{"caseSensitive":true,"concept":[{"code":"boolean","definition":"A boolean variable is a variable which is defined to have only 2 possible values: True or False.","display":"boolean variable"},{"code":"continuous","definition":"A continuous variable is one for which, within the limits the variable ranges, any value is possible (from STATO http://purl.obolibrary.org/obo/STATO_0000251).","display":"continuous variable"},{"code":"dichotomous","definition":"A dichotomous variable is a categorical variable which is defined to have only 2 categories or possible values (from STATO http://purl.obolibrary.org/obo/STATO_0000090).","display":"dichotomous variable"},{"code":"ordinal","definition":"An ordinal variable is a categorical variable where the discrete possible values are ordered or correspond to an implicit ranking (from STATO http://purl.obolibrary.org/obo/STATO_0000228).","display":"ordinal variable"},{"code":"polychotomous","definition":"A polychotomous variable is a categorical variable which is defined to have minimally 2 categories or possible values. (from STATO  http://purl.obolibrary.org/obo/STATO_0000087).  Suggestion to limit code use to situations when neither dichotomous nor ordinal variables apply.","display":"polychotomous variable"},{"code":"time-to-event","definition":"time-to-event","display":"time-to-event"},{"code":"not-specified","definition":"not-specified","display":"not-specified"}],"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":"The handling of the variable in statistical analysis for exposures or outcomes (E.g. Dichotomous, Continuous, Descriptive).","experimental":false,"extension":[{"url":"http://hl7.org/fhir/StructureDefinition/structuredefinition-wg","valueCode":"cds"},{"url":"http://hl7.org/fhir/StructureDefinition/structuredefinition-standards-status","valueCode":"normative"},{"url":"http://hl7.org/fhir/StructureDefinition/structuredefinition-fmm","valueInteger":5}],"id":"variable-handling-example","jurisdiction":[{"coding":[{"code":"001","display":"World","system":"http://unstats.un.org/unsd/methods/m49/m49.htm"}]}],"meta":{"lastUpdated":"2026-03-31T21:09:49.899+00:00"},"name":"EvidenceVariableHandlingExample","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 variable-handling-example</b></p><a name=\"variable-handling-example\"> </a><a name=\"hcvariable-handling-example\"> </a><p>This case-sensitive code system <code>http://hl7.org/fhir/variable-handling-example</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\">boolean<a name=\"variable-handling-example-boolean\"> </a></td><td>boolean variable</td><td>A boolean variable is a variable which is defined to have only 2 possible values: True or False.</td></tr><tr><td style=\"white-space:nowrap\">continuous<a name=\"variable-handling-example-continuous\"> </a></td><td>continuous variable</td><td>A continuous variable is one for which, within the limits the variable ranges, any value is possible (from STATO http://purl.obolibrary.org/obo/STATO_0000251).</td></tr><tr><td style=\"white-space:nowrap\">dichotomous<a name=\"variable-handling-example-dichotomous\"> </a></td><td>dichotomous variable</td><td>A dichotomous variable is a categorical variable which is defined to have only 2 categories or possible values (from STATO http://purl.obolibrary.org/obo/STATO_0000090).</td></tr><tr><td style=\"white-space:nowrap\">ordinal<a name=\"variable-handling-example-ordinal\"> </a></td><td>ordinal variable</td><td>An ordinal variable is a categorical variable where the discrete possible values are ordered or correspond to an implicit ranking (from STATO http://purl.obolibrary.org/obo/STATO_0000228).</td></tr><tr><td style=\"white-space:nowrap\">polychotomous<a name=\"variable-handling-example-polychotomous\"> </a></td><td>polychotomous variable</td><td>A polychotomous variable is a categorical variable which is defined to have minimally 2 categories or possible values. (from STATO  http://purl.obolibrary.org/obo/STATO_0000087).  Suggestion to limit code use to situations when neither dichotomous nor ordinal variables apply.</td></tr><tr><td style=\"white-space:nowrap\">time-to-event<a name=\"variable-handling-example-time-to-event\"> </a></td><td>time-to-event</td><td>time-to-event</td></tr><tr><td style=\"white-space:nowrap\">not-specified<a name=\"variable-handling-example-not-specified\"> </a></td><td>not-specified</td><td>not-specified</td></tr></table></div>","status":"generated"},"title":"Evidence Variable Handling Example","url":"http://hl7.org/fhir/variable-handling-example","valueSet":"http://hl7.org/fhir/ValueSet/variable-handling-example","version":"6.0.0-ballot4"}