SGHI FHIR Profile Implementation Guide
0.1.0 - ci-build

SGHI FHIR Profile Implementation Guide, published by Kathurima Kimathi. This guide is not an authorized publication; it is the continuous build for version 0.1.0 built by the FHIR (HL7® FHIR® Standard) CI Build. This version is based on the current content of https://github.com/savannahghi/sil_fhir_profile_ig/ and changes regularly. See the Directory of published versions

## Data Type Profile: SGHIReference - XML Profile

Draft as of 2026-04-27

XML representation of the reference data type profile.

Raw xml | Download

    <StructureDefinition xmlns="http://hl7.org/fhir">
      <id value="reference"/>
      <text>
        <status value="extensions"/>
        <div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p class="res-header-id"><b>Generated Narrative: StructureDefinition reference</b></p><a name="reference"> </a><a name="hcreference"> </a><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="border: 0px #F0F0F0 solid; font-size: 11px; font-family: verdana; vertical-align: top;"><tr style="border: 1px #F0F0F0 solid; font-size: 11px; font-family: verdana; vertical-align: top"><th style="vertical-align: top; text-align : var(--ig-left,left); background-color: white; border: 0px #F0F0F0 solid; padding:0px 4px 0px 4px; padding-top: 3px; padding-bottom: 3px" class="hierarchy"><a href="https://build.fhir.org/ig/FHIR/ig-guidance/readingIgs.html#table-views" title="The logical name of the element">Name</a></th><th style="vertical-align: top; text-align : var(--ig-left,left); background-color: white; border: 0px #F0F0F0 solid; padding:0px 4px 0px 4px; padding-top: 3px; padding-bottom: 3px" class="hierarchy"><a href="https://build.fhir.org/ig/FHIR/ig-guidance/readingIgs.html#table-views" title="Information about the use of the element">Flags</a></th><th style="vertical-align: top; text-align : var(--ig-left,left); background-color: white; border: 0px #F0F0F0 solid; padding:0px 4px 0px 4px; padding-top: 3px; padding-bottom: 3px" class="hierarchy"><a href="https://build.fhir.org/ig/FHIR/ig-guidance/readingIgs.html#table-views" title="Minimum and Maximum # of times the element can appear in the instance">Card.</a></th><th style="vertical-align: top; text-align : var(--ig-left,left); background-color: white; border: 0px #F0F0F0 solid; padding:0px 4px 0px 4px; padding-top: 3px; padding-bottom: 3px; width: 100px" class="hierarchy"><a href="https://build.fhir.org/ig/FHIR/ig-guidance/readingIgs.html#table-views" title="Reference to the type of the element">Type</a></th><th style="vertical-align: top; text-align : var(--ig-left,left); background-color: white; border: 0px #F0F0F0 solid; padding:0px 4px 0px 4px; padding-top: 3px; padding-bottom: 3px" class="hierarchy"><a href="https://build.fhir.org/ig/FHIR/ig-guidance/readingIgs.html#table-views" title="Additional information about the element">Description &amp; Constraints</a><span style="float: right"><a href="https://build.fhir.org/ig/FHIR/ig-guidance/readingIgs.html#table-views" title="Legend for this format"><img src="data:image/png;base64, " alt="doco" style="background-color: inherit"/></a></span></th></tr><tr style="border: 0px #F0F0F0 solid; padding:0px; vertical-align: top; background-color: white"><td style="vertical-align: top; text-align : var(--ig-left,left); background-color: white; border: 0px #F0F0F0 solid; padding:0px 4px 0px 4px; white-space: nowrap; background-image: url(tbl_bck1.png)" class="hierarchy"><img src="tbl_spacer.png" alt="." style="background-color: inherit" class="hierarchy"/><img src="icon_element.gif" alt="." style="background-color: white; background-color: inherit" title="Element" class="hierarchy"/> <a href="StructureDefinition-reference-definitions.html#Reference">Reference</a><a name="Reference"> </a></td><td style="vertical-align: top; text-align : var(--ig-left,left); background-color: white; border: 0px #F0F0F0 solid; padding:0px 4px 0px 4px" class="hierarchy"/><td style="vertical-align: top; text-align : var(--ig-left,left); background-color: white; border: 0px #F0F0F0 solid; padding:0px 4px 0px 4px" class="hierarchy"/><td style="vertical-align: top; text-align : var(--ig-left,left); background-color: white; border: 0px #F0F0F0 solid; padding:0px 4px 0px 4px" class="hierarchy"><a href="http://hl7.org/fhir/R5/references.html#Reference">Reference</a></td><td style="vertical-align: top; text-align : var(--ig-left,left); background-color: white; border: 0px #F0F0F0 solid; padding:0px 4px 0px 4px" class="hierarchy"/></tr>
