ImplementationGuide

A set of rules of how a particular interoperability or standards problem is solved - typically through the use of FHIR resources. This resource is used to gather all the parts of an implementation guide into a logical whole and to publish a computable definition of all the parts.

Schema

Elements

Name	Required	Type	Description
url	✓	uri	Canonical identifier for this implementation guide, represented as a URI (globally unique) Details An absolute URI that is used to identify this implementation guide when it is referenced in a specification, model, design or an instance; also called its canonical identifier. This SHOULD be globally unique and SHOULD be a literal address at which at which an authoritative instance of this implementation guide is (or will be) published. This URL can be the target of a canonical reference. It SHALL remain the same when the implementation guide is stored on different servers. Can be a urn:uuid: or a urn:oid: but real http: addresses are preferred. Multiple instances may share the same URL if they have a distinct version. The determination of when to create a new version of a resource (same url, new version) vs. defining a new artifact is up to the author. Considerations for making this decision are found in [Technical and Business Versions](resource.html#versions). In some cases, the resource can no longer be found at the stated url, but the url itself cannot change. Implementations can use the [meta.source](resource.html#meta) element to indicate where the current master source of the resource can be found.
version		string	Business version of the implementation guide Details The identifier that is used to identify this version of the implementation guide when it is referenced in a specification, model, design or instance. This is an arbitrary value managed by the implementation guide author and is not expected to be globally unique. For example, it might be a timestamp (e.g. yyyymmdd) if a managed version is not available. There is also no expectation that versions can be placed in a lexicographical sequence. There may be different implementation guide instances that have the same identifier but different versions. The version can be appended to the url in a reference to allow a reference to a particular business version of the implementation guide with the format [url]|[version].
name	✓	string	Name for this implementation guide (computer friendly) Details A natural language name identifying the implementation guide. This name should be usable as an identifier for the module by machine processing applications such as code generation. The name is not expected to be globally unique. The name should be a simple alphanumeric type name to ensure that it is machine-processing friendly.
title		string	Name for this implementation guide (human friendly) Details A short, descriptive, user-friendly title for the implementation guide. This name does not need to be machine-processing friendly and may contain punctuation, white-space, etc.
status	✓	code	draft | active | retired | unknown Details The status of this implementation guide. Enables tracking the life-cycle of the content. Allows filtering of implementation guides that are appropriate for use versus not.
experimental		boolean	For testing purposes, not real usage Details A Boolean value to indicate that this implementation guide is authored for testing purposes (or education/evaluation/marketing) and is not intended to be used for genuine usage. Allows filtering of implementation guides that are appropriate for use versus not.
date		dateTime	Date last changed Details The date (and optionally time) when the implementation guide was published. The date must change when the business version changes and it must change if the status code changes. In addition, it should change when the substantive content of the implementation guide changes. Note that this is not the same as the resource last-modified-date, since the resource may be a secondary representation of the implementation guide. Additional specific dates may be added as extensions or be found by consulting Provenances associated with past versions of the resource.
publisher		string	Name of the publisher (organization or individual) Details The name of the organization or individual that published the implementation guide. Usually an organization but may be an individual. The publisher (or steward) of the implementation guide is the organization or individual primarily responsible for the maintenance and upkeep of the implementation guide. This is not necessarily the same individual or organization that developed and initially authored the content. The publisher is the primary point of contact for questions or issues with the implementation guide. This item SHOULD be populated unless the information is available from context.
contact		ContactDetail[]	Contact details for the publisher Details Contact details to assist a user in finding and communicating with the publisher. May be a web site, an email address, a telephone number, etc.
description		markdown	Natural language description of the implementation guide Details A free text natural language description of the implementation guide from a consumer's perspective. This description can be used to capture details such as why the implementation guide was built, comments about misuse, instructions for clinical use and interpretation, literature references, examples from the paper world, etc. It is not a rendering of the implementation guide as conveyed in the 'text' field of the resource itself. This item SHOULD be populated unless the information is available from context (e.g. the language of the implementation guide is presumed to be the predominant language in the place the implementation guide was created).
useContext		UsageContext[]	The context that the content is intended to support Details The content was developed with a focus and intent of supporting the contexts that are listed. These contexts may be general categories (gender, age, ...) or may be references to specific programs (insurance plans, studies, ...) and may be used to assist with indexing and searching for appropriate implementation guide instances. When multiple useContexts are specified, there is no expectation that all or any of the contexts apply.
