FHIR Release 3 (STU) 4

This page is part of the FHIR Specification (v3.0.2: (v4.0.1: R4 - Mixed Normative and STU 3). ) 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 R3 R4 R3 R2

Element.profile.xml

Modeling and Methodology Work Group Maturity Level : N/A Ballot Standards Status : Informative

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

StructureDefinition for Element 

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>


<StructureDefinition xmlns="http://hl7.org/fhir">
  <id value="Element"/> 
  <text> 
    <status value="generated"/> 
    <div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">
      <table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="border: 0px #F0F0F0 solid; font-size: 11px; font-family: verdana; vertical-align: top;">
        <tr style="border: 1px #F0F0F0 solid; font-size: 11px; font-family: verdana; vertical-align: top;">
          <th class="hierarchy" style="vertical-align: top; text-align : left; background-color: white; border: 0px #F0F0F0 solid;
           padding:0px 4px 0px 4px">
            <a href="formats.html#table" title="The logical name of the element">Name</a> 
          </th> 
          <th class="hierarchy" style="vertical-align: top; text-align : left; background-color: white; border: 0px #F0F0F0 solid;
           padding:0px 4px 0px 4px">
            <a href="formats.html#table" title="Information about the use of the element">Flags</a> 
          </th> 
          <th class="hierarchy" style="vertical-align: top; text-align : left; background-color: white; border: 0px #F0F0F0 solid;
           padding:0px 4px 0px 4px">
            <a href="formats.html#table" title="Minimum and Maximum # of times the the element can appear in the instance">Card.</a> 
          </th> 
          <th class="hierarchy" style="width: 100px">
            <a href="formats.html#table" title="Reference to the type of the element">Type</a> 
          </th> 
          <th class="hierarchy" style="vertical-align: top; text-align : left; background-color: white; border: 0px #F0F0F0 solid;
           padding:0px 4px 0px 4px">
            <a href="formats.html#table" title="Additional information about the element">Description &amp; Constraints</a> 
            <span style="float: right">
              <a href="formats.html#table" title="Legend for this format">
                <img alt="doco" src="help16.png" style="background-color: inherit"/> 
              </a> 
            </span> 
          </th> 
        </tr> 
        <tr style="border: 0px #F0F0F0 solid; padding:0px; vertical-align: top; background-color: white;">
          <td class="hierarchy" style="vertical-align: top; text-align : left; background-color: white; border: 0px #F0F0F0 solid;
           padding:0px 4px 0px 4px; white-space: nowrap; background-image: url(data: image/png;base64,iVBORw0KG
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          sPVYVAgIJrA/sAAAAASUVORK5CYII=)">
            <img alt="." class="hierarchy" src="data: image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAEAAAAWCAYAAAABxvaqAAAACXBIWXMAAAsTAAALEwEAmpwYAAAAB
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            FEhIdcAYJdYASFRUQhQkLCwkOFwcdEBAXhVabE52ecDahKy0oIQA7 

            <img alt="." class="hierarchy" src="data: image/png;base64,R0lGODlhEAAQAPQfAOvGUf7ztuvPMf/78/fkl/Pbg+u8Rvjqteu2Pf3zxPz36Pz0z+vTmPzurPvuw
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            5exg8Shl1ckRUQVaMVkQ2kCstKCEAOw==" style="background-color: white; background-color: inherit" title="Element"/>  

            <a href="element-definitions.html#Element" title="Element : Base definition for all elements in a resource.">Element</a> 
            

          </td> 
          <td class="hierarchy" style="vertical-align: top; text-align : left; background-color: white; border: 0px #F0F0F0 solid;
           padding:0px 4px 0px 4px">
            

            <a href="conformance-rules.html#constraints" style="padding-left: 3px; padding-right: 3px; color: black; null" title="This element has or is affected by some invariants">I</a> 
            <a href="versions.html#std-process" style="padding-left: 3px; padding-right: 3px; border: 1px grey solid; font-weight: bold; color:
             black; background-color: #e6ffe6" title="Standards Status = Normative">N</a> 

