Structured Data Capture
3.0.0 - STU 3 International flag

Structured Data Capture, published by HL7 International / FHIR Infrastructure. This guide is not an authorized publication; it is the continuous build for version 3.0.0 built by the FHIR (HL7® FHIR® Standard) CI Build. This version is based on the current content of https://github.com/HL7/sdc/ and changes regularly. See the Directory of published versions

Resource Profile: SDCQuestionnairePopulateObservation - Detailed Descriptions

Page standards status: Draft Maturity Level: 0

Definitions for the sdc-questionnaire-pop-obsn resource profile.

Guidance on how to interpret the contents of this table can be found here

0. Questionnaire
Definition

Defines elements that support auto-population and pre-population of questionnaires using the Observation-based population mechanism.

ShortPopulatable Questionnaire - Observation
2. Questionnaire.item
4. Questionnaire.item.extension:observationLinkPeriod
Slice NameobservationLinkPeriod
Control0..1
TypeExtension(Obervation link period) (Extension Type: Duration)
Must Supporttrue
6. Questionnaire.item.extension:unit
Slice Nameunit
Control0..1
TypeExtension(unit) (Extension Type: Coding)
Must Supporttrue
8. Questionnaire.item.extension:isSubject
Slice NameisSubject
Control0..1
TypeExtension(Is subject?) (Extension Type: boolean)
Requirements

Allows the population process to leverage the fact that the subject for this group and descendants is distinct

10. Questionnaire.item.code
Must Supporttrue

Guidance on how to interpret the contents of this table can be found here

0. Questionnaire
Definition

Defines elements that support auto-population and pre-population of questionnaires using the Observation-based population mechanism.


A structured set of questions intended to guide the collection of answers from end-users. Questionnaires provide detailed control over order, presentation, phraseology and grouping to allow coherent, consistent data collection.

ShortPopulatable Questionnaire - ObservationA structured set of questions
Control0..*
Is Modifierfalse
Summaryfalse
Alternate NamesForm, CRF, Survey
Invariantsdom-2: If the resource is contained in another resource, it SHALL NOT contain nested Resources (contained.contained.empty())
dom-3: If the resource is contained in another resource, it SHALL be referred to from elsewhere in the resource or SHALL refer to the containing resource (contained.where((('#'+id in (%resource.descendants().reference | %resource.descendants().as(canonical) | %resource.descendants().as(uri) | %resource.descendants().as(url))) or descendants().where(reference = '#').exists() or descendants().where(as(canonical) = '#').exists() or descendants().where(as(canonical) = '#').exists()).not()).trace('unmatched', id).empty())
dom-4: If a resource is contained in another resource, it SHALL NOT have a meta.versionId or a meta.lastUpdated (contained.meta.versionId.empty() and contained.meta.lastUpdated.empty())
dom-5: If a resource is contained in another resource, it SHALL NOT have a security label (contained.meta.security.empty())
dom-6: A resource should have narrative for robust management (text.`div`.exists())
que-0: Name should be usable as an identifier for the module by machine processing applications such as code generation (name.matches('[A-Z]([A-Za-z0-9_]){0,254}'))
que-2: The link ids for groups and questions must be unique within the questionnaire (descendants().linkId.isDistinct())
que-0: Name should be usable as an identifier for the module by machine processing applications such as code generation (name.matches('[A-Z]([A-Za-z0-9_]){0,254}'))
que-2: The link ids for groups and questions must be unique within the questionnaire (descendants().linkId.isDistinct())
2. Questionnaire.implicitRules
Definition

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.

ShortA set of rules under which this content was created
Comments

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.

Control0..1
Typeuri
Is Modifiertrue because This element is labeled as a modifier because the implicit rules may provide additional knowledge about the resource that modifies it's meaning or interpretation
Primitive ValueThis primitive element may be present, or absent, or replaced by an extension
Summarytrue
Invariantsele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
4. Questionnaire.extension:designNote
Slice NamedesignNote
Definition

Information captured by the author/maintainer of the questionnaire for development purposes, not intended to be seen by users.

ShortDesign comments
Comments

Allows capture of todos, rationale for design decisions, etc. It can also be used to capture comments about the completion of the form in general. Allows commentary to be captured during the process of answering a questionnaire (if not already supported by the form design) as well as after the form is completed. Comments are not part of the "data" of the form. If a form prompts for a comment, this should be captured in an answer, not in this element. Formal assessments of the QuestionnareResponse would use Observation.

Control0..1
This element is affected by the following invariants: ele-1
TypeExtension(Design Note) (Extension Type: markdown)
Is Modifierfalse
Invariantsele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
ext-1: Must have either extensions or value[x], not both (extension.exists() != value.exists())
ext-1: Must have either extensions or value[x], not both (extension.exists() != value.exists())
6. Questionnaire.extension:terminologyServer
Slice NameterminologyServer
Definition

Indicates the terminology server(s) that are known to be capable of returning and potentially expanding the value set(s) associated with the whole questionnaire or a particular group or question within the questionnaire (depending on where the extension appears). If a full URL is not provided AND the requested query is a terminology operation (e.g. $lookup or $expand) the client SHOULD execute the operation against the preferredTerminologyServer rather than the local repository.

ShortPreferred terminology server
Comments

This includes those referenced by answerValueSet as well as the unitValueSet extension.

Control0..*
This element is affected by the following invariants: ele-1
TypeExtension(Preferred Terminology Server) (Extension Type: url)
Is Modifierfalse
Invariantsele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
ext-1: Must have either extensions or value[x], not both (extension.exists() != value.exists())
ext-1: Must have either extensions or value[x], not both (extension.exists() != value.exists())
8. Questionnaire.extension:performerType
Slice NameperformerType
Definition

Indicates the types of resources that can record answers to a Questionnaire. Open Issue: Should this extension be moved to core?

ShortResource that can record answers to this Questionnaire
Control0..*
This element is affected by the following invariants: ele-1
TypeExtension(Performer type) (Extension Type: code)
Is Modifierfalse
Must Supporttrue
Invariantsele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
ext-1: Must have either extensions or value[x], not both (extension.exists() != value.exists())
ext-1: Must have either extensions or value[x], not both (extension.exists() != value.exists())
10. Questionnaire.extension:assemble-expectation
Slice Nameassemble-expectation
Definition

If present, indicates that this questionnaire has expectations with respect to assembly. Specifically, indicates whether this form requires assembly (i.e. it can't be used directly without invoking the $assemble operation operation on it) and/or whether it is intended for use only as a 'child' in an assembly process. The assembly processs might mean filling in item metadata based on information looked up from item.definitions and/or retrieving sub-questionnaires pointed to by sub-questionnaire extensions.

ShortQuestionnaire is modular
Comments

SDC-conformant Questionnaires SHALL declare this extension if they require an assembly process prior to use. If not declared, then the Questionnaire is not necessarily safe for use as a child form and does not require assembly prior to use.

Control0..1
This element is affected by the following invariants: ele-1
TypeExtension(Assembly Expectations for Questionnaire) (Extension Type: code)
Is Modifierfalse
Must Supporttrue
Invariantsele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
ext-1: Must have either extensions or value[x], not both (extension.exists() != value.exists())
ext-1: Must have either extensions or value[x], not both (extension.exists() != value.exists())
12. Questionnaire.modifierExtension
Definition

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).

ShortExtensions that cannot be ignored
Comments

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.

Control0..*
TypeExtension
Is Modifiertrue because Modifier extensions are expected to modify the meaning or interpretation of the resource that contains them
Summaryfalse
Requirements

Modifier extensions allow for extensions that cannot be safely ignored to be clearly distinguished from the vast majority of extensions which can be safely ignored. This promotes interoperability by eliminating the need for implementers to prohibit the presence of extensions. For further information, see the definition of modifier extensions.

Alternate Namesextensions, user content
Invariantsele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
ext-1: Must have either extensions or value[x], not both (extension.exists() != value.exists())
14. Questionnaire.url
Definition

An absolute URI that is used to identify this questionnaire 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 questionnaire is (or will be) published. This URL can be the target of a canonical reference. It SHALL remain the same when the questionnaire is stored on different servers.

ShortCanonical identifier for this questionnaire, represented as a URI (globally unique)
Comments

The name of the referenced questionnaire can be conveyed using the http://hl7.org/fhir/StructureDefinition/display extension.

Control10..1
Typeuri
Is Modifierfalse
Primitive ValueThis primitive element may be present, or absent, or replaced by an extension
Must Supporttrue
Summarytrue
Requirements

… This is the id that will be used to link a QuestionnaireResponse to the Questionnaire the response is for.

Invariantsele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
16. Questionnaire.version
Definition

The identifier that is used to identify this version of the questionnaire when it is referenced in a specification, model, design or instance. This is an arbitrary value managed by the questionnaire 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.

ShortBusiness version of the questionnaire
Comments

There may be different questionnaire 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 questionnaire with the format [url]|[version].

NoteThis is a business versionId, not a resource version id (see discussion)
Control0..1
Typestring
Is Modifierfalse
Primitive ValueThis primitive element may be present, or absent, or replaced by an extension
Must Supporttrue
Summarytrue
Invariantsele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
18. Questionnaire.title
Definition

A short, descriptive, user-friendly title for the questionnaire.

ShortName for this questionnaire (human friendly)
Comments

This name does not need to be machine-processing friendly and may contain punctuation, white-space, etc.

Control0..1
Typestring
Is Modifierfalse
Primitive ValueThis primitive element may be present, or absent, or replaced by an extension
Must Supporttrue
Summarytrue
Invariantsele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
20. Questionnaire.status
Definition

The status of this questionnaire. Enables tracking the life-cycle of the content.

Shortdraft | active | retired | unknown
Comments

Allows filtering of questionnaires that are appropriate for use versus not.