jurisdiction		CodeableConcept[]	Intended jurisdiction for implementation guide (if applicable) Details A legal or geographic region in which the implementation guide is intended to be used. It may be possible for the implementation guide to be used in jurisdictions other than those for which it was originally designed or intended.
copyright		markdown	Use and/or publishing restrictions Details A copyright statement relating to the implementation guide and/or its contents. Copyright statements are generally legal restrictions on the use and publishing of the implementation guide.
packageId	✓	id	NPM Package name for IG Details The NPM package name for this Implementation Guide, used in the NPM package distribution, which is the primary mechanism by which FHIR based tooling manages IG dependencies. This value must be globally unique, and should be assigned with care. Many (if not all) IG publishing tools will require that this element be present. For implementation guides published through HL7 or the FHIR foundation, the FHIR product director assigns package IDs.
license		code	SPDX license code for this IG (or not-open-source) Details The license that applies to this Implementation Guide, using an SPDX license code, or 'not-open-source'.
fhirVersion	✓	code[]	FHIR Version(s) this Implementation Guide targets Details The version(s) of the FHIR specification that this ImplementationGuide targets - e.g. describes how to use. The value of this element is the formal version of the specification, without the revision number, e.g. [publication].[major].[minor], which is 4.0.1. for this version. Most implementation guides target a single version - e.g. they describe how to use a particular version, and the profiles and examples etc are valid for that version. But some implementation guides describe how to use multiple different versions of FHIR to solve the same problem, or in concert with each other. Typically, the requirement to support multiple versions arises as implementation matures and different implementation communities are stuck at different versions by regulation or market dynamics.
dependsOn		ImplementationGuideDependsOn[]	Another Implementation guide this depends on Details Another implementation guide that this implementation depends on. Typically, an implementation guide uses value sets, profiles etc.defined in other implementation guides.
id		string	Unique id for inter-element referencing Details Unique id for the element within a resource (for internal references). This may be any string value that does not contain spaces.
extension		Extension[]	Additional content defined by implementations Details 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. 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.
modifierExtension		Extension[]	Extensions that cannot be ignored even if unrecognized Details 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). 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.
uri	✓	canonical	Identity of the IG that this depends on Details A canonical reference to the Implementation guide for the dependency. Usually, A canonical reference to the implementation guide is the same as the master location at which the implementation guide is published.
packageId		id	NPM Package name for IG this depends on Details The NPM package name for the Implementation Guide that this IG depends on.
version		string	Version of the IG Details The version of the IG that is depended on, when the correct version is required to understand the IG correctly. This follows the syntax of the NPM packaging version field - see [[reference]].
global		ImplementationGuideGlobal[]	Profiles that apply globally Details A set of profiles that all resources covered by this implementation guide must conform to. See [Default Profiles](implementationguide.html#default) for a discussion of which resources are 'covered' by an implementation guide.
id		string	Unique id for inter-element referencing Details Unique id for the element within a resource (for internal references). This may be any string value that does not contain spaces.
extension		Extension[]	Additional content defined by implementations Details 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. 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.
modifierExtension		Extension[]	Extensions that cannot be ignored even if unrecognized Details 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). 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.
type	✓	code	Type this profile applies to Details The type of resource that all instances must conform to. The type must match that of the profile that is referred to but is made explicit here as a denormalization so that a system processing the implementation guide resource knows which resources the profile applies to even if the profile itself is not available.
profile	✓	canonical	Profile that all resources must conform to Details A reference to the profile that all instances must conform to.
definition		ImplementationGuideDefinition	Information needed to build the IG Details The information needed by an IG publisher tool to publish the whole implementation guide. Principally, this consists of information abuot source resource and file locations, and build parameters and templates.
id		string	Unique id for inter-element referencing Details Unique id for the element within a resource (for internal references). This may be any string value that does not contain spaces.
extension		Extension[]	Additional content defined by implementations Details 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. 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.
modifierExtension		Extension[]	Extensions that cannot be ignored even if unrecognized Details 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). 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.