          </td> 
          <td class="hierarchy" style="vertical-align: top; text-align : left; background-color: white; border: 0px #F0F0F0 solid;
           padding:0px 4px 0px 4px"/> 
          <td class="hierarchy" style="vertical-align: top; text-align : left; background-color: white; border: 0px #F0F0F0 solid;
           padding:0px 4px 0px 4px">n/a</td> 
          <td class="hierarchy" style="vertical-align: top; text-align : left; background-color: white; border: 0px #F0F0F0 solid;
           padding:0px 4px 0px 4px">Base for all elements
            <br/>  
            

            <span style="font-style: italic" title="ele-1">+ Rule: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children</span> 
          </td> 
        </tr> 

        <tr style="border: 0px #F0F0F0 solid; padding:0px; vertical-align: top; background-color: white;">
          <td class="hierarchy" style="vertical-align: top; text-align : left; background-color: white; border: 0px #F0F0F0 solid;
           padding:0px 4px 0px 4px; white-space: nowrap; background-image: url(data: image/png;base64,iVBORw0KG
          goAAAANSUhEUgAAAyAAAAACCAYAAACg/LjIAAAAL0lEQVR42u3XsQ0AQAgCQHdl/xn8jxvYWB3JlTR0VJLa+OltBwAAYP6EEQAAgC
          sPVYVAgIJrA/sAAAAASUVORK5CYII=)">
            <img alt="." class="hierarchy" src="data: image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAEAAAAWCAYAAAABxvaqAAAACXBIWXMAAAsTAAALEwEAmpwYAAAAB
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            NdCABMPwMo2ctnoQAAAABJRU5ErkJggg==" style="background-color: inherit"/> 
            <img alt="." class="hierarchy" src="data: image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAABAAAAAWCAYAAADJqhx8AAAACXBIWXMAAAsTAAALEwEAmpwYAAAAB
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            data: image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAABAAAAAQCAYAAAAf8/9hAAAABmJLR0QA/wD/AP+gvaeTAAAACXBIW
            XMAAAsTAAALEwEAmpwYAAAAB3RJTUUH3gYBFzI0BrFQCwAAAERJREFUOMtj/P//PwMlgImBQjDwBrCcOnWKokBgYWBgYDCU+06W5i
            8MUggvnH/EOVJjAW4AuQHJ+O75LYqikXE0LzAAALePEntTkEoSAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC 
            Element.id : unique id for the element within a resource (for internal references). This

            <img alt="." class="hierarchy" src="data: image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAABAAAAAQCAYAAAAf8/9hAAAACXBIWXMAAAsTAAALEwEAmpwYAAAAR
            klEQVQ4y2P8//8/AyWAhYFCMAgMuHjx4n+KXaCv+I0szW8WpCG8kFO1lGFKW/SIjAUYgxz/MzAwMDC+nqhDUTQyjuYFBgCNmhP4Ov
            TRgwAAAABJRU5ErkJggg==" style="background-color: white; background-color: inherit" title="Primitive Data Type"/>  
            <a href="element-definitions.html#Element.id" title="Element.id : Unique id for the element within a resource (for internal references). This
             may be any string value that does not contain spaces.">id</a> 
            