Control1..1
BindingThe codes SHALL be taken from PublicationStatushttp://hl7.org/fhir/ValueSet/publication-status|4.0.1

The lifecycle status of an artifact.

Typecode
Is Modifiertrue because This is labeled as "Is Modifier" because applications should not use a retired {{title}} without due consideration
Primitive ValueThis primitive element may be present, or absent, or replaced by an extension
Must Supporttrue
Summarytrue
Invariantsele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
22. Questionnaire.subjectType
Definition

The types of subjects that can be the subject of responses created for the questionnaire.

ShortResource that can be subject of QuestionnaireResponse
Comments

If none are specified, then the subject is unlimited.

Control0..*
BindingThe codes SHALL be taken from ResourceTypehttp://hl7.org/fhir/ValueSet/resource-types|4.0.1

One of the resource types defined as part of this version of FHIR.

Typecode
Is Modifierfalse
Primitive ValueThis primitive element may be present, or absent, or replaced by an extension
Must Supporttrue
Summarytrue
Requirements

A Questionnaire SHOULD specify the subject. However, it is optional to support legacy questionnaires.

Invariantsele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
24. Questionnaire.item
Definition

A particular question, question grouping or display text that is part of the questionnaire.

ShortQuestions and sections within the Questionnaire
Comments

The content of the questionnaire is constructed from an ordered, hierarchical collection of items.

Control0..*
This element is affected by the following invariants: que-3
TypeBackboneElement
Is Modifierfalse
Must Supporttrue
Summaryfalse
Invariantsele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
que-1: Group items must have nested items, display items cannot have nested items ((type='group' implies item.empty().not()) and (type.trace('type')='display' implies item.trace('item').empty()))
que-3: Display items cannot have a "code" asserted (type!='display' or code.empty())
que-4: A question cannot have both answerOption and answerValueSet (answerOption.empty() or answerValueSet.empty())
que-5: Only 'choice' and 'open-choice' items can have answerValueSet ((type ='choice' or type = 'open-choice' or type = 'decimal' or type = 'integer' or type = 'date' or type = 'dateTime' or type = 'time' or type = 'string' or type = 'quantity') or (answerValueSet.empty() and answerOption.empty()))
que-6: Required and repeat aren't permitted for display items (type!='display' or (required.empty() and repeats.empty()))
que-8: Initial values can't be specified for groups or display items ((type!='group' and type!='display') or initial.empty())
que-9: Read-only can't be specified for "display" items (type!='display' or readOnly.empty())
que-10: Maximum length can only be declared for simple question types ((type in ('boolean' | 'decimal' | 'integer' | 'string' | 'text' | 'url' | 'open-choice')) or maxLength.empty())
que-11: If one or more answerOption is present, initial[x] must be missing (answerOption.empty() or initial.empty())
que-12: If there are more than one enableWhen, enableBehavior must be specified (enableWhen.count() > 2 implies enableBehavior.exists())
que-13: Can only have multiple initial values for repeating items (repeats=true or initial.count() <= 1)
sdc-1: An item cannot have an answerExpression if answerOption or answerValueSet is already present. (extension('http://hl7.org/fhir/uv/sdc/StructureDefinition/sdc-questionnaire-answerExpression').empty().not() implies (answerOption.empty() and answerValueSet.empty()))
que-1: Group items must have nested items, display items cannot have nested items ((type='group' implies item.empty().not()) and (type.trace('type')='display' implies item.trace('item').empty()))
que-3: Display items cannot have a "code" asserted (type!='display' or code.empty())
que-4: A question cannot have both answerOption and answerValueSet (answerOption.empty() or answerValueSet.empty())
que-5: Only 'choice' and 'open-choice' items can have answerValueSet ((type ='choice' or type = 'open-choice' or type = 'decimal' or type = 'integer' or type = 'date' or type = 'dateTime' or type = 'time' or type = 'string' or type = 'quantity') or (answerValueSet.empty() and answerOption.empty()))
que-6: Required and repeat aren't permitted for display items (type!='display' or (required.empty() and repeats.empty()))
que-8: Initial values can't be specified for groups or display items ((type!='group' and type!='display') or initial.empty())
que-9: Read-only can't be specified for "display" items (type!='display' or readOnly.empty())
que-10: Maximum length can only be declared for simple question types ((type in ('boolean' | 'decimal' | 'integer' | 'string' | 'text' | 'url' | 'open-choice')) or maxLength.empty())
que-11: If one or more answerOption is present, initial[x] must be missing (answerOption.empty() or initial.empty())
que-12: If there are more than one enableWhen, enableBehavior must be specified (enableWhen.count() > 2 implies enableBehavior.exists())
que-13: Can only have multiple initial values for repeating items (repeats=true or initial.count() <= 1)
26. Questionnaire.item.extension:designNote
Slice NamedesignNote
Definition

Information captured by the author/maintainer of the questionnaire for development purposes, not intended to be seen by users.

ShortDesign comments
Comments

Allows capture of todos, rationale for design decisions, etc. It can also be used to capture comments about specific groups or questions within it. Allows commentary to be captured during the process of answering a questionnaire (if not already supported by the form design) as well as after the form is completed. Comments are not part of the "data" of the form. If a form prompts for a comment, this should be captured in an answer, not in this element. Formal assessments of the QuestionnareResponse would use Observation.

Control0..1
This element is affected by the following invariants: ele-1
TypeExtension(Design Note) (Extension Type: markdown)
Is Modifierfalse
Invariantsele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
ext-1: Must have either extensions or value[x], not both (extension.exists() != value.exists())
ext-1: Must have either extensions or value[x], not both (extension.exists() != value.exists())
28. Questionnaire.item.extension:terminologyServer
Slice NameterminologyServer
Definition

Indicates the terminology server(s) that are known to be capable of returning and potentially expanding the value set(s) associated with the whole questionnaire or a particular group or question within the questionnaire (depending on where the extension appears). If a full URL is not provided AND the requested query is a terminology operation (e.g. $lookup or $expand) the client SHOULD execute the operation against the preferredTerminologyServer rather than the local repository.

ShortPreferred terminology server
Comments

This includes those referenced by answerValueSet as well as the unitValueSet extension.

Control0..*
This element is affected by the following invariants: ele-1
TypeExtension(Preferred Terminology Server) (Extension Type: url)
Is Modifierfalse
Invariantsele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
ext-1: Must have either extensions or value[x], not both (extension.exists() != value.exists())
ext-1: Must have either extensions or value[x], not both (extension.exists() != value.exists())
30. Questionnaire.item.extension:observationLinkPeriod
Slice NameobservationLinkPeriod
Definition

Indicates the time-period (from 'now') to search for observations that match the Questionnaire.item.code and Questionnaire.subject when pre-populating the QuestionnaireResponse.

ShortRelevant time to pre-pop observation
Comments

If multiple Observations are found, the most recent is used.

Control0..1
TypeExtension(Obervation link period) (Extension Type: Duration)
Is Modifierfalse
Must Supporttrue
Summaryfalse
Invariantsele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
ext-1: Must have either extensions or value[x], not both (extension.exists() != value.exists())
32. Questionnaire.item.extension:unit
Slice Nameunit
Definition

Provides a computable unit of measure associated with numeric questions to support subsequent computation on responses. This is for use on items of type integer and decimal, and it's purpose is to support converting the integer or decimal answer into a Quantity when extracting the data into a resource.

ShortUnit for numeric answer
Comments

The human-readable unit is conveyed as a display element. This element is for computation purposes.

Control0..1
TypeExtension(unit) (Extension Type: Coding)
Is Modifierfalse
Must Supporttrue
Summaryfalse
Invariantsele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
ext-1: Must have either extensions or value[x], not both (extension.exists() != value.exists())
34. Questionnaire.item.extension:isSubject
Slice NameisSubject
Definition

If present and true, indicates that the item establishes a different subject for the group in a response.

ShortMarks that this item identifies a different subject
Comments

The item type must be "reference" and there can only be one item with this extension in each group.

Control0..1
TypeExtension(Is subject?) (Extension Type: boolean)
Is Modifierfalse
Summaryfalse
Requirements

Allows the population process to leverage the fact that the subject for this group and descendants is distinct

Invariantsele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
ext-1: Must have either extensions or value[x], not both (extension.exists() != value.exists())
36. Questionnaire.item.modifierExtension
Definition

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).

ShortExtensions that cannot be ignored even if unrecognized
Comments

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.

Control0..*
TypeExtension
Is Modifiertrue because Modifier extensions are expected to modify the meaning or interpretation of the element that contains them
Summarytrue
Requirements

Modifier extensions allow for extensions that cannot be safely ignored to be clearly distinguished from the vast majority of extensions which can be safely ignored. This promotes interoperability by eliminating the need for implementers to prohibit the presence of extensions. For further information, see the definition of modifier extensions.

Alternate Namesextensions, user content, modifiers
Invariantsele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
ext-1: Must have either extensions or value[x], not both (extension.exists() != value.exists())
38. Questionnaire.item.linkId
Definition

An identifier that is unique within the Questionnaire allowing linkage to the equivalent item in a QuestionnaireResponse resource.

ShortUnique id for item in questionnaire
Comments

This ''can'' be a meaningful identifier (e.g. a LOINC code) but is not intended to have any meaning. GUIDs or sequential numbers are appropriate here.

Control1..1
Typestring
Is Modifierfalse
Primitive ValueThis primitive element may be present, or absent, or replaced by an extension
Must Supporttrue
Summaryfalse
Requirements

QuestionnaireResponse does not require omitted items to be included and may have some items that repeat, so linkage based on position alone is not sufficient.

Invariantsele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
40. Questionnaire.item.code
Definition

A terminology code that corresponds to this group or question (e.g. a code from LOINC, which defines many questions and answers).

ShortCorresponding concept for this item in a terminology
Comments

The value may come from the ElementDefinition referred to by .definition.

