Release 4

This page is part of the FHIR Specification (v4.0.1: R4 - Mixed Normative and STU) in it's permanent home (it will always be available at this URL). The current version which supercedes this version is 5.0.0. For a full list of available versions, see the Directory of published versions . Page versions: R5 R4B R4

Orders and Observations Work GroupMaturity Level: 0 Trial UseSecurity Category: Business Compartments: Not linked to any defined compartments

Detailed Descriptions for the elements in the ObservationDefinition resource.

ObservationDefinition
Element IdObservationDefinition
Definition

Set of definitional characteristics for a kind of observation or measurement produced or consumed by an orderable health care service.

Cardinality0..*
TypeDomainResource
Requirements

In a catalog of health-related services that use or produce observations and measurements, this resource describes the expected characteristics of these observation / measurements.

Comments

An instance of this resource informs the consumer of a health-related service (such as a lab diagnostic test or panel) about how the observations used or produced by this service will look like.

ObservationDefinition.category
Element IdObservationDefinition.category
Definition

A code that classifies the general type of observation.

Cardinality0..*
Terminology BindingObservation Category Codes (Example)
TypeCodeableConcept
Requirements

Used for filtering what kinds of observations are retrieved and displayed.

Alternate NamesClass of observation
Summarytrue
Comments

This element allows various categorization schemes based on the owner’s definition of the category and effectively multiple categories can be used for one instance of ObservationDefinition. The level of granularity is defined by the category concepts in the value set.

ObservationDefinition.code
Element IdObservationDefinition.code
Definition

Describes what will be observed. Sometimes this is called the observation "name".

Cardinality1..1
Terminology BindingLOINC Codes (Example)
TypeCodeableConcept
Requirements

Knowing what kind of observation is being made is essential to understanding the observation.

Alternate NamesName
Summarytrue
ObservationDefinition.identifier
Element IdObservationDefinition.identifier
Definition

A unique identifier assigned to this ObservationDefinition artifact.

NoteThis is a business identifier, not a resource identifier (see discussion)
Cardinality0..*
TypeIdentifier
Summarytrue
ObservationDefinition.permittedDataType
Element IdObservationDefinition.permittedDataType
Definition

The data types allowed for the value element of the instance observations conforming to this ObservationDefinition.

Cardinality0..*
Terminology BindingObservationDataType (Required)
Typecode
ObservationDefinition.multipleResultsAllowed
Element IdObservationDefinition.multipleResultsAllowed
Definition

Multiple results allowed for observations conforming to this ObservationDefinition.

Cardinality0..1
Typeboolean
Comments

An example of observation allowing multiple results is "bacteria identified by culture". Conversely, the measurement of a potassium level allows a single result.

ObservationDefinition.method
Element IdObservationDefinition.method
Definition

The method or technique used to perform the observation.

Cardinality0..1
Terminology BindingObservation Methods (Example)
TypeCodeableConcept
Requirements

In some cases, method can impact results.

Comments

Only used if not implicit in observation code.

ObservationDefinition.preferredReportName
Element IdObservationDefinition.preferredReportName
Definition

The preferred name to be used when reporting the results of observations conforming to this ObservationDefinition.

Cardinality0..1
Typestring
ObservationDefinition.quantitativeDetails
Element IdObservationDefinition.quantitativeDetails
Definition

Characteristics for quantitative results of this observation.

Cardinality0..1
ObservationDefinition.quantitativeDetails.customaryUnit
Element IdObservationDefinition.quantitativeDetails.customaryUnit
Definition

Customary unit used to report quantitative results of observations conforming to this ObservationDefinition.

Cardinality0..1
Terminology BindingUCUM Codes (Extensible)
TypeCodeableConcept
ObservationDefinition.quantitativeDetails.unit
Element IdObservationDefinition.quantitativeDetails.unit
Definition

SI unit used to report quantitative results of observations conforming to this ObservationDefinition.