          </td> 
          <td class="hierarchy" style="vertical-align: top; text-align : left; background-color: white; border: 0px #F0F0F0 solid;
           padding:0px 4px 0px 4px"/> 
          <td class="hierarchy" style="vertical-align: top; text-align : left; background-color: white; border: 0px #F0F0F0 solid;
           padding:0px 4px 0px 4px">0..1</td> 
          <td class="hierarchy" style="vertical-align: top; text-align : left; background-color: white; border: 0px #F0F0F0 solid;
           padding:0px 4px 0px 4px">
            <a href="datatypes.html#string">string</a> 
          </td> 
          <td class="hierarchy" style="vertical-align: top; text-align : left; background-color: white; border: 0px #F0F0F0 solid;
           padding:0px 4px 0px 4px

           padding:0px 4px 0px 4px">Unique id for inter-element referencing</td> 

        </tr> 

        <tr style="border: 0px #F0F0F0 solid; padding:0px; vertical-align: top; background-color: white;">
          <td class="hierarchy" style="vertical-align: top; text-align : left; background-color: white; border: 0px #F0F0F0 solid;
           padding:0px 4px 0px 4px; white-space: nowrap; background-image: url(data: image/png;base64,iVBORw0KG
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          AASUVORK5CYII=)">
            <img alt="." class="hierarchy" src="data: image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAEAAAAWCAYAAAABxvaqAAAACXBIWXMAAAsTAAALEwEAmpwYAAAAB
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            NdCABMPwMo2ctnoQAAAABJRU5ErkJggg==" style="background-color: inherit"/> 
            <img alt="." class="hierarchy" src="data: image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAABAAAAAWCAYAAADJqhx8AAAACXBIWXMAAAsTAAALEwEAmpwYAAAAB
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            <img alt="." class="hierarchy" src="data: image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAABAAAAAQCAYAAAAf8/9hAAAABGdBTUEAAK/INwWK6QAAABl0RVh0U
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            w/rsfYA21v+XE97f+PS5H/vx5Ra/98QN7+824ZTiIMSJr580bW/x+3iv//etD9/+fdpv/fzwX+/3LY6P/n7TIzCRtwPYYZaPvGH7d
            KgAb0AA1o/v/tQsh/oO0bP26TZiYqDIB+1/1+wef/z3vN/3/erPr/5aAOyHZdogMRGPIe38/7gvz+Gej3z18OG/8H2u5BvAFn7GO/
            Htdv/3pAQejzXjkhoO3tH7dIxY7EpEwMBgAr6O5Q8udliwAAAABJRU5ErkJggg==" style="background-color: white; background-color: inherit" title="Extension"/>  
            <a href="element-definitions.html#Element.extension" title="Element.extension : May be used to represent additional information that is not part of
             the basic definition of the element. In order to make the use of extensions safe and manageable,

             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 is allowed to define an extension, there is a set of requirements
             that SHALL be met as part of the definition of the extension.
            

             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.">extension</a> 

          </td> 
          <td class="hierarchy" style="vertical-align: top; text-align : left; background-color: white; border: 0px #F0F0F0 solid;
           padding:0px 4px 0px 4px"/> 
          <td class="hierarchy" style="vertical-align: top; text-align : left; background-color: white; border: 0px #F0F0F0 solid;
           padding:0px 4px 0px 4px">0..*</td> 
          <td class="hierarchy" style="vertical-align: top; text-align : left; background-color: white; border: 0px #F0F0F0 solid;
           padding:0px 4px 0px 4px">
            <a href="extensibility.html#Extension">Extension</a> 
          </td> 
          <td class="hierarchy" style="vertical-align: top; text-align : left; background-color: white; border: 0px #F0F0F0 solid;
           padding:0px 4px 0px 4pxAdditional Content defined by implementations

           padding:0px 4px 0px 4px">Additional content defined by implementations

            <br/>  
          </td> 
        </tr> 

        <tr> 
          <td class="hierarchy" colspan="5">
            <br/>  
            <a href="formats.html#table" title="Legend for this format">
              <img alt="doco" src="help16.png" style="background-color: inherit"/>  Documentation for this format
            </a> 
          </td> 
        </tr> 
      </table> 
    </div> 
  </text> 
  <extension url="http://hl7.org/fhir/StructureDefinition/structuredefinition-standards-status">
    <valueCode value="normative"/> 
  </extension> 
  <extension url="http://hl7.org/fhir/StructureDefinition/structuredefinition-normative-version">
    <valueCode value="4.0.0"/> 
  </extension> 
  <url value="http://hl7.org/fhir/StructureDefinition/Element"/> 
  <version value="4.0.1"/> 
  <name value="Element"/> 
  