Control0..*
This element is affected by the following invariants: que-3
BindingFor example codes, see QuestionnaireQuestionCodeshttp://hl7.org/fhir/ValueSet/questionnaire-questions

Codes for questionnaires, groups and individual questions.

TypeCoding
Is Modifierfalse
Must Supporttrue
Summaryfalse
Requirements

Allows linking of groups of questions to formal terminologies.

Invariantsele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
42. Questionnaire.item.prefix
Definition

A short label for a particular group, question or set of display text within the questionnaire used for reference by the individual completing the questionnaire.

ShortE.g. "1(a)", "2.5.3"
Comments

These are generally unique within a questionnaire, though this is not guaranteed. Some questionnaires may have multiple questions with the same label with logic to control which gets exposed. Typically, these won't be used for "display" items, though such use is not prohibited. Systems SHOULD NOT generate their own prefixes if prefixes are defined for any items within a Questionnaire.

Control0..1
Typestring
Is Modifierfalse
Primitive ValueThis primitive element may be present, or absent, or replaced by an extension
Must Supporttrue
Summaryfalse
Requirements

Separating the label from the question text allows improved rendering. Also, instructions will often refer to specific prefixes, so there's a need for the questionnaire design to have control over what labels are used.

Alternate Nameslabel
Invariantsele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
44. Questionnaire.item.text
Definition

The name of a section, the text of a question or text content for a display item.

ShortPrimary text for the item
Comments

When using this element to represent the name of a section, use group type item and also make sure to limit the text element to a short string suitable for display as a section heading. Group item instructions should be included as a display type item within the group.

Control0..1
Typestring
Is Modifierfalse
Primitive ValueThis primitive element may be present, or absent, or replaced by an extension
Must Supporttrue
Summaryfalse
Invariantsele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
46. Questionnaire.item.type
Definition

The type of questionnaire item this is - whether text for display, a grouping of other items or a particular type of data to be captured (string, integer, coded choice, etc.).

Shortgroup | display | boolean | decimal | integer | date | dateTime +
Comments

Time is handled using "string". File is handled using Attachment. (Content can be sent as a contained binary).


Additional constraints on the type of answer can be conveyed by extensions. The value may come from the ElementDefinition referred to by .definition.

Control1..1
BindingThe codes SHALL be taken from QuestionnaireItemTypehttp://hl7.org/fhir/ValueSet/item-type|4.0.1

Distinguishes groups from questions and display text and indicates data type for questions.

Typecode
Is Modifierfalse
Primitive ValueThis primitive element may be present, or absent, or replaced by an extension
Must Supporttrue
Summaryfalse
Requirements

Defines the format in which the user is to be prompted for the answer.

Invariantsele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
48. Questionnaire.item.enableWhen
Definition

A constraint indicating that this item should only be enabled (displayed/allow answers to be captured) when the specified condition is true.

ShortOnly allow data when
Comments

If multiple repetitions of this extension are present, the item should be enabled when the condition for any of the repetitions is true. I.e. treat "enableWhen"s as being joined by an "or" clause. This element is a modifier because if enableWhen is present for an item, "required" is ignored unless one of the enableWhen conditions is met. When an item is disabled, all of its descendants are disabled, regardless of what their own enableWhen logic might evaluate to.

Control0..*
TypeBackboneElement
Is Modifiertrue because If enableWhen is present and the condition evaluates to false, then the Questionnaire behaves as though the elements weren't actually present
Summaryfalse
Requirements

Allows questionnaires to adapt based on answers to other questions. E.g. If physical gender is specified as a male, no need to capture pregnancy history. Also allows conditional display of instructions or groups of questions.

Invariantsele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
que-7: If the operator is 'exists', the value must be a boolean (operator = 'exists' implies (answer is Boolean))
que-7: If the operator is 'exists', the value must be a boolean (operator = 'exists' implies (answer is Boolean))
50. Questionnaire.item.enableWhen.modifierExtension
Definition

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).

ShortExtensions that cannot be ignored even if unrecognized
Comments

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.

Control0..*
TypeExtension
Is Modifiertrue because Modifier extensions are expected to modify the meaning or interpretation of the element that contains them
Summarytrue
Requirements

Modifier extensions allow for extensions that cannot be safely ignored to be clearly distinguished from the vast majority of extensions which can be safely ignored. This promotes interoperability by eliminating the need for implementers to prohibit the presence of extensions. For further information, see the definition of modifier extensions.

Alternate Namesextensions, user content, modifiers
Invariantsele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
ext-1: Must have either extensions or value[x], not both (extension.exists() != value.exists())
52. Questionnaire.item.enableWhen.question
Definition

The linkId for the question whose answer (or lack of answer) governs whether this item is enabled.

ShortQuestion that determines whether item is enabled
Comments

If multiple question occurrences are present for the same question (same linkId), then this refers to the nearest question occurrence reachable by tracing first the "ancestor" axis and then the "preceding" axis and then the "following" axis.

Control1..1
Typestring
Is Modifierfalse
Primitive ValueThis primitive element may be present, or absent, or replaced by an extension
Summaryfalse
Invariantsele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
54. Questionnaire.item.enableWhen.operator
Definition

Specifies the criteria by which the question is enabled.

Shortexists | = | != | > | < | >= | <=
Control1..1
BindingThe codes SHALL be taken from QuestionnaireItemOperatorhttp://hl7.org/fhir/ValueSet/questionnaire-enable-operator|4.0.1

The criteria by which a question is enabled.

Typecode
Is Modifierfalse
Primitive ValueThis primitive element may be present, or absent, or replaced by an extension
Summaryfalse
Invariantsele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
56. Questionnaire.item.enableWhen.answer[x]
Definition

A value that the referenced question is tested using the specified operator in order for the item to be enabled.

ShortValue for question comparison based on operator
Control1..1
This element is affected by the following invariants: que-7
BindingFor example codes, see QuestionnaireAnswerCodeshttp://hl7.org/fhir/ValueSet/questionnaire-answers

Allowed values to answer questions.

TypeChoice of: boolean, decimal, integer, date, dateTime, time, string, Coding, Quantity, Reference(Resource)
[x] NoteSee Choice of Data Types for further information about how to use [x]
Is Modifierfalse
Primitive ValueThis primitive element may be present, or absent, or replaced by an extension
Summaryfalse
Invariantsele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
58. Questionnaire.item.required
Definition

An indication, if true, that the item must be present in a "completed" QuestionnaireResponse. If false, the item may be skipped when answering the questionnaire.

ShortWhether the item must be included in data results
Comments

Questionnaire.item.required only has meaning for elements that are conditionally enabled with enableWhen if the condition evaluates to true. If an item that contains other items is marked as required, that does not automatically make the contained elements required (though required groups must contain at least one child element). The value may come from the ElementDefinition referred to by .definition.

Control0..1
This element is affected by the following invariants: que-6
Typeboolean
Is Modifierfalse
Primitive ValueThis primitive element may be present, or absent, or replaced by an extension
Must Supporttrue
Summaryfalse
Meaning if MissingItems are generally assumed not to be required unless explicitly specified. Systems SHOULD always populate this value
Invariantsele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
60. Questionnaire.item.repeats
Definition

An indication, if true, that a QuestionnaireResponse for this item may include multiple answers associated with a single instance of this item (for question-type items) or multiple repetitions of the item (for group-type items)


An indication, if true, that the item may occur multiple times in the response, collecting multiple answers for questions or multiple sets of answers for groups.

ShortWhether the item may repeat
Comments

If a question is marked as repeats=true, then multiple answers can be provided for the question in the corresponding QuestionnaireResponse. When rendering the questionnaire, it is up to the rendering software whether to render the question text for each answer repetition (i.e. "repeat the question") or to simply allow entry/selection of multiple answers for the question (repeat the answers). Which is most appropriate visually may depend on the type of answer as well as whether there are nested items.

The resulting QuestionnaireResponse will be populated the same way regardless of rendering - one 'question' item with multiple answer values.

The value may come from the ElementDefinition referred to by .definition.

Control0..1
This element is affected by the following invariants: que-6
Typeboolean
Is Modifierfalse
Primitive ValueThis primitive element may be present, or absent, or replaced by an extension
Must Supporttrue
Summaryfalse
Requirements

Items may be used to create set of (related) questions that can be repeated to give multiple answers to such a set.

Meaning if MissingItems are generally assumed not to repeat unless explicitly specified. Systems SHOULD always populate this value
Invariantsele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
62. Questionnaire.item.readOnly
Definition

An indication, when true, that the value cannot be changed by a human respondent to the Questionnaire.

ShortDon't allow human editing
Comments

The value of readOnly elements can be established by asserting extensions for defaultValues, linkages that support pre-population and/or extensions that support calculation based on other answers.

Control0..1
This element is affected by the following invariants: que-9
Typeboolean
Is Modifierfalse
Primitive ValueThis primitive element may be present, or absent, or replaced by an extension
Must Supporttrue
Summaryfalse
Requirements

Allows certain information to be phrased (and rendered) as a question and an answer, while keeping users from changing it. May also be useful for preventing changes to pre-populated portions of a questionnaire, for calculated values, etc.

Invariantsele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
64. Questionnaire.item.maxLength
Definition

The maximum number of characters that are permitted in the answer to be considered a "valid" QuestionnaireResponse.

ShortNo more than this many characters
Comments

For base64binary, reflects the number of characters representing the encoded data, not the number of bytes of the binary data. The value may come from the ElementDefinition referred to by .definition.

Control0..1
This element is affected by the following invariants: que-10
Typeinteger
Is Modifierfalse
Primitive ValueThis primitive element may be present, or absent, or replaced by an extension
Must Supporttrue
Summaryfalse
Invariantsele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
66. Questionnaire.item.answerValueSet
Definition

A reference to a value set containing a list of codes representing permitted answers for a "choice" or "open-choice" question.

