions or value[x], not both (extension.exists() != value.exists())
14. Patient.extension:pho
Slice Namepho
Definition

Primary Healthcare Organisation associated with a General Practice linked to a NZ Healthcare Service, Location (Facility) or Patient (GP).

ShortPrimary Healthcare Organisation
Control0..0
This element is affected by the following invariants: ele-1
TypeExtension(Primary Healthcare Organisation) (Extension Type: CodeableConcept)
Is Modifierfalse
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())
ext-1: Must have either extensions or value[x], not both (extension.exists() != value.exists())
16. Patient.extension:sex-at-birth
Slice Namesex-at-birth
Definition

A person’s sex at the time of their birth (considered to be immutable).

ShortSex At Birth
Control0..0
This element is affected by the following invariants: ele-1
TypeExtension(Sex At Birth) (Extension Type: CodeableConcept)
Is Modifierfalse
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())
ext-1: Must have either extensions or value[x], not both (extension.exists() != value.exists())
18. Patient.extension:iwi
Slice Nameiwi
Definition

Persons Iwi affiliation

ShortExtension
Control0..0
This element is affected by the following invariants: ele-1
TypeExtension(Nz_iwi) (Extension Type: CodeableConcept)
Is Modifierfalse
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())
ext-1: Must have either extensions or value[x], not both (extension.exists() != value.exists())
20. 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())
22. 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..0*
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()))
SlicingThis element introduces a set of slices on Patient.identifier. The slices areUnordered and Open, and can be differentiated using the following discriminators:
  • value @ system
  • 24. Patient.identifier:NHI
    Slice NameNHI
    Definition

    An identifier for this patient.

    ShortAn identifier for this patient
    NoteThis is a business identifier, not a resource identifier (see discussion)
    Control0..0*
    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()))
    28. 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()))
    30. Patient.telecom
    Definition

    Details for all kinds of technology mediated contact points for a person or organization, including telephone, email, etc.


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

    ShortDetails of a Technology mediated contact point (phone, fax, email, etc.)A 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*
    This element is affected by the following invariants: ele-1
    TypeContactPoint(Common NZ ContactPoint datatype)
    Is Modifierfalse
    Requirements

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

    Invariantscpt-2: A system is required if a value is provided. (value.empty() or system.exists())
    ele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
    32. 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..01
    BindingThe codes SHALL be taken from AdministrativeGenderhttp://hl7.org/fhir/ValueSet/administrative-gender|4.0.1
    (required to http://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
    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()))
    34. 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..01
    TypeChoice of: boolean, dateTime
    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
    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()))
    36. Patient.address
    Definition

    An address expressed using postal conventions (as opposed to GPS or other location definition formats). This data type may be used to convey addresses for use in delivering mail as well as for visiting locations which might not be valid for mail delivery. There are a variety of postal address formats defined around the world.


    An address for the individual.

    ShortAn address expressed using postal conventions (as opposed to GPS or other location definition formats)An address for the individual
    Comments

    Note: address is intended to describe postal addresses for administrative purposes, not to describe absolute geographical coordinates. Postal addresses are often used as proxies for physical locations (also see the Location resource).


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

    Control0..0*
    This element is affected by the following invariants: ele-1
    TypeAddress(Common NZ Address datatype)
    Is Modifierfalse
    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()))
    38. 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
    (extensible to http://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()))
    40. 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..01
    TypeChoice of: boolean, integer
    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()))
    42. 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()))
    44. 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())
    47. 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()))
    49. 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..01
    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()))
    51. 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..0*
    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()))

    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())
    nz-pat-1: only a single official NHI (Patient.identifier.where(system='https://standards.digital.health.nz/ns/nhi-id' and use='official').count() < 2)
    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..0
    BindingThe codes SHOULD be taken from CommonLanguages
    (preferred to http://hl7.org/fhir/ValueSet/languages)

    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

    An Extension

    ShortExtension
    Control0..*
    TypeExtension
    Is Modifierfalse
    Summaryfalse
    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())
    SlicingThis element introduces a set of slices on Patient.extension. The slices areUnordered and Open, and can be differentiated using the following discriminators:
    • value @ url
    • 16. Patient.extension:ethnicity
      Slice Nameethnicity
      Definition

      The ethnic group or groups that a person identifies with or feels they belong to. Ethnicity is a measure of cultural affiliation as opposed to race, ancestry, nationality or citizen. Ethnicity is self-perceived and a person can belong to more than one group.

      The Stats New Zealand standard can be found here.

      ShortNZ Ethnicity
      Control0..0
      This element is affected by the following invariants: ele-1
      TypeExtension(NZ Ethnicity) (Extension Type: CodeableConcept)
      Is Modifierfalse
      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.extension:nzCitizen
      Slice NamenzCitizen
      Definition

      New Zealand citizenship

      ShortNZ Citizenship
      Control0..0
      This element is affected by the following invariants: ele-1
      TypeExtension(NZ Citizenship) (Complex Extension)
      Is Modifierfalse
      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())
      20. Patient.extension:dhb
      Slice Namedhb
      Definition

      District Health Board relating to a NZ Healthcare Service, Location (Facility) or Patient (primary, physical home address).