  

  <status value="active"/> 
  <date value="2019-11-01T09:29:23+11:00"/> 
  <publisher value="HL7 FHIR Standard"/> 
  <contact> 
    <telecom> 
      <system value="url"/> 
      <value value="http://hl7.org/fhir"/> 
    </telecom> 
  </contact> 
  
  

  <description value="Base StructureDefinition for Element Type: Base definition for all elements in a resource."/> 
  <fhirVersion value="4.0.1"/> 
  <mapping> 
    <identity value="rim"/> 
    <uri value="http://hl7.org/v3"/> 
    <name value="RIM Mapping"/> 
  </mapping> 
  <kind value="complex-type"/> 
  <abstract value="true"/> 
  <type value="Element"/> 
  <snapshot> 
    <element id="Element">
      <extension url="http://hl7.org/fhir/StructureDefinition/structuredefinition-standards-status">
        <valueCode value="normative"/> 
      </extension> 
      <extension url="http://hl7.org/fhir/StructureDefinition/structuredefinition-normative-version">
        <valueCode value="4.0.0"/> 
      </extension> 
      <path value="Element"/> 
      <short value="Base for all elements"/> 
      <definition value="Base definition for all elements in a resource."/> 
      <min value="0"/> 
      <max value="*"/> 
      <base> 
        <path value="Element"/> 
        <min value="0"/> 
        <max value="*"/> 
      </base> 
      <condition value="ele-1"/> 
      <constraint> 
        <key value="ele-1"/> 
        <severity value="error"/> 
        <human value="All FHIR elements must have a @value or children"/> 
        

        <expression value="hasValue() or (children().count() &gt; id.count())"/> 
        <xpath value="@value|f:*|h:div"/> 
      </constraint> 
      <isModifier value="false"/> 
      <mapping> 
        <identity value="rim"/> 
        <map value="n/a"/> 
      </mapping> 
    </element> 
    <element id="Element.id">
      <path value="Element.id"/> 
      <representation value="xmlAttr"/> 
      
      unique id for the element within a resource (for internal references). This may be any

      <short value="Unique id for inter-element referencing"/> 
      <definition value="Unique id for the element within a resource (for internal references). This may be any
       string value that does not contain spaces."/> 
      <min value="0"/> 
      <max value="1"/> 
      <base> 
        <path value="Element.id"/> 
        <min value="0"/> 
        <max value="1"/> 
      </base> 
    <!--  Note: special primitive values have a FHIRPath system type. e.g. this is compiler magic
       (j)  -->

      <type> 
        

        <extension url="http://hl7.org/fhir/StructureDefinition/structuredefinition-fhir-type">
          <valueUrl value="string"/> 
        </extension> 
        <code value="http://hl7.org/fhirpath/System.String"/> 
      </type> 
      <isModifier value="false"/> 
      <isSummary value="false"/> 
      <mapping> 
        <identity value="rim"/> 
        <map value="n/a"/> 
      </mapping> 
    </element> 
    <element id="Element.extension">
      <path value="Element.extension"/> 
      <slicing> 
        <discriminator> 
          <type value="value"/> 
          <path value="url"/> 
        </discriminator> 
        <description value="Extensions are always sliced by (at least) url"/> 
        <rules value="open"/> 
      </slicing> 
      

      <short value="Additional content defined by implementations"/> 
      <definition value="May be used to represent additional information that is not part of the basic definition
       of the element. In order 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.