ShortValueset containing permitted answers
Comments

LOINC defines many useful value sets for questionnaire responses. See LOINC Answer Lists. The value may come from the ElementDefinition referred to by .definition.

Control0..1
This element is affected by the following invariants: que-4, que-5
Typecanonical(SDC Value Set, ValueSet)
Is Modifierfalse
Primitive ValueThis primitive element may be present, or absent, or replaced by an extension
Must Supporttrue
Summaryfalse
Invariantsele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
68. Questionnaire.item.answerOption
Definition

One of the permitted answers for a "choice" or "open-choice" question.

ShortPermitted answer
Comments

This element can be used when the value set machinery of answerValueSet is deemed too cumbersome or when there's a need to capture possible answers that are not codes.

Control0..*
This element is affected by the following invariants: que-4, que-5
TypeBackboneElement
Is Modifierfalse
Must Supporttrue
Summaryfalse
Invariantsele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
70. Questionnaire.item.answerOption.modifierExtension
Definition

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).

ShortExtensions that cannot be ignored even if unrecognized
Comments

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.

Control0..*
TypeExtension
Is Modifiertrue because Modifier extensions are expected to modify the meaning or interpretation of the element that contains them
Summarytrue
Requirements

Modifier extensions allow for extensions that cannot be safely ignored to be clearly distinguished from the vast majority of extensions which can be safely ignored. This promotes interoperability by eliminating the need for implementers to prohibit the presence of extensions. For further information, see the definition of modifier extensions.

Alternate Namesextensions, user content, modifiers
Invariantsele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
ext-1: Must have either extensions or value[x], not both (extension.exists() != value.exists())
72. Questionnaire.item.answerOption.value[x]
Definition

A potential answer that's allowed as the answer to this question.

ShortAnswer value
Comments

The data type of the value must agree with the item.type.

Control1..1
BindingFor example codes, see QuestionnaireAnswerCodeshttp://hl7.org/fhir/ValueSet/questionnaire-answers

Allowed values to answer questions.

TypeChoice of: integer, date, time, string, Coding, Reference(Resource)
[x] NoteSee Choice of Data Types for further information about how to use [x]
Is Modifierfalse
Primitive ValueThis primitive element may be present, or absent, or replaced by an extension
Summaryfalse
Invariantsele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
74. Questionnaire.item.initial
Definition

One or more values that should be pre-populated in the answer when initially rendering the questionnaire for user input.

ShortInitial value(s) when item is first rendered
Comments

The user is allowed to change the value and override the default (unless marked as read-only). If the user doesn't change the value, then this initial value will be persisted when the QuestionnaireResponse is initially created. Note that initial values can influence results. The data type of initial[x] must agree with the item.type, and only repeating items can have more then one initial value.

Control0..*
This element is affected by the following invariants: que-8, que-13
TypeBackboneElement
Is Modifierfalse
Must Supporttrue
Summaryfalse
Requirements

In some workflows, having defaults saves time.

Invariantsele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
76. Questionnaire.item.initial.modifierExtension
Definition

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).

ShortExtensions that cannot be ignored even if unrecognized
Comments

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.

Control0..*
TypeExtension
Is Modifiertrue because Modifier extensions are expected to modify the meaning or interpretation of the element that contains them
Summarytrue
Requirements

Modifier extensions allow for extensions that cannot be safely ignored to be clearly distinguished from the vast majority of extensions which can be safely ignored. This promotes interoperability by eliminating the need for implementers to prohibit the presence of extensions. For further information, see the definition of modifier extensions.

Alternate Namesextensions, user content, modifiers
Invariantsele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
ext-1: Must have either extensions or value[x], not both (extension.exists() != value.exists())
78. Questionnaire.item.initial.value[x]
Definition

The actual value to for an initial answer.

ShortActual value for initializing the question
Comments

The type of the initial value must be consistent with the type of the item.

Control1..1
BindingFor example codes, see QuestionnaireAnswerCodeshttp://hl7.org/fhir/ValueSet/questionnaire-answers

Allowed values to answer questions.

TypeChoice of: boolean, decimal, integer, date, dateTime, time, string, uri, Attachment, Coding, Quantity, Reference(Resource)
[x] NoteSee Choice of Data Types for further information about how to use [x]
Is Modifierfalse
Primitive ValueThis primitive element may be present, or absent, or replaced by an extension
Must Supporttrue
Must Support TypesNo must-support rules about the choice of types/profiles
Summaryfalse
Invariantsele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
80. Questionnaire.item.item
Definition

Text, questions and other groups to be nested beneath a question or group.

ShortNested questionnaire items
Comments

There is no specified limit to the depth of nesting. However, Questionnaire authors are encouraged to consider the impact on the user and user interface of overly deep nesting.

Control0..*
This element is affected by the following invariants: que-1
TypeSee ttp://hl7.org/fhir/StructureDefinition/Questionnaire#Questionnaire.item
Is Modifierfalse
Must Supporttrue
Summaryfalse
Requirements

Reports can consist of complex nested groups.

Invariantsele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))

Guidance on how to interpret the contents of this table can be found here

0. Questionnaire
Definition

Defines elements that support auto-population and pre-population of questionnaires using the Observation-based population mechanism.

ShortPopulatable Questionnaire - Observation
Control0..*
Is Modifierfalse
Summaryfalse
Alternate NamesForm, CRF, Survey
Invariantsdom-2: If the resource is contained in another resource, it SHALL NOT contain nested Resources (contained.contained.empty())
dom-3: If the resource is contained in another resource, it SHALL be referred to from elsewhere in the resource or SHALL refer to the containing resource (contained.where((('#'+id in (%resource.descendants().reference | %resource.descendants().as(canonical) | %resource.descendants().as(uri) | %resource.descendants().as(url))) or descendants().where(reference = '#').exists() or descendants().where(as(canonical) = '#').exists() or descendants().where(as(canonical) = '#').exists()).not()).trace('unmatched', id).empty())
dom-4: If a resource is contained in another resource, it SHALL NOT have a meta.versionId or a meta.lastUpdated (contained.meta.versionId.empty() and contained.meta.lastUpdated.empty())
dom-5: If a resource is contained in another resource, it SHALL NOT have a security label (contained.meta.security.empty())
dom-6: A resource should have narrative for robust management (text.`div`.exists())
que-0: Name should be usable as an identifier for the module by machine processing applications such as code generation (name.matches('[A-Z]([A-Za-z0-9_]){0,254}'))
que-2: The link ids for groups and questions must be unique within the questionnaire (descendants().linkId.isDistinct())
2. Questionnaire.id
Definition

The logical id of the resource, as used in the URL for the resource. Once assigned, this value never changes.

ShortLogical id of this artifact
Comments

The only time that a resource does not have an id is when it is being submitted to the server using a create operation.

Control0..1
Typeid
Is Modifierfalse
Summarytrue
4. Questionnaire.meta
Definition

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.

ShortMetadata about the resource
Control0..1
TypeMeta
Is Modifierfalse
Summarytrue
Invariantsele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
6. Questionnaire.implicitRules
Definition

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.

ShortA set of rules under which this content was created
Comments

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.

Control0..1
Typeuri
Is Modifiertrue because This element is labeled as a modifier because the implicit rules may provide additional knowledge about the resource that modifies it's meaning or interpretation
Primitive ValueThis primitive element may be present, or absent, or replaced by an extension
Summarytrue
Invariantsele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
8. Questionnaire.language
Definition

The base language in which the resource is written.

ShortLanguage of the resource content
Comments

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).

Control0..1
BindingThe codes SHOULD be taken from CommonLanguages

A human language.

Additional BindingsPurpose
AllLanguagesMax Binding
Typecode
Is Modifierfalse
Primitive ValueThis primitive element may be present, or absent, or replaced by an extension
Summaryfalse
Invariantsele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
10. Questionnaire.text
Definition

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.

ShortText summary of the resource, for human interpretation
Comments

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.

Control0..1
TypeNarrative
Is Modifierfalse
Summaryfalse
Alternate Namesnarrative, html, xhtml, display
Invariantsele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
12. Questionnaire.contained
Definition

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.

ShortContained, inline Resources
Comments

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.

Control0..*
TypeResource
Is Modifierfalse
Summaryfalse
Alternate Namesinline resources, anonymous resources, contained resources
14. Questionnaire.extension
Definition

An Extension

ShortExtension
Control0..*
TypeExtension
Is Modifierfalse
Summaryfalse
Invariantsele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
ext-1: Must have either extensions or value[x], not both (extension.exists() != value.exists())
SlicingThis element introduces a set of slices on Questionnaire.extension. The slices are unordered and Open, and can be differentiated using the following discriminators:
  • value @ url
16. Questionnaire.extension:designNote
Slice NamedesignNote
Definition

Information captured by the author/maintainer of the questionnaire for development purposes, not intended to be seen by users.

ShortDesign comments
Comments

Allows capture of todos, rationale for design decisions, etc. It can also be used to capture comments about the completion of the form in general. Allows commentary to be captured during the process of answering a questionnaire (if not already supported by the form design) as well as after the form is completed. Comments are not part of the "data" of the form. If a form prompts for a comment, this should be captured in an answer, not in this element. Formal assessments of the QuestionnareResponse would use Observation.

Control0..1
This element is affected by the following invariants: ele-1
TypeExtension(Design Note) (Extension Type: markdown)
Is Modifierfalse
Invariantsele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
ext-1: Must have either extensions or value[x], not both (extension.exists() != value.exists())
18. Questionnaire.extension:terminologyServer
Slice NameterminologyServer
Definition

Indicates the terminology server(s) that are known to be capable of returning and potentially expanding the value set(s) associated with the whole questionnaire or a particular group or question within the questionnaire (depending on where the extension appears). If a full URL is not provided AND the requested query is a terminology operation (e.g. $lookup or $expand) the client SHOULD execute the operation against the preferredTerminologyServer rather than the local repository.

