FHIR Release 3 (STU) CI-Build

This page is part of the FHIR Specification (v3.0.2: STU 3). The current version which supercedes this version is 5.0.0 . For a full list Continuous Integration Build of available versions, see FHIR (will be incorrect/inconsistent at times).
See the Directory of published versions . Page versions: R5 R4B R4 R3

Codesystem-reference-version-rules.json

Example CodeSystem/reference-version-rules (JSON)

Maturity Level : N/A
Vocabulary Responsible Owner: FHIR Infrastructure Work Group Ballot Standards Status : Informative

Raw JSON ( canonical form + also see JSON Format Specification )

Definition for Code System ReferenceVersionRules SystemReferenceVersionRules

{
  "resourceType": "CodeSystem",
  "id": "reference-version-rules",
  "meta": {
    "lastUpdated": "2019-10-24T11:53:00+11:00"

  "resourceType" : "CodeSystem",
  "id" : "reference-version-rules",
  "meta" : {
    "lastUpdated" : "2025-11-14T20:54:02.388+00:00"

  },
  "text": {
    "status": "generated",
    "div": "<div>!-- Snipped for Brevity --></div>"

  "text" : {
    "status" : "generated",
    "div" : "<div xmlns=\"http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml\"><p class=\"res-header-id\"><b>Generated Narrative: CodeSystem reference-version-rules</b></p><a name=\"reference-version-rules\"> </a><a name=\"hcreference-version-rules\"> </a><p>This case-sensitive code system <code>http://hl7.org/fhir/reference-version-rules</code> defines the following codes:</p><table class=\"codes\"><tr><td style=\"white-space:nowrap\"><b>Code</b></td><td><b>Display</b></td><td><b>Definition</b></td></tr><tr><td style=\"white-space:nowrap\">either<a name=\"reference-version-rules-either\"> </a></td><td>Either Specific or independent</td><td>The reference may be either version independent or version specific.</td></tr><tr><td style=\"white-space:nowrap\">independent<a name=\"reference-version-rules-independent\"> </a></td><td>Version independent</td><td>The reference must be version independent.</td></tr><tr><td style=\"white-space:nowrap\">specific<a name=\"reference-version-rules-specific\"> </a></td><td>Version Specific</td><td>The reference must be version specific.</td></tr></table></div>"

  },
  "extension": [
    {
      "url": "http://hl7.org/fhir/StructureDefinition/structuredefinition-ballot-status",
      "valueString": "Informative"
    },
    {
      "url": "http://hl7.org/fhir/StructureDefinition/structuredefinition-fmm",
      "valueInteger": 0
    },
    {
      "url": "http://hl7.org/fhir/StructureDefinition/structuredefinition-wg",
      "valueCode": "fhir"
    }
  ],
  "url": "http://hl7.org/fhir/reference-version-rules",
  "identifier": {
    "system": "urn:ietf:rfc:3986",
    "value": "urn:oid:2.16.840.1.113883.4.642.1.83"

  "extension" : [{
    "url" : "http://hl7.org/fhir/StructureDefinition/structuredefinition-wg",
    "valueCode" : "fhir"

  },
  "version": "3.0.2",
  "name": "ReferenceVersionRules",
  "status": "draft",
  "experimental": false,
  "date": "2019-10-24T11:53:00+11:00",
  "publisher": "HL7 (FHIR Project)",
  "contact": [
    {
      "telecom": [
        {
          "system": "url",
          "value": "http://hl7.org/fhir"
        },
        {
          "system": "email",
          "value": "fhir@lists.hl7.org"
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "description": "Whether a reference needs to be version specific or version independent, or whether either can be used",
  "caseSensitive": true,
  "valueSet": "http://hl7.org/fhir/ValueSet/reference-version-rules",
  "content": "complete",
  "concept": [
    {
      "code": "either",
      "display": "Either Specific or independent",
      "definition": "The reference may be either version independent or version specific"
    },
    {
      "code": "independent",
      "display": "Version independent",
      "definition": "The reference must be version independent"

  {
    "url" : "http://hl7.org/fhir/StructureDefinition/structuredefinition-standards-status",
    "valueCode" : "normative"
  }],
  "url" : "http://hl7.org/fhir/reference-version-rules",
  "identifier" : [{
    "system" : "urn:ietf:rfc:3986",
    "value" : "urn:oid:2.16.840.1.113883.4.642.4.90"
  }],
  "version" : "6.0.0-ballot3",
  "name" : "ReferenceVersionRules",
  "title" : "ReferenceVersionRules",
  "status" : "active",
  "experimental" : false,
  "date" : "2025-11-14T20:54:02+00:00",
  "publisher" : "HL7 International / FHIR Infrastructure",
  "contact" : [{
    "telecom" : [{
      "system" : "url",
      "value" : "http://hl7.org/fhir"

    },
    {
      "code": "specific",
      "display": "Version Specific",
      "definition": "The reference must be version specific"
    }
  ]

      "system" : "email",
      "value" : "fhir@lists.hl7.org"
    }]
  },
  {
    "telecom" : [{
      "system" : "url",
      "value" : "http://www.hl7.org/Special/committees/fiwg"
    }]
  }],
  "description" : "Whether a reference needs to be version specific or version independent, or whether either can be used.",
  "jurisdiction" : [{
    "coding" : [{
      "system" : "http://unstats.un.org/unsd/methods/m49/m49.htm",
      "code" : "001",
      "display" : "World"
    }]
  }],
  "caseSensitive" : true,
  "valueSet" : "http://hl7.org/fhir/ValueSet/reference-version-rules",
  "content" : "complete",
  "concept" : [{
    "code" : "either",
    "display" : "Either Specific or independent",
    "definition" : "The reference may be either version independent or version specific."
  },
  {
    "code" : "independent",
    "display" : "Version independent",
    "definition" : "The reference must be version independent."
  },
  {
    "code" : "specific",
    "display" : "Version Specific",
    "definition" : "The reference must be version specific."
  }]

}

Usage note: every effort has been made to ensure that the examples are correct and useful, but they are not a normative part of the specification.