{"caseSensitive":true,"concept":[{"code":"literal","definition":"The server supports and populates Literal references (i.e. using Reference.reference) where they are known (this code does not guarantee that all references are literal; see 'enforced').","display":"Literal References"},{"code":"logical","definition":"The server allows logical references (i.e. using Reference.identifier).","display":"Logical References"},{"code":"resolves","definition":"The server will attempt to resolve logical references to literal references - i.e. converting Reference.identifier to Reference.reference (if resolution fails, the server may still accept resources; see logical).","display":"Resolves References"},{"code":"enforced","definition":"The server enforces that references have integrity - e.g. it ensures that references can always be resolved. This is typically the case for clinical record systems, but often not the case for middleware/proxy systems.","display":"Reference Integrity Enforced"},{"code":"local","definition":"The server does not support references that point to other servers.","display":"Local References Only"}],"contact":[{"telecom":[{"system":"url","value":"http://hl7.org/fhir"},{"system":"email","value":"fhir@lists.hl7.org"}]}],"content":"complete","date":"2021-01-05T10:01:24+11:00","description":"A set of flags that defines how references are supported.","experimental":false,"extension":[{"url":"http://hl7.org/fhir/StructureDefinition/structuredefinition-wg","valueCode":"fhir"},{"url":"http://hl7.org/fhir/StructureDefinition/structuredefinition-standards-status","valueCode":"normative"},{"url":"http://hl7.org/fhir/StructureDefinition/structuredefinition-fmm","valueInteger":5}],"id":"reference-handling-policy","identifier":[{"system":"urn:ietf:rfc:3986","value":"urn:oid:2.16.840.1.113883.4.642.4.203"},{"system":"urn:ietf:rfc:3986","use":"old","value":"urn:oid:2.16.840.1.113883.4.642.1.193"}],"jurisdiction":[{"coding":[{"code":"001","display":"World","system":"http://unstats.un.org/unsd/methods/m49/m49.htm"}]}],"meta":{"lastUpdated":"2026-04-01T17:59:15.240+00:00"},"name":"ReferenceHandlingPolicy","publisher":"HL7 (FHIR Project)","resourceType":"CodeSystem","status":"active","text":{"div":"<div xmlns=\"http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml\"><p class=\"res-header-id\"><b>Generated Narrative: CodeSystem reference-handling-policy</b></p><a name=\"reference-handling-policy\"> </a><a name=\"hcreference-handling-policy\"> </a><p>This case-sensitive code system <code>http://hl7.org/fhir/reference-handling-policy</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\">literal<a name=\"reference-handling-policy-literal\"> </a></td><td>Literal References</td><td>The server supports and populates Literal references (i.e. using Reference.reference) where they are known (this code does not guarantee that all references are literal; see 'enforced').</td></tr><tr><td style=\"white-space:nowrap\">logical<a name=\"reference-handling-policy-logical\"> </a></td><td>Logical References</td><td>The server allows logical references (i.e. using Reference.identifier).</td></tr><tr><td style=\"white-space:nowrap\">resolves<a name=\"reference-handling-policy-resolves\"> </a></td><td>Resolves References</td><td>The server will attempt to resolve logical references to literal references - i.e. converting Reference.identifier to Reference.reference (if resolution fails, the server may still accept resources; see logical).</td></tr><tr><td style=\"white-space:nowrap\">enforced<a name=\"reference-handling-policy-enforced\"> </a></td><td>Reference Integrity Enforced</td><td>The server enforces that references have integrity - e.g. it ensures that references can always be resolved. This is typically the case for clinical record systems, but often not the case for middleware/proxy systems.</td></tr><tr><td style=\"white-space:nowrap\">local<a name=\"reference-handling-policy-local\"> </a></td><td>Local References Only</td><td>The server does not support references that point to other servers.</td></tr></table></div>","status":"generated"},"title":"Reference Handling Policy","url":"http://hl7.org/fhir/reference-handling-policy","valueSet":"http://hl7.org/fhir/ValueSet/reference-handling-policy","version":"6.0.0-ballot4"}