ShortPreferred terminology server
Comments

This includes those referenced by answerValueSet as well as the unitValueSet extension.

Control0..*
This element is affected by the following invariants: ele-1
TypeExtension(Preferred Terminology Server) (Extension Type: url)
Is Modifierfalse
Invariantsele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
ext-1: Must have either extensions or value[x], not both (extension.exists() != value.exists())
20. Questionnaire.extension:performerType
Slice NameperformerType
Definition

Indicates the types of resources that can record answers to a Questionnaire. Open Issue: Should this extension be moved to core?

ShortResource that can record answers to this Questionnaire
Control0..*
This element is affected by the following invariants: ele-1
TypeExtension(Performer type) (Extension Type: code)
Is Modifierfalse
Must Supporttrue
Invariantsele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
ext-1: Must have either extensions or value[x], not both (extension.exists() != value.exists())
22. Questionnaire.extension:assemble-expectation
Slice Nameassemble-expectation
Definition

If present, indicates that this questionnaire has expectations with respect to assembly. Specifically, indicates whether this form requires assembly (i.e. it can't be used directly without invoking the $assemble operation operation on it) and/or whether it is intended for use only as a 'child' in an assembly process. The assembly processs might mean filling in item metadata based on information looked up from item.definitions and/or retrieving sub-questionnaires pointed to by sub-questionnaire extensions.

ShortQuestionnaire is modular
Comments

SDC-conformant Questionnaires SHALL declare this extension if they require an assembly process prior to use. If not declared, then the Questionnaire is not necessarily safe for use as a child form and does not require assembly prior to use.

Control0..1
This element is affected by the following invariants: ele-1
TypeExtension(Assembly Expectations for Questionnaire) (Extension Type: code)
Is Modifierfalse
Must Supporttrue
Invariantsele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
ext-1: Must have either extensions or value[x], not both (extension.exists() != value.exists())
24. Questionnaire.modifierExtension
Definition

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).

ShortExtensions that cannot be ignored
Comments

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.

Control0..*
TypeExtension
Is Modifiertrue because Modifier extensions are expected to modify the meaning or interpretation of the resource that contains them
Summaryfalse
Requirements

Modifier extensions allow for extensions that cannot be safely ignored to be clearly distinguished from the vast majority of extensions which can be safely ignored. This promotes interoperability by eliminating the need for implementers to prohibit the presence of extensions. For further information, see the definition of modifier extensions.

Alternate Namesextensions, user content
Invariantsele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
ext-1: Must have either extensions or value[x], not both (extension.exists() != value.exists())
26. Questionnaire.url
Definition

An absolute URI that is used to identify this questionnaire 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 questionnaire is (or will be) published. This URL can be the target of a canonical reference. It SHALL remain the same when the questionnaire is stored on different servers.

ShortCanonical identifier for this questionnaire, represented as a URI (globally unique)
Comments

The name of the referenced questionnaire can be conveyed using the http://hl7.org/fhir/StructureDefinition/display extension.

Control1..1
Typeuri
Is Modifierfalse
Primitive ValueThis primitive element may be present, or absent, or replaced by an extension
Must Supporttrue
Summarytrue
Requirements

… This is the id that will be used to link a QuestionnaireResponse to the Questionnaire the response is for.

Invariantsele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
28. Questionnaire.identifier
Definition

A formal identifier that is used to identify this questionnaire when it is represented in other formats, or referenced in a specification, model, design or an instance.

ShortAdditional identifier for the questionnaire
Comments

Typically, this is used for identifiers that can go in an HL7 V3 II (instance identifier) data type, and can then identify this questionnaire outside of FHIR, where it is not possible to use the logical URI.

NoteThis is a business identifier, not a resource identifier (see discussion)
Control0..*
TypeIdentifier
Is Modifierfalse
Summarytrue
Requirements

Allows externally provided and/or usable business identifiers to be easily associated with the module.

Invariantsele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
30. Questionnaire.version
Definition

The identifier that is used to identify this version of the questionnaire when it is referenced in a specification, model, design or instance. This is an arbitrary value managed by the questionnaire 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.

ShortBusiness version of the questionnaire
Comments

There may be different questionnaire 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 questionnaire with the format [url]|[version].

NoteThis is a business versionId, not a resource version id (see discussion)
Control0..1
Typestring
Is Modifierfalse
Primitive ValueThis primitive element may be present, or absent, or replaced by an extension
Must Supporttrue
Summarytrue
Invariantsele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
32. Questionnaire.name
Definition

A natural language name identifying the questionnaire. This name should be usable as an identifier for the module by machine processing applications such as code generation.

ShortName for this questionnaire (computer friendly)
Comments

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.

Control0..1
This element is affected by the following invariants: inv-0
Typestring
Is Modifierfalse
Primitive ValueThis primitive element may be present, or absent, or replaced by an extension
Summarytrue
Requirements

Support human navigation and code generation.

Invariantsele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
34. Questionnaire.title
Definition

A short, descriptive, user-friendly title for the questionnaire.

ShortName for this questionnaire (human friendly)
Comments

This name does not need to be machine-processing friendly and may contain punctuation, white-space, etc.

Control0..1
Typestring
Is Modifierfalse
Primitive ValueThis primitive element may be present, or absent, or replaced by an extension
Must Supporttrue
Summarytrue
Invariantsele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
36. Questionnaire.derivedFrom
Definition

The URL of a Questionnaire that this Questionnaire is based on.

ShortInstantiates protocol or definition
Control0..*
Typecanonical(Questionnaire)
Is Modifierfalse
Primitive ValueThis primitive element may be present, or absent, or replaced by an extension
Summaryfalse
Requirements

Allows a Questionnaire to be created based on another Questionnaire.

Invariantsele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
38. Questionnaire.status
Definition

The status of this questionnaire. Enables tracking the life-cycle of the content.

Shortdraft | active | retired | unknown
Comments

Allows filtering of questionnaires that are appropriate for use versus not.

Control1..1
BindingThe codes SHALL be taken from PublicationStatus

The lifecycle status of an artifact.

Typecode
Is Modifiertrue because This is labeled as &quot;Is Modifier&quot; because applications should not use a retired {{title}} without due consideration
Primitive ValueThis primitive element may be present, or absent, or replaced by an extension
Must Supporttrue
Summarytrue
Invariantsele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
40. Questionnaire.experimental
Definition

A Boolean value to indicate that this questionnaire is authored for testing purposes (or education/evaluation/marketing) and is not intended to be used for genuine usage.

ShortFor testing purposes, not real usage
Comments

Allows filtering of questionnaires that are appropriate for use versus not.

Control0..1
Typeboolean
Is Modifierfalse
Primitive ValueThis primitive element may be present, or absent, or replaced by an extension
Summarytrue
Requirements

Enables experimental content to be developed following the same lifecycle that would be used for a production-level questionnaire.

Invariantsele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
42. Questionnaire.subjectType
Definition

The types of subjects that can be the subject of responses created for the questionnaire.

ShortResource that can be subject of QuestionnaireResponse
Comments

If none are specified, then the subject is unlimited.

Control0..*
BindingThe codes SHALL be taken from ResourceType

One of the resource types defined as part of this version of FHIR.

Typecode
Is Modifierfalse
Primitive ValueThis primitive element may be present, or absent, or replaced by an extension
Must Supporttrue
Summarytrue
Requirements

A Questionnaire SHOULD specify the subject. However, it is optional to support legacy questionnaires.

Invariantsele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
44. Questionnaire.date
Definition

The date (and optionally time) when the questionnaire 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 questionnaire changes.

ShortDate last changed
Comments

Note that this is not the same as the resource last-modified-date, since the resource may be a secondary representation of the questionnaire. Additional specific dates may be added as extensions or be found by consulting Provenances associated with past versions of the resource.

Control0..1
TypedateTime
Is Modifierfalse
Primitive ValueThis primitive element may be present, or absent, or replaced by an extension
Summarytrue
Alternate NamesRevision Date
Invariantsele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
46. Questionnaire.publisher
Definition

The name of the organization or individual that published the questionnaire.

ShortName of the publisher (organization or individual)
Comments

Usually an organization but may be an individual. The publisher (or steward) of the questionnaire is the organization or individual primarily responsible for the maintenance and upkeep of the questionnaire. 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 questionnaire. This item SHOULD be populated unless the information is available from context.

Control0..1
Typestring
Is Modifierfalse
Primitive ValueThis primitive element may be present, or absent, or replaced by an extension
Summarytrue
Requirements

Helps establish the "authority/credibility" of the questionnaire. May also allow for contact.

Invariantsele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
48. Questionnaire.contact
Definition

Contact details to assist a user in finding and communicating with the publisher.

ShortContact details for the publisher
Comments

May be a web site, an email address, a telephone number, etc.

Control0..*
TypeContactDetail
Is Modifierfalse
Summarytrue
Invariantsele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
50. Questionnaire.description
Definition

A free text natural language description of the questionnaire from a consumer's perspective.

ShortNatural language description of the questionnaire
Comments

This description can be used to capture details such as why the questionnaire 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 questionnaire 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 questionnaire is presumed to be the predominant language in the place the questionnaire was created).

Control0..1
Typemarkdown
Is Modifierfalse
Primitive ValueThis primitive element may be present, or absent, or replaced by an extension
Summaryfalse
Invariantsele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
52. Questionnaire.useContext
Definition

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 questionnaire instances.

ShortThe context that the content is intended to support
Comments

When multiple useContexts are specified, there is no expectation that all or any of the contexts apply.

Control0..*
TypeUsageContext
Is Modifierfalse
Summarytrue
Requirements

Assist in searching for appropriate content.

Invariantsele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
54. Questionnaire.jurisdiction
Definition

A legal or geographic region in which the questionnaire is intended to be used.

ShortIntended jurisdiction for questionnaire (if applicable)
Comments

It may be possible for the questionnaire to be used in jurisdictions other than those for which it was originally designed or intended.