Cardinality0..1
Terminology BindingUCUM Codes (Extensible)
TypeCodeableConcept
ObservationDefinition.quantitativeDetails.conversionFactor
Element IdObservationDefinition.quantitativeDetails.conversionFactor
Definition

Factor for converting value expressed with SI unit to value expressed with customary unit.

Cardinality0..1
Typedecimal
ObservationDefinition.quantitativeDetails.decimalPrecision
Element IdObservationDefinition.quantitativeDetails.decimalPrecision
Definition

Number of digits after decimal separator when the results of such observations are of type Quantity.

Cardinality0..1
Typeinteger
ObservationDefinition.qualifiedInterval
Element IdObservationDefinition.qualifiedInterval
Definition

Multiple ranges of results qualified by different contexts for ordinal or continuous observations conforming to this ObservationDefinition.

Cardinality0..*
ObservationDefinition.qualifiedInterval.category
Element IdObservationDefinition.qualifiedInterval.category
Definition

The category of interval of values for continuous or ordinal observations conforming to this ObservationDefinition.

Cardinality0..1
Terminology BindingObservationRangeCategory (Required)
Typecode
ObservationDefinition.qualifiedInterval.range
Element IdObservationDefinition.qualifiedInterval.range
Definition

The low and high values determining the interval. There may be only one of the two.

Cardinality0..1
TypeRange
Requirements

The unit may be not relevant for ordinal values. In case it is there, it is the same as quantitativeDetails.unit.

ObservationDefinition.qualifiedInterval.context
Element IdObservationDefinition.qualifiedInterval.context
Definition

Codes to indicate the health context the range applies to. For example, the normal or therapeutic range.

Cardinality0..1
Terminology BindingObservation Reference Range Meaning Codes (Extensible)
TypeCodeableConcept
ObservationDefinition.qualifiedInterval.appliesTo
Element IdObservationDefinition.qualifiedInterval.appliesTo
Definition

Codes to indicate the target population this reference range applies to.

Cardinality0..*
Terminology BindingObservation Reference Range Applies To Codes (Example)
TypeCodeableConcept
Comments

If this element is not present then the global population is assumed.

ObservationDefinition.qualifiedInterval.gender
Element IdObservationDefinition.qualifiedInterval.gender
Definition

Sex of the population the range applies to.

Cardinality0..1
Terminology BindingAdministrativeGender (Required)
Typecode
ObservationDefinition.qualifiedInterval.age
Element IdObservationDefinition.qualifiedInterval.age
Definition

The age at which this reference range is applicable. This is a neonatal age (e.g. number of weeks at term) if the meaning says so.

Cardinality0..1
TypeRange
Comments

Some analytes vary greatly over age.

ObservationDefinition.qualifiedInterval.gestationalAge
Element IdObservationDefinition.qualifiedInterval.gestationalAge
Definition

The gestational age to which this reference range is applicable, in the context of pregnancy.

Cardinality0..1
TypeRange
ObservationDefinition.qualifiedInterval.condition
Element IdObservationDefinition.qualifiedInterval.condition
Definition

Text based condition for which the reference range is valid.

Cardinality0..1
Typestring
ObservationDefinition.validCodedValueSet
Element IdObservationDefinition.validCodedValueSet
Definition

The set of valid coded results for the observations conforming to this ObservationDefinition.

Cardinality0..1
TypeReference(ValueSet)
ObservationDefinition.normalCodedValueSet
Element IdObservationDefinition.normalCodedValueSet
Definition

The set of normal coded results for the observations conforming to this ObservationDefinition.

Cardinality0..1
TypeReference(ValueSet)
ObservationDefinition.abnormalCodedValueSet
Element IdObservationDefinition.abnormalCodedValueSet
Definition

The set of abnormal coded results for the observation conforming to this ObservationDefinition.

Cardinality0..1
TypeReference(ValueSet)
ObservationDefinition.criticalCodedValueSet
Element IdObservationDefinition.criticalCodedValueSet
Definition

The set of critical coded results for the observation conforming to this ObservationDefinition.

Cardinality0..1
TypeReference(ValueSet)