grouping		ImplementationGuideDefinitionGrouping[]	Grouping used to present related resources in the IG Details A logical group of resources. Logical groups can be used when building pages. Groupings are arbitrary sub-divisions of content. Typically, they are used to help build Table of Contents automatically.
id		string	Unique id for inter-element referencing Details Unique id for the element within a resource (for internal references). This may be any string value that does not contain spaces.
extension		Extension[]	Additional content defined by implementations Details 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. 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.
modifierExtension		Extension[]	Extensions that cannot be ignored even if unrecognized Details 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). 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.
name	✓	string	Descriptive name for the package Details The human-readable title to display for the package of resources when rendering the implementation guide.
description		string	Human readable text describing the package Details Human readable text describing the package.
resource	✓	ImplementationGuideDefinitionResource[]	Resource in the implementation guide Details A resource that is part of the implementation guide. Conformance resources (value set, structure definition, capability statements etc.) are obvious candidates for inclusion, but any kind of resource can be included as an example resource.
id		string	Unique id for inter-element referencing Details Unique id for the element within a resource (for internal references). This may be any string value that does not contain spaces.
extension		Extension[]	Additional content defined by implementations Details 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. 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.
modifierExtension		Extension[]	Extensions that cannot be ignored even if unrecognized Details 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). 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.
reference	✓	Reference<Resource>	Location of the resource Details Where this resource is found. Usually this is a relative URL that locates the resource within the implementation guide. If you authoring an implementation guide, and will publish it using the FHIR publication tooling, use a URI that may point to a resource, or to one of various alternative representations (e.g. spreadsheet). The tooling will convert this when it publishes it.
fhirVersion		code[]	Versions this applies to (if different to IG) Details Indicates the FHIR Version(s) this artifact is intended to apply to. If no versions are specified, the resource is assumed to apply to all the versions stated in ImplementationGuide.fhirVersion. The resource SHALL be valid against all the versions it is specified to apply to. If the resource referred to is a StructureDefinition, the fhirVersion stated in the StructureDefinition cannot disagree with the version specified here; the specified versions SHALL include the version specified by the StructureDefinition, and may include additional versions using the [applicable-version](extension-structuredefinition-applicable-version.html) extension.
name		string	Human Name for the resource Details A human assigned name for the resource. All resources SHOULD have a name, but the name may be extracted from the resource (e.g. ValueSet.name).
description		string	Reason why included in guide Details A description of the reason that a resource has been included in the implementation guide. This is mostly used with examples to explain why it is present (though they can have extensive comments in the examples).
example[x]		boolean, canonical	Is an example/What is this an example of? Details If true or a reference, indicates the resource is an example instance. If a reference is present, indicates that the example is an example of the specified profile. Examples: * StructureDefinition -> Any * ValueSet -> expansion * OperationDefinition -> Parameters * Questionnaire -> QuestionnaireResponse.
groupingId		id	Grouping this is part of Details Reference to the id of the grouping this resource appears in. This must correspond to a package.id element within this implementation guide.
page		ImplementationGuideDefinitionPage	Page/Section in the Guide Details A page / section in the implementation guide. The root page is the implementation guide home page. Pages automatically become sections if they have sub-pages. By convention, the home page is called index.html.
id		string	Unique id for inter-element referencing Details Unique id for the element within a resource (for internal references). This may be any string value that does not contain spaces.
extension		Extension[]	Additional content defined by implementations Details 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. 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.
modifierExtension		Extension[]	Extensions that cannot be ignored even if unrecognized Details 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). 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.
name[x]	✓	url, Reference<Binary>	Where to find that page Details The source address for the page. The publishing tool will autogenerate source for list (source = n/a) and inject included implementations for include (source = uri of guide to include).
title	✓	string	Short title shown for navigational assistance Details A short title used to represent this page in navigational structures such as table of contents, bread crumbs, etc.
generation	✓	code	html | markdown | xml | generated Details A code that indicates how the page is generated.
page		[]	Nested Pages / Sections Details Nested Pages/Sections under this page. The implementation guide breadcrumbs are generated from this structure.
parameter		ImplementationGuideDefinitionParameter[]	Defines how IG is built by tools Details Defines how IG is built by tools.
id		string	Unique id for inter-element referencing Details Unique id for the element within a resource (for internal references). This may be any string value that does not contain spaces.