Control0..*
BindingUnless not suitable, these codes SHALL be taken from Jurisdiction ValueSet

Countries and regions within which this artifact is targeted for use.

TypeCodeableConcept
Is Modifierfalse
Summarytrue
Invariantsele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
56. Questionnaire.purpose
Definition

Explanation of why this questionnaire is needed and why it has been designed as it has.

ShortWhy this questionnaire is defined
Comments

This element does not describe the usage of the questionnaire. Instead, it provides traceability of ''why'' the resource is either needed or ''why'' it is defined as it is. This may be used to point to source materials or specifications that drove the structure of this questionnaire.

Control0..1
Typemarkdown
Is Modifierfalse
Primitive ValueThis primitive element may be present, or absent, or replaced by an extension
Summaryfalse
Invariantsele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
58. Questionnaire.copyright
Definition

A copyright statement relating to the questionnaire and/or its contents. Copyright statements are generally legal restrictions on the use and publishing of the questionnaire.

ShortUse and/or publishing restrictions
Control0..1
Typemarkdown
Is Modifierfalse
Primitive ValueThis primitive element may be present, or absent, or replaced by an extension
Summaryfalse
Requirements

Consumers must be able to determine any legal restrictions on the use of the questionnaire and/or its content.

Alternate NamesLicense, Restrictions
Invariantsele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
60. Questionnaire.approvalDate
Definition

The date on which the resource content was approved by the publisher. Approval happens once when the content is officially approved for usage.

ShortWhen the questionnaire was approved by publisher
Comments

The 'date' element may be more recent than the approval date because of minor changes or editorial corrections.

Control0..1
Typedate
Is Modifierfalse
Primitive ValueThis primitive element may be present, or absent, or replaced by an extension
Summaryfalse
Invariantsele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
62. Questionnaire.lastReviewDate
Definition

The date on which the resource content was last reviewed. Review happens periodically after approval but does not change the original approval date.

ShortWhen the questionnaire was last reviewed
Comments

If specified, this date follows the original approval date.

Control0..1
Typedate
Is Modifierfalse
Primitive ValueThis primitive element may be present, or absent, or replaced by an extension
Summaryfalse
Requirements

Gives a sense of how "current" the content is. Resources that have not been reviewed in a long time may have a risk of being less appropriate/relevant.

Invariantsele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
64. Questionnaire.effectivePeriod
Definition

The period during which the questionnaire content was or is planned to be in active use.

ShortWhen the questionnaire is expected to be used
Comments

The effective period for a questionnaire determines when the content is applicable for usage and is independent of publication and review dates. For example, a measure intended to be used for the year 2016 might be published in 2015.

Control0..1
TypePeriod
Is Modifierfalse
Summarytrue
Requirements

Allows establishing a transition before a resource comes into effect and also allows for a sunsetting process when new versions of the questionnaire are or are expected to be used instead.

Invariantsele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
66. Questionnaire.code
Definition

An identifier for this question or group of questions in a particular terminology such as LOINC.

ShortConcept that represents the overall questionnaire
Control0..*
BindingFor example codes, see QuestionnaireQuestionCodes

Codes for questionnaires, groups and individual questions.

TypeCoding
Is Modifierfalse
Summarytrue
Requirements

Allows linking of the complete Questionnaire resources to formal terminologies. It's common for "panels" of questions to be identified by a code.

Invariantsele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
68. Questionnaire.item
Definition

A particular question, question grouping or display text that is part of the questionnaire.

ShortQuestions and sections within the Questionnaire
Comments

The content of the questionnaire is constructed from an ordered, hierarchical collection of items.

Control0..*
This element is affected by the following invariants: que-3
TypeBackboneElement
Is Modifierfalse
Must Supporttrue
Summaryfalse
Invariantsele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
que-1: Group items must have nested items, display items cannot have nested items ((type='group' implies item.empty().not()) and (type.trace('type')='display' implies item.trace('item').empty()))
que-3: Display items cannot have a "code" asserted (type!='display' or code.empty())
que-4: A question cannot have both answerOption and answerValueSet (answerOption.empty() or answerValueSet.empty())
que-5: Only 'choice' and 'open-choice' items can have answerValueSet ((type ='choice' or type = 'open-choice' or type = 'decimal' or type = 'integer' or type = 'date' or type = 'dateTime' or type = 'time' or type = 'string' or type = 'quantity') or (answerValueSet.empty() and answerOption.empty()))
que-6: Required and repeat aren't permitted for display items (type!='display' or (required.empty() and repeats.empty()))
que-8: Initial values can't be specified for groups or display items ((type!='group' and type!='display') or initial.empty())
que-9: Read-only can't be specified for "display" items (type!='display' or readOnly.empty())
que-10: Maximum length can only be declared for simple question types ((type in ('boolean' | 'decimal' | 'integer' | 'string' | 'text' | 'url' | 'open-choice')) or maxLength.empty())
que-11: If one or more answerOption is present, initial[x] must be missing (answerOption.empty() or initial.empty())
que-12: If there are more than one enableWhen, enableBehavior must be specified (enableWhen.count() > 2 implies enableBehavior.exists())
que-13: Can only have multiple initial values for repeating items (repeats=true or initial.count() <= 1)
sdc-1: An item cannot have an answerExpression if answerOption or answerValueSet is already present. (extension('http://hl7.org/fhir/uv/sdc/StructureDefinition/sdc-questionnaire-answerExpression').empty().not() implies (answerOption.empty() and answerValueSet.empty()))
70. Questionnaire.item.id
Definition

Unique id for the element within a resource (for internal references). This may be any string value that does not contain spaces.

ShortUnique id for inter-element referencing
Control0..1
Typestring
Is Modifierfalse
XML FormatIn the XML format, this property is represented as an attribute.
Summaryfalse
72. Questionnaire.item.extension
Definition

An Extension

ShortExtension
Control0..*
TypeExtension
Is Modifierfalse
Summaryfalse
Invariantsele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
ext-1: Must have either extensions or value[x], not both (extension.exists() != value.exists())
SlicingThis element introduces a set of slices on Questionnaire.item.extension. The slices are unordered and Open, and can be differentiated using the following discriminators:
  • value @ url
74. Questionnaire.item.extension:designNote
Slice NamedesignNote
Definition

Information captured by the author/maintainer of the questionnaire for development purposes, not intended to be seen by users.

ShortDesign comments
Comments

Allows capture of todos, rationale for design decisions, etc. It can also be used to capture comments about specific groups or questions within it. Allows commentary to be captured during the process of answering a questionnaire (if not already supported by the form design) as well as after the form is completed. Comments are not part of the "data" of the form. If a form prompts for a comment, this should be captured in an answer, not in this element. Formal assessments of the QuestionnareResponse would use Observation.

Control0..1
This element is affected by the following invariants: ele-1
TypeExtension(Design Note) (Extension Type: markdown)
Is Modifierfalse
Invariantsele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
ext-1: Must have either extensions or value[x], not both (extension.exists() != value.exists())
76. Questionnaire.item.extension:terminologyServer
Slice NameterminologyServer
Definition

Indicates the terminology server(s) that are known to be capable of returning and potentially expanding the value set(s) associated with the whole questionnaire or a particular group or question within the questionnaire (depending on where the extension appears). If a full URL is not provided AND the requested query is a terminology operation (e.g. $lookup or $expand) the client SHOULD execute the operation against the preferredTerminologyServer rather than the local repository.

ShortPreferred terminology server
Comments

This includes those referenced by answerValueSet as well as the unitValueSet extension.

Control0..*
This element is affected by the following invariants: ele-1
TypeExtension(Preferred Terminology Server) (Extension Type: url)
Is Modifierfalse
Invariantsele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
ext-1: Must have either extensions or value[x], not both (extension.exists() != value.exists())
78. Questionnaire.item.extension:observationLinkPeriod
Slice NameobservationLinkPeriod
Definition

Indicates the time-period (from 'now') to search for observations that match the Questionnaire.item.code and Questionnaire.subject when pre-populating the QuestionnaireResponse.

ShortRelevant time to pre-pop observation
Comments

If multiple Observations are found, the most recent is used.

Control0..1
TypeExtension(Obervation link period) (Extension Type: Duration)
Is Modifierfalse
Must Supporttrue
Summaryfalse
Invariantsele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
ext-1: Must have either extensions or value[x], not both (extension.exists() != value.exists())
80. Questionnaire.item.extension:unit
Slice Nameunit
Definition

Provides a computable unit of measure associated with numeric questions to support subsequent computation on responses. This is for use on items of type integer and decimal, and it's purpose is to support converting the integer or decimal answer into a Quantity when extracting the data into a resource.

ShortUnit for numeric answer
Comments

The human-readable unit is conveyed as a display element. This element is for computation purposes.

Control0..1
TypeExtension(unit) (Extension Type: Coding)
Is Modifierfalse
Must Supporttrue
Summaryfalse
Invariantsele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
ext-1: Must have either extensions or value[x], not both (extension.exists() != value.exists())
82. Questionnaire.item.extension:isSubject
Slice NameisSubject
Definition

If present and true, indicates that the item establishes a different subject for the group in a response.

ShortMarks that this item identifies a different subject
Comments

The item type must be "reference" and there can only be one item with this extension in each group.

Control0..1
TypeExtension(Is subject?) (Extension Type: boolean)
Is Modifierfalse
Summaryfalse
Requirements

Allows the population process to leverage the fact that the subject for this group and descendants is distinct

Invariantsele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
ext-1: Must have either extensions or value[x], not both (extension.exists() != value.exists())
84. Questionnaire.item.modifierExtension
Definition

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).

ShortExtensions that cannot be ignored even if unrecognized
Comments

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.

