ObservationDefinition2 FHIR Resource Proposal

ObservationDefinition

Owning work group name

Orders_&_Observations_WG

Committee Approval Date:

Please enter the date that the committee approved this Resource proposal

Contributing or Reviewing Work Groups

None

FHIR Resource Development Project Insight ID

Ordering Service Interface Specification Project (1010)

Scope of coverage

An instance of ObservationDefinition represents the definitional aspects of a kind of observation. This resource is used in a catalog of products or services for healthcare. It provides the definition of observations, which are used as input or produced as outcome of these products and services. The focus of the definitional aspects of ObservationDefinition is not on the action of performing observations of that kind. Rather, it is on the outcome of the observations. An instance of ObservationDefinition represents a set of constraints applicable to the value produced by observations of this kind. This set of constraints may have two utilities: 1) It guides the entry of the result of an observation of the kind defined. 2) It helps the consumer of the results of observations of that kind, to interpret properly these results.

For instance, in a catalog of laboratory in vitro diagnostic services, the ObservationDefinition resources describe the observations that should be provided by the orderer alongside with an ordered service (questions asked at order entry or at specimen collection, prior results) as well as the observations that will be reported once the service has been performed.

In a catalog of medications, ObservationDefinition resources can be used to describe observations the result thereof need to be checked against the prescription of a particular medicinal product (therapeutic range, units ...)

In the catalog of tests of an in vitro diagnostic device, ObservationDefinition resources can be used to characterize (absolute range, unit, decimal precision, critical values ...) the observations that will be produced by the IVD tests performed by the device.

ObservationDefinition may be used to characterize observations from any discipline.

RIM scope

Observation class with moodCode="DEF"

Resource appropriateness

Like an instance of Observation, an instance of ObservationDefinition has a code, which identifies the kind of observation that is expected. Unlike an instance of Observation, though, an instance of ObservationDefinition does not have a value, since it is in definitional mood. The instance of ObservationDefinition has the properties that characterize the values expected from observations complying with this definition, such as: data types usable for value, multiple values allowed or not, various qualified ranges for numeric or ordinal results, various qualified value sets for coded values, units, decimal precision ...

In other words, an instance of ObservationDefinition acts as a set of constraints applicable to any instance of Observation claiming conformance to this definition.

ObservationDefinition instances lay in catalogs of products or services for healthcare, mostly as supportive resources to the entries of these catalogs. An example is: The definition of a "body temperature" observation to be provided at entry of an arterial blood gas service order.

Expected implementations

• Cognitive Medical Systems, Inc
• Intermountain Healthcare
• Phast

Content sources

One major source of specifications is represented by the electronic Directory of Services (eDOS) implementation guide of HL7 v2.x messages of chapter 8 "Master files". Although this implementation guide is built for the US realm, most of its technical content (definitions of services, specimens, observations) is recognized to cover the universal realm.

When Resource Proposal Is Complete

When you have completed your proposal, please send an email to FMGcontact@HL7.org