extension		Extension[]	Additional content defined by implementations Details 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. 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.
modifierExtension		Extension[]	Extensions that cannot be ignored even if unrecognized Details 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). 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.
code	✓	code	apply | path-resource | path-pages | path-tx-cache | expansion-parameter | rule-broken-links | generate-xml | generate-json | generate-turtle | html-template Details apply | path-resource | path-pages | path-tx-cache | expansion-parameter | rule-broken-links | generate-xml | generate-json | generate-turtle | html-template.
value	✓	string	Value for named type Details Value for named type.
template		ImplementationGuideDefinitionTemplate[]	A template for building resources Details A template for building resources.
id		string	Unique id for inter-element referencing Details Unique id for the element within a resource (for internal references). This may be any string value that does not contain spaces.
extension		Extension[]	Additional content defined by implementations Details 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. 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.
modifierExtension		Extension[]	Extensions that cannot be ignored even if unrecognized Details 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). 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.
code	✓	code	Type of template specified Details Type of template specified.
source	✓	string	The source location for the template Details The source location for the template.
scope		string	The scope in which the template applies Details The scope in which the template applies.
manifest		ImplementationGuideManifest	Information about an assembled IG Details Information about an assembled implementation guide, created by the publication tooling.
id		string	Unique id for inter-element referencing Details Unique id for the element within a resource (for internal references). This may be any string value that does not contain spaces.
extension		Extension[]	Additional content defined by implementations Details 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. 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.
modifierExtension		Extension[]	Extensions that cannot be ignored even if unrecognized Details 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). 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.
rendering		url	Location of rendered implementation guide Details A pointer to official web page, PDF or other rendering of the implementation guide.
resource	✓	ImplementationGuideManifestResource[]	Resource in the implementation guide Details A resource that is part of the implementation guide. Conformance resources (value set, structure definition, capability statements etc.) are obvious candidates for inclusion, but any kind of resource can be included as an example resource.
id		string	Unique id for inter-element referencing Details Unique id for the element within a resource (for internal references). This may be any string value that does not contain spaces.
extension		Extension[]	Additional content defined by implementations Details 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. 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.
modifierExtension		Extension[]	Extensions that cannot be ignored even if unrecognized Details 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). 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.
reference	✓	Reference<Resource>	Location of the resource Details Where this resource is found. Usually this is a relative URL that locates the resource within the implementation guide. If you authoring an implementation guide, and will publish it using the FHIR publication tooling, use a URI that may point to a resource, or to one of various alternative representations (e.g. spreadsheet). The tooling will convert this when it publishes it.
example[x]		boolean, canonical	Is an example/What is this an example of? Details If true or a reference, indicates the resource is an example instance. If a reference is present, indicates that the example is an example of the specified profile. Typically, conformance resources and knowledge resources are directly part of the implementation guide, with their normal meaning, and patient linked resources are usually examples. However this is not always true.
relativePath		url	Relative path for page in IG Details The relative path for primary page for this resource within the IG. Appending 'rendering' + "/" + this should resolve to the resource page.
page		ImplementationGuideManifestPage[]	HTML page within the parent IG Details Information about a page within the IG.
id		string	Unique id for inter-element referencing Details Unique id for the element within a resource (for internal references). This may be any string value that does not contain spaces.
extension		Extension[]	Additional content defined by implementations Details 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. 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.
modifierExtension		Extension[]	Extensions that cannot be ignored even if unrecognized Details 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). 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.
name	✓	string	HTML page name Details Relative path to the page. Appending 'rendering' + "/" + this should resolve to the page.
title		string	Title of the page, for references Details Label for the page intended for human display.
anchor		string[]	Anchor available on the page Details The name of an anchor available on the page. Appending 'rendering' + "/" + page.name + "#" + page.anchor should resolve to the anchor.
image		string[]	Image within the IG Details Indicates a relative path to an image that exists within the IG.
other		string[]	Additional linkable file in IG Details Indicates the relative path of an additional non-page, non-image file that is part of the IG - e.g. zip, jar and similar files that could be the target of a hyperlink in a derived IG.