Control0..*
TypeExtension
Is Modifiertrue because Modifier extensions are expected to modify the meaning or interpretation of the element that contains them
Summarytrue
Requirements

Modifier extensions allow for extensions that cannot be safely ignored to be clearly distinguished from the vast majority of extensions which can be safely ignored. This promotes interoperability by eliminating the need for implementers to prohibit the presence of extensions. For further information, see the definition of modifier extensions.

Alternate Namesextensions, user content, modifiers
Invariantsele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
ext-1: Must have either extensions or value[x], not both (extension.exists() != value.exists())
86. Questionnaire.item.linkId
Definition

An identifier that is unique within the Questionnaire allowing linkage to the equivalent item in a QuestionnaireResponse resource.

ShortUnique id for item in questionnaire
Comments

This ''can'' be a meaningful identifier (e.g. a LOINC code) but is not intended to have any meaning. GUIDs or sequential numbers are appropriate here.

Control1..1
Typestring
Is Modifierfalse
Primitive ValueThis primitive element may be present, or absent, or replaced by an extension
Must Supporttrue
Summaryfalse
Requirements

QuestionnaireResponse does not require omitted items to be included and may have some items that repeat, so linkage based on position alone is not sufficient.

Invariantsele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
88. Questionnaire.item.definition
Definition

This element is a URI that refers to an ElementDefinition that provides information about this item, including information that might otherwise be included in the instance of the Questionnaire resource. A detailed description of the construction of the URI is shown in Comments, below. If this element is present then the following element values MAY be derived from the Element Definition if the corresponding elements of this Questionnaire resource instance have no value:

  • code (ElementDefinition.code)
  • type (ElementDefinition.type)
  • required (ElementDefinition.min)
  • repeats (ElementDefinition.max)
  • maxLength (ElementDefinition.maxLength)
  • answerValueSet (ElementDefinition.binding)
  • options (ElementDefinition.binding).
ShortElementDefinition - details for the item
Comments

The uri refers to an ElementDefinition in a StructureDefinition and always starts with the canonical URL for the target resource. When referring to a StructureDefinition, a fragment identifier is used to specify the element definition by its id Element.id. E.g. http://hl7.org/fhir/StructureDefinition/Observation#Observation.value[x]. In the absence of a fragment identifier, the first/root element definition in the target is the matching element definition.

Control0..1
Typeuri
Is Modifierfalse
Primitive ValueThis primitive element may be present, or absent, or replaced by an extension
Summaryfalse
Requirements

A common pattern is to define a set of data elements and then build multiple questionnaires for different circumstances to gather the data. This element provides traceability to the common definition and allows the content for the question to come from the underlying definition.

Invariantsele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
90. Questionnaire.item.code
Definition

A terminology code that corresponds to this group or question (e.g. a code from LOINC, which defines many questions and answers).

ShortCorresponding concept for this item in a terminology
Comments

The value may come from the ElementDefinition referred to by .definition.

Control0..*
This element is affected by the following invariants: que-3
BindingFor example codes, see QuestionnaireQuestionCodes

Codes for questionnaires, groups and individual questions.

TypeCoding
Is Modifierfalse
Must Supporttrue
Summaryfalse
Requirements

Allows linking of groups of questions to formal terminologies.

Invariantsele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
92. Questionnaire.item.prefix
Definition

A short label for a particular group, question or set of display text within the questionnaire used for reference by the individual completing the questionnaire.

ShortE.g. "1(a)", "2.5.3"
Comments

These are generally unique within a questionnaire, though this is not guaranteed. Some questionnaires may have multiple questions with the same label with logic to control which gets exposed. Typically, these won't be used for "display" items, though such use is not prohibited. Systems SHOULD NOT generate their own prefixes if prefixes are defined for any items within a Questionnaire.

Control0..1
Typestring
Is Modifierfalse
Primitive ValueThis primitive element may be present, or absent, or replaced by an extension
Must Supporttrue
Summaryfalse
Requirements

Separating the label from the question text allows improved rendering. Also, instructions will often refer to specific prefixes, so there's a need for the questionnaire design to have control over what labels are used.

Alternate Nameslabel
Invariantsele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
94. Questionnaire.item.text
Definition

The name of a section, the text of a question or text content for a display item.

ShortPrimary text for the item
Comments

When using this element to represent the name of a section, use group type item and also make sure to limit the text element to a short string suitable for display as a section heading. Group item instructions should be included as a display type item within the group.

Control0..1
Typestring
Is Modifierfalse
Primitive ValueThis primitive element may be present, or absent, or replaced by an extension
Must Supporttrue
Summaryfalse
Invariantsele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
96. Questionnaire.item.type
Definition

The type of questionnaire item this is - whether text for display, a grouping of other items or a particular type of data to be captured (string, integer, coded choice, etc.).

Shortgroup | display | boolean | decimal | integer | date | dateTime +
Comments

Time is handled using "string". File is handled using Attachment. (Content can be sent as a contained binary).

Control1..1
BindingThe codes SHALL be taken from QuestionnaireItemType

Distinguishes groups from questions and display text and indicates data type for questions.

Typecode
Is Modifierfalse
Primitive ValueThis primitive element may be present, or absent, or replaced by an extension
Must Supporttrue
Summaryfalse
Requirements

Defines the format in which the user is to be prompted for the answer.

Invariantsele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
98. Questionnaire.item.enableWhen
Definition

A constraint indicating that this item should only be enabled (displayed/allow answers to be captured) when the specified condition is true.

ShortOnly allow data when
Comments

If multiple repetitions of this extension are present, the item should be enabled when the condition for any of the repetitions is true. I.e. treat "enableWhen"s as being joined by an "or" clause. This element is a modifier because if enableWhen is present for an item, "required" is ignored unless one of the enableWhen conditions is met. When an item is disabled, all of its descendants are disabled, regardless of what their own enableWhen logic might evaluate to.

Control0..*
TypeBackboneElement
Is Modifiertrue because If enableWhen is present and the condition evaluates to false, then the Questionnaire behaves as though the elements weren't actually present
Summaryfalse
Requirements

Allows questionnaires to adapt based on answers to other questions. E.g. If physical gender is specified as a male, no need to capture pregnancy history. Also allows conditional display of instructions or groups of questions.

Invariantsele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
que-7: If the operator is 'exists', the value must be a boolean (operator = 'exists' implies (answer is Boolean))
100. Questionnaire.item.enableWhen.id
Definition

Unique id for the element within a resource (for internal references). This may be any string value that does not contain spaces.

ShortUnique id for inter-element referencing
Control0..1
Typestring
Is Modifierfalse
XML FormatIn the XML format, this property is represented as an attribute.
Summaryfalse
102. Questionnaire.item.enableWhen.extension
Definition

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.

ShortAdditional content defined by implementations
Comments

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.

Control0..*
TypeExtension
Is Modifierfalse
Summaryfalse
Alternate Namesextensions, user content
Invariantsele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
ext-1: Must have either extensions or value[x], not both (extension.exists() != value.exists())
104. Questionnaire.item.enableWhen.modifierExtension
Definition

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).

ShortExtensions that cannot be ignored even if unrecognized
Comments

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.

Control0..*
TypeExtension
Is Modifiertrue because Modifier extensions are expected to modify the meaning or interpretation of the element that contains them
Summarytrue
Requirements

Modifier extensions allow for extensions that cannot be safely ignored to be clearly distinguished from the vast majority of extensions which can be safely ignored. This promotes interoperability by eliminating the need for implementers to prohibit the presence of extensions. For further information, see the definition of modifier extensions.

Alternate Namesextensions, user content, modifiers
Invariantsele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
ext-1: Must have either extensions or value[x], not both (extension.exists() != value.exists())
106. Questionnaire.item.enableWhen.question
Definition

The linkId for the question whose answer (or lack of answer) governs whether this item is enabled.

ShortQuestion that determines whether item is enabled
Comments

If multiple question occurrences are present for the same question (same linkId), then this refers to the nearest question occurrence reachable by tracing first the "ancestor" axis and then the "preceding" axis and then the "following" axis.

Control1..1
Typestring
Is Modifierfalse
Primitive ValueThis primitive element may be present, or absent, or replaced by an extension
Summaryfalse
Invariantsele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
108. Questionnaire.item.enableWhen.operator
Definition

Specifies the criteria by which the question is enabled.

Shortexists | = | != | > | < | >= | <=
Control1..1
BindingThe codes SHALL be taken from QuestionnaireItemOperator

The criteria by which a question is enabled.

Typecode
Is Modifierfalse
Primitive ValueThis primitive element may be present, or absent, or replaced by an extension
Summaryfalse
Invariantsele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
110. Questionnaire.item.enableWhen.answer[x]
Definition

A value that the referenced question is tested using the specified operator in order for the item to be enabled.

ShortValue for question comparison based on operator
Control1..1
This element is affected by the following invariants: que-7
BindingFor example codes, see QuestionnaireAnswerCodes

Allowed values to answer questions.

TypeChoice of: boolean, decimal, integer, date, dateTime, time, string, Coding, Quantity, Reference(Resource)
[x] NoteSee Choice of Data Types for further information about how to use [x]
Is Modifierfalse
Primitive ValueThis primitive element may be present, or absent, or replaced by an extension
Summaryfalse
Invariantsele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
112. Questionnaire.item.enableBehavior
Definition

Controls how multiple enableWhen values are interpreted - whether all or any must be true.

Shortall | any
Comments

This element must be specified if more than one enableWhen value is provided.

Control0..1
This element is affected by the following invariants: que-12
BindingThe codes SHALL be taken from EnableWhenBehavior

Controls how multiple enableWhen values are interpreted - whether all or any must be true.

Typecode
Is Modifierfalse
Primitive ValueThis primitive element may be present, or absent, or replaced by an extension
Summaryfalse
Invariantsele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
114. Questionnaire.item.required
Definition

An indication, if true, that the item must be present in a "completed" QuestionnaireResponse. If false, the item may be skipped when answering the questionnaire.