       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."/> 

      <comment value="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."/> 
      <alias value="extensions"/> 
      <alias value="user content"/> 
      <min value="0"/> 
      <max value="*"/> 
      <base> 
        <path value="Element.extension"/> 
        <min value="0"/> 
        <max value="*"/> 
      </base> 
      <type> 
        <code value="Extension"/> 
      </type> 
      <constraint> 
        <key value="ele-1"/> 
        <severity value="error"/> 
        <human value="All FHIR elements must have a @value or children"/> 
        <expression value="hasValue() or (children().count() &gt; id.count())"/> 
        <xpath value="@value|f:*|h:div"/> 
        <source value="http://hl7.org/fhir/StructureDefinition/Element"/> 
      </constraint> 
      <constraint> 
        <key value="ext-1"/> 
        <severity value="error"/> 
        <human value="Must have either extensions or value[x], not both"/> 
        <expression value="extension.exists() != value.exists()"/> 
        <xpath value="exists(f:extension)!=exists(f:*[starts-with(local-name(.), &quot;value&quot;)])"/> 
        <source value="http://hl7.org/fhir/StructureDefinition/Extension"/> 
      </constraint> 
      <isModifier value="false"/> 
      <isSummary value="false"/> 
      <mapping> 
        <identity value="rim"/> 
        <map value="n/a"/> 
      </mapping> 
    </element> 
  </snapshot> 
  <differential> 
    <element id="Element">
      <extension url="http://hl7.org/fhir/StructureDefinition/structuredefinition-standards-status">
        <valueCode value="normative"/> 
      </extension> 
      <extension url="http://hl7.org/fhir/StructureDefinition/structuredefinition-normative-version">
        <valueCode value="4.0.0"/> 
      </extension> 
      <path value="Element"/> 
      <short value="Base for all elements"/> 
      <definition value="Base definition for all elements in a resource."/> 
      <min value="0"/> 
      <max value="*"/> 
      <condition value="ele-1"/> 
      <constraint> 
        <key value="ele-1"/> 
        <severity value="error"/> 
        <human value="All FHIR elements must have a @value or children"/> 
        

        <expression value="hasValue() or (children().count() &gt; id.count())"/> 
        <xpath value="@value|f:*|h:div"/> 
      </constraint> 
      <mapping> 
        <identity value="rim"/> 
        <map value="n/a"/> 
      </mapping> 
    </element> 
    <element id="Element.id">
      <path value="Element.id"/> 
      <representation value="xmlAttr"/> 
      
      unique id for the element within a resource (for internal references). This may be any

      <short value="Unique id for inter-element referencing"/> 
      <definition value="Unique id for the element within a resource (for internal references). This may be any
       string value that does not contain spaces."/> 
      <min value="0"/> 
      <max value="1"/> 
    <!--  Note: special primitive values have a FHIRPath system type. e.g. this is compiler magic
       (j)  -->

      <type> 
        

        <extension url="http://hl7.org/fhir/StructureDefinition/structuredefinition-fhir-type">
          <valueUrl value="string"/> 
        </extension> 
        <code value="http://hl7.org/fhirpath/System.String"/> 
      </type> 
      <mapping> 
        <identity value="rim"/> 
        <map value="n/a"/> 
      </mapping> 
    </element> 
    <element id="Element.extension">
      <path value="Element.extension"/> 
      <slicing> 
        <discriminator> 
          <type value="value"/> 
          <path value="url"/> 
        </discriminator> 
        <description value="Extensions are always sliced by (at least) url"/> 
        <rules value="open"/> 
      </slicing> 
      

      <short value="Additional content defined by implementations"/> 
      <definition value="May be used to represent additional information that is not part of the basic definition
       of the element. In order 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.

       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."/> 

      <comment value="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."/> 
      <alias value="extensions"/> 
      <alias value="user content"/> 
      <min value="0"/> 
      <max value="*"/> 
      <type> 
        <code value="Extension"/> 
      </type> 
      <mapping> 
        <identity value="rim"/> 
        <map value="n/a"/> 
      </mapping> 
    </element> 
  </differential> 


</

StructureDefinition

>

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.