Search Parameters

Name	Type	Description	Expression
context	token	A use context assigned to the implementation guide	ImplementationGuide.useContext.value as CodeableConcept
context-quantity	quantity	A quantity- or range-valued use context assigned to the implementation guide	ImplementationGuide.useContext.value as Quantity | ImplementationGuide.useContext.value as Range
context-type	token	A type of use context assigned to the implementation guide	ImplementationGuide.useContext.code
date	date	The implementation guide publication date	ImplementationGuide.date
description	string	The description of the implementation guide	ImplementationGuide.description
jurisdiction	token	Intended jurisdiction for the implementation guide	ImplementationGuide.jurisdiction
name	string	Computationally friendly name of the implementation guide	ImplementationGuide.name
publisher	string	Name of the publisher of the implementation guide	ImplementationGuide.publisher
status	token	The current status of the implementation guide	ImplementationGuide.status
title	string	The human-friendly name of the implementation guide	ImplementationGuide.title
url	uri	The uri that identifies the implementation guide	ImplementationGuide.url
version	token	The business version of the implementation guide	ImplementationGuide.version
context-type-quantity	composite	A use context type and quantity- or range-based value assigned to the implementation guide	ImplementationGuide.useContext
context-type-value	composite	A use context type and value assigned to the implementation guide	ImplementationGuide.useContext
depends-on	reference	Identity of the IG that this depends on	ImplementationGuide.dependsOn.uri
experimental	token	For testing purposes, not real usage	ImplementationGuide.experimental
global	reference	Profile that all resources must conform to	ImplementationGuide.global.profile
resource	reference	Location of the resource	ImplementationGuide.definition.resource.reference

Inherited Elements

Name	Required	Type	Description
id		string	Logical id of this artifact Details The logical id of the resource, as used in the URL for the resource. Once assigned, this value never changes. The only time that a resource does not have an id is when it is being submitted to the server using a create operation.
meta		Meta	Metadata about the resource Details 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.
implicitRules		uri	A set of rules under which this content was created Details 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. 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.
language		code	Language of the resource content Details The base language in which the resource is written. 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).
text		Narrative	Text summary of the resource, for human interpretation Details 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. 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.
contained		Resource[]	Contained, inline Resources Details 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. 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.
extension		Extension[]	Additional content defined by implementations Details May be used to represent additional information that is not part of the basic definition of the resource. To make the use of extensions safe and manageable, there is a strict set of governance applied to the definition and use of extensions. Though any implementer can define an extension, there is a set of requirements that SHALL be met as part of the definition of the extension. 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.
modifierExtension		Extension[]	Extensions that cannot be ignored Details 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). 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.

Usage

An implementation guide (IG) is a set of rules about how FHIR resources are used (or should be used) to solve a particular problem, with associated documentation to support and clarify the usage. Classically, FHIR implementation guides are published on the web after they are generated using the FHIR Implementation Guide Publisher .

The ImplementationGuide resource is a single resource that defines the logical content of the IG, along with the important entry pages into the publication, so that the logical package that the IG represents, so that the contents are computable.

In particular, validators are able to use the ImplementationGuide resource to validate content against the implementation guide as a whole. The significant conformance expectation introduced by the ImplementationGuide resource is the idea of Default Profiles. Implementations may conform to multiple implementation guides at once, but this requires that the implementation guides are compatible (see below).

Relationships

Implementation Guides contain two different types of resource references:

• Contents: A set of logical statements which implementations must conform to. These are almost always conformance resources
• Examples: Examples that illustrate the intent of the profiles defined in the implementation guide. These can be any kind of resource

An application's Capability Statement may identify one or more implementation guides that an application conforms to.

Referenced By

• ElementDefinition
• CapabilityStatement