ShortWhether the item must be included in data results
Comments

Questionnaire.item.required only has meaning for elements that are conditionally enabled with enableWhen if the condition evaluates to true. If an item that contains other items is marked as required, that does not automatically make the contained elements required (though required groups must contain at least one child element). The value may come from the ElementDefinition referred to by .definition.

Control0..1
This element is affected by the following invariants: que-6
Typeboolean
Is Modifierfalse
Primitive ValueThis primitive element may be present, or absent, or replaced by an extension
Must Supporttrue
Summaryfalse
Meaning if MissingItems are generally assumed not to be required unless explicitly specified. Systems SHOULD always populate this value
Invariantsele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
116. Questionnaire.item.repeats
Definition

An indication, if true, that a QuestionnaireResponse for this item may include multiple answers associated with a single instance of this item (for question-type items) or multiple repetitions of the item (for group-type items)

ShortWhether the item may repeat
Comments

If a question is marked as repeats=true, then multiple answers can be provided for the question in the corresponding QuestionnaireResponse. When rendering the questionnaire, it is up to the rendering software whether to render the question text for each answer repetition (i.e. "repeat the question") or to simply allow entry/selection of multiple answers for the question (repeat the answers). Which is most appropriate visually may depend on the type of answer as well as whether there are nested items.

The resulting QuestionnaireResponse will be populated the same way regardless of rendering - one 'question' item with multiple answer values.

The value may come from the ElementDefinition referred to by .definition.

Control0..1
This element is affected by the following invariants: que-6
Typeboolean
Is Modifierfalse
Primitive ValueThis primitive element may be present, or absent, or replaced by an extension
Must Supporttrue
Summaryfalse
Requirements

Items may be used to create set of (related) questions that can be repeated to give multiple answers to such a set.

Meaning if MissingItems are generally assumed not to repeat unless explicitly specified. Systems SHOULD always populate this value
Invariantsele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
118. Questionnaire.item.readOnly
Definition

An indication, when true, that the value cannot be changed by a human respondent to the Questionnaire.

ShortDon't allow human editing
Comments

The value of readOnly elements can be established by asserting extensions for defaultValues, linkages that support pre-population and/or extensions that support calculation based on other answers.

Control0..1
This element is affected by the following invariants: que-9
Typeboolean
Is Modifierfalse
Primitive ValueThis primitive element may be present, or absent, or replaced by an extension
Must Supporttrue
Summaryfalse
Requirements

Allows certain information to be phrased (and rendered) as a question and an answer, while keeping users from changing it. May also be useful for preventing changes to pre-populated portions of a questionnaire, for calculated values, etc.

Invariantsele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
120. Questionnaire.item.maxLength
Definition

The maximum number of characters that are permitted in the answer to be considered a "valid" QuestionnaireResponse.

ShortNo more than this many characters
Comments

For base64binary, reflects the number of characters representing the encoded data, not the number of bytes of the binary data. The value may come from the ElementDefinition referred to by .definition.

Control0..1
This element is affected by the following invariants: que-10
Typeinteger
Is Modifierfalse
Primitive ValueThis primitive element may be present, or absent, or replaced by an extension
Must Supporttrue
Summaryfalse
Invariantsele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
122. Questionnaire.item.answerValueSet
Definition

A reference to a value set containing a list of codes representing permitted answers for a "choice" or "open-choice" question.

ShortValueset containing permitted answers
Comments

LOINC defines many useful value sets for questionnaire responses. See LOINC Answer Lists. The value may come from the ElementDefinition referred to by .definition.

Control0..1
This element is affected by the following invariants: que-4, que-5
Typecanonical(SDC Value Set)
Is Modifierfalse
Primitive ValueThis primitive element may be present, or absent, or replaced by an extension
Must Supporttrue
Summaryfalse
Invariantsele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
124. Questionnaire.item.answerOption
Definition

One of the permitted answers for a "choice" or "open-choice" question.

ShortPermitted answer
Comments

This element can be used when the value set machinery of answerValueSet is deemed too cumbersome or when there's a need to capture possible answers that are not codes.

Control0..*
This element is affected by the following invariants: que-4, que-5
TypeBackboneElement
Is Modifierfalse
Must Supporttrue
Summaryfalse
Invariantsele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
126. Questionnaire.item.answerOption.id
Definition

Unique id for the element within a resource (for internal references). This may be any string value that does not contain spaces.

ShortUnique id for inter-element referencing
Control0..1
Typestring
Is Modifierfalse
XML FormatIn the XML format, this property is represented as an attribute.
Summaryfalse
128. Questionnaire.item.answerOption.extension
Definition

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.

ShortAdditional content defined by implementations
Comments

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.

Control0..*
TypeExtension
Is Modifierfalse
Summaryfalse
Alternate Namesextensions, user content
Invariantsele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
ext-1: Must have either extensions or value[x], not both (extension.exists() != value.exists())
130. Questionnaire.item.answerOption.modifierExtension
Definition

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).

ShortExtensions that cannot be ignored even if unrecognized
Comments

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.

Control0..*
TypeExtension
Is Modifiertrue because Modifier extensions are expected to modify the meaning or interpretation of the element that contains them
Summarytrue
Requirements

Modifier extensions allow for extensions that cannot be safely ignored to be clearly distinguished from the vast majority of extensions which can be safely ignored. This promotes interoperability by eliminating the need for implementers to prohibit the presence of extensions. For further information, see the definition of modifier extensions.

Alternate Namesextensions, user content, modifiers
Invariantsele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
ext-1: Must have either extensions or value[x], not both (extension.exists() != value.exists())
132. Questionnaire.item.answerOption.value[x]
Definition

A potential answer that's allowed as the answer to this question.

ShortAnswer value
Comments

The data type of the value must agree with the item.type.

Control1..1
BindingFor example codes, see QuestionnaireAnswerCodes

Allowed values to answer questions.

TypeChoice of: integer, date, time, string, Coding, Reference(Resource)
[x] NoteSee Choice of Data Types for further information about how to use [x]
Is Modifierfalse
Primitive ValueThis primitive element may be present, or absent, or replaced by an extension
Summaryfalse
Invariantsele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
134. Questionnaire.item.answerOption.initialSelected
Definition

Indicates whether the answer value is selected when the list of possible answers is initially shown.

ShortWhether option is selected by default
Comments

Use this instead of initial[v] if answerValueSet is present.

Control0..1
Typeboolean
Is Modifierfalse
Primitive ValueThis primitive element may be present, or absent, or replaced by an extension
Summaryfalse
Meaning if MissingOnly selected items explicitly marked to be selected
Invariantsele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
136. Questionnaire.item.initial
Definition

One or more values that should be pre-populated in the answer when initially rendering the questionnaire for user input.

ShortInitial value(s) when item is first rendered
Comments

The user is allowed to change the value and override the default (unless marked as read-only). If the user doesn't change the value, then this initial value will be persisted when the QuestionnaireResponse is initially created. Note that initial values can influence results. The data type of initial[x] must agree with the item.type, and only repeating items can have more then one initial value.

Control0..*
This element is affected by the following invariants: que-8, que-13
TypeBackboneElement
Is Modifierfalse
Must Supporttrue
Summaryfalse
Requirements

In some workflows, having defaults saves time.

Invariantsele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
138. Questionnaire.item.initial.id
Definition

Unique id for the element within a resource (for internal references). This may be any string value that does not contain spaces.

ShortUnique id for inter-element referencing
Control0..1
Typestring
Is Modifierfalse
XML FormatIn the XML format, this property is represented as an attribute.
Summaryfalse
140. Questionnaire.item.initial.extension
Definition

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.

ShortAdditional content defined by implementations
Comments

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.

Control0..*
TypeExtension
Is Modifierfalse
Summaryfalse
Alternate Namesextensions, user content
Invariantsele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
ext-1: Must have either extensions or value[x], not both (extension.exists() != value.exists())
142. Questionnaire.item.initial.modifierExtension
Definition

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).

ShortExtensions that cannot be ignored even if unrecognized
Comments

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.

Control0..*
TypeExtension
Is Modifiertrue because Modifier extensions are expected to modify the meaning or interpretation of the element that contains them
Summarytrue
Requirements

Modifier extensions allow for extensions that cannot be safely ignored to be clearly distinguished from the vast majority of extensions which can be safely ignored. This promotes interoperability by eliminating the need for implementers to prohibit the presence of extensions. For further information, see the definition of modifier extensions.

Alternate Namesextensions, user content, modifiers
Invariantsele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
ext-1: Must have either extensions or value[x], not both (extension.exists() != value.exists())
144. Questionnaire.item.initial.value[x]
Definition

The actual value to for an initial answer.

ShortActual value for initializing the question
Comments

The type of the initial value must be consistent with the type of the item.

Control1..1
BindingFor example codes, see QuestionnaireAnswerCodes

Allowed values to answer questions.

TypeChoice of: boolean, decimal, integer, date, dateTime, time, string, uri, Attachment, Coding, Quantity, Reference(Resource)
[x] NoteSee Choice of Data Types for further information about how to use [x]
Is Modifierfalse
Primitive ValueThis primitive element may be present, or absent, or replaced by an extension
Must Supporttrue
Must Support TypesNo must-support rules about the choice of types/profiles
Summaryfalse
Invariantsele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))
146. Questionnaire.item.item
Definition

Text, questions and other groups to be nested beneath a question or group.

ShortNested questionnaire items
Comments

There is no specified limit to the depth of nesting. However, Questionnaire authors are encouraged to consider the impact on the user and user interface of overly deep nesting.

Control0..*
This element is affected by the following invariants: que-1
TypeSee ttp://hl7.org/fhir/StructureDefinition/Questionnaire#Questionnaire.item
Is Modifierfalse
Must Supporttrue
Summaryfalse
Requirements

Reports can consist of complex nested groups.

Invariantsele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children (hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count()))