      ShortDistrict Health Board linked to a NZ Healthcare Service, Location or Patient
      Control0..0
      This element is affected by the following invariants: ele-1
      TypeExtension(District Health Board linked to a NZ Healthcare Service, Location or Patient) (Extension Type: CodeableConcept)
      Is Modifierfalse
      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())
      22. Patient.extension:domicile-code
      Slice Namedomicile-code
      Definition

      NZ Domicile Code. Derived from a patient's primary physical, home address.

      ShortNZ Domicile Code
      Control0..0
      This element is affected by the following invariants: ele-1
      TypeExtension(NZ Domicile Code) (Extension Type: CodeableConcept)
      Is Modifierfalse
      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())
      24. Patient.extension:pho
      Slice Namepho
      Definition

      Primary Healthcare Organisation associated with a General Practice linked to a NZ Healthcare Service, Location (Facility) or Patient (GP).

      ShortPrimary Healthcare Organisation
      Control0..0
      This element is affected by the following invariants: ele-1
      TypeExtension(Primary Healthcare Organisation) (Extension Type: CodeableConcept)
      Is Modifierfalse
      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())
      26. Patient.extension:sex-at-birth
      Slice Namesex-at-birth
      Definition

      A person’s sex at the time of their birth (considered to be immutable).

      ShortSex At Birth
      Control0..0
      This element is affected by the following invariants: ele-1
      TypeExtension(Sex At Birth) (Extension Type: CodeableConcept)
      Is Modifierfalse
      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())
      28. Patient.extension:iwi
      Slice Nameiwi
      Definition

      Persons Iwi affiliation

      ShortExtension
      Control0..0
      This element is affected by the following invariants: ele-1
      TypeExtension(Nz_iwi) (Extension Type: CodeableConcept)
      Is Modifierfalse
      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())
      30. 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())
      32. 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..0
      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()))
      SlicingThis element introduces a set of slices on Patient.identifier. The slices areUnordered and Open, and can be differentiated using the following discriminators:
      • value @ system
      • 34. Patient.identifier:NHI
        Slice NameNHI
        Definition

        An identifier for this patient.

        ShortAn identifier for this patient
        NoteThis is a business identifier, not a resource identifier (see discussion)
        Control0..0
        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()))
        44. 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..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()))
        46. 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..*
        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()))
        48. Patient.telecom
        Definition

        Details for all kinds of technology mediated contact points for a person or organization, including telephone, email, etc.

        ShortDetails of a Technology mediated contact point (phone, fax, email, etc.)
        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
        This element is affected by the following invariants: ele-1
        TypeContactPoint(Common NZ ContactPoint datatype)
        Is Modifierfalse
        Requirements

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

        Invariantscpt-2: A system is required if a value is provided. (value.empty() or system.exists())
        ele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
        50. 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..0
        BindingThe codes SHALL be taken from AdministrativeGender
        (required to http://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
        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()))
        52. 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
        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
        54. 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..0
        TypeChoice of: boolean, dateTime
        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
        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()))
        56. Patient.address
        Definition

        An address expressed using postal conventions (as opposed to GPS or other location definition formats). This data type may be used to convey addresses for use in delivering mail as well as for visiting locations which might not be valid for mail delivery. There are a variety of postal address formats defined around the world.

        ShortAn address expressed using postal conventions (as opposed to GPS or other location definition formats)
        Comments

        Note: address is intended to describe postal addresses for administrative purposes, not to describe absolute geographical coordinates. Postal addresses are often used as proxies for physical locations (also see the Location resource).

        Control0..0
        This element is affected by the following invariants: ele-1
        TypeAddress(Common NZ Address datatype)
        Is Modifierfalse
        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()))
        58. 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
        (extensible to http://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()))
        60. 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..0
        TypeChoice of: boolean, integer
        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()))
        62. 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()))
        64. 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())
        76. 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..*
        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()))
        78. 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.

        ShortUnique id for inter-element referencing
        Control0..1
        Typestring
        Is Modifierfalse
        XML FormatIn the XML format, this property is represented as an attribute.
        Summaryfalse
        80. 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.

        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())
        82. 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).

        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())
        84. 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.

        ShortThe language which can be used to communicate with the patient about his or her health
        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.

        Control1..1
        BindingThe codes SHOULD be taken from CommonLanguages
        (preferred to http://hl7.org/fhir/ValueSet/languages)

        A human language.

        Additional BindingsPurpose
        AllLanguagesMax Binding
        TypeCodeableConcept
        Is Modifierfalse
        Summaryfalse
        Requirements

        Most systems in multilingual countries will want to convey language. Not all systems actually need the regional dialect.

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

        Indicates whether or not the patient prefers this language (over other languages he masters up a certain level).

        ShortLanguage preference indicator
        Comments

        This language is specifically identified for communicating healthcare information.

        Control0..1
        Typeboolean
        Is Modifierfalse
        Primitive ValueThis primitive element may be present, or absent, or replaced by an extension
        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.

        Invariantsele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
        88. 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()))
        90. 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..0
        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()))
        92. 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..0
        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()))