    <tr style="border: 0px #F0F0F0 solid; padding:0px; vertical-align: top; background-color: #F7F7F7"><td style="vertical-align: top; text-align : var(--ig-left,left); background-color: #F7F7F7; border: 0px #F0F0F0 solid; padding:0px 4px 0px 4px; white-space: nowrap; background-image: url(tbl_bck00.png)" class="hierarchy"><img src="tbl_spacer.png" alt="." style="background-color: inherit" class="hierarchy"/><img src="tbl_vjoin_end.png" alt="." style="background-color: inherit" class="hierarchy"/><img src="icon_element.gif" alt="." style="background-color: #F7F7F7; background-color: inherit" title="Element" class="hierarchy"/> <a href="StructureDefinition-reference-definitions.html#Reference.reference">reference</a><a name="Reference.reference"> </a></td><td style="vertical-align: top; text-align : var(--ig-left,left); background-color: #F7F7F7; border: 0px #F0F0F0 solid; padding:0px 4px 0px 4px" class="hierarchy"/><td style="vertical-align: top; text-align : var(--ig-left,left); background-color: #F7F7F7; border: 0px #F0F0F0 solid; padding:0px 4px 0px 4px" class="hierarchy">1..<span style="opacity: 0.5">1</span></td><td style="vertical-align: top; text-align : var(--ig-left,left); background-color: #F7F7F7; border: 0px #F0F0F0 solid; padding:0px 4px 0px 4px" class="hierarchy"><a style="opacity: 0.5; opacity: 0.5" href="http://hl7.org/fhir/R5/datatypes.html#string">string</a></td><td style="vertical-align: top; text-align : var(--ig-left,left); background-color: #F7F7F7; border: 0px #F0F0F0 solid; padding:0px 4px 0px 4px" class="hierarchy"><span style="opacity: 0.5">Literal reference, Relative, internal or absolute URL</span></td></tr>
    <tr><td colspan="5" class="hierarchy"><br/><a href="https://build.fhir.org/ig/FHIR/ig-guidance/readingIgs.html#table-views" title="Legend for this format"><img src="data:image/png;base64, " alt="doco" style="background-color: inherit"/> Documentation for this format</a></td></tr></table></div>
      </text>
      <extension
                 url="http://hl7.org/fhir/StructureDefinition/structuredefinition-type-characteristics">
        <valueCode value="has-target"/>
      </extension>
      <url
           value="https://fhir.slade360.co.ke/fhir/StructureDefinition/reference"/>
      <version value="0.1.0"/>
      <name value="SGHIReference"/>
      <title value="SGHI Reference"/>
      <status value="draft"/>
      <date value="2026-04-27T09:21:43+00:00"/>
      <publisher value="Kathurima Kimathi"/>
      <contact>
        <name value="Kathurima Kimathi"/>
        <telecom>
          <system value="url"/>
          <value value="https://www.linkedin.com/in/kathurima-kimathi/"/>
        </telecom>
        <telecom>
          <system value="email"/>
          <value value="kathurimakimathi415@gmail.com"/>
        </telecom>
      </contact>
      <contact>
        <name value="Oscar John"/>
        <telecom>
          <system value="email"/>
          <value value="oscarjohnotieno@gmail.com"/>
          <use value="work"/>
        </telecom>
      </contact>
      <contact>
        <name value="Kennedy Omondi"/>
        <telecom>
          <system value="email"/>
          <value value="kennankole@gmail.com"/>
          <use value="work"/>
        </telecom>
      </contact>
      <description value="SGHI Reference"/>
      <fhirVersion value="5.0.0"/>
      <mapping>
        <identity value="rim"/>
        <uri value="http://hl7.org/v3"/>
        <name value="RIM Mapping"/>
      </mapping>
      <kind value="complex-type"/>
      <abstract value="false"/>
      <type value="Reference"/>
      <baseDefinition value="http://hl7.org/fhir/StructureDefinition/Reference"/>
      <derivation value="constraint"/>
      <snapshot>
        <extension
                   url="http://hl7.org/fhir/tools/StructureDefinition/snapshot-base-version">
          <valueString value="5.0.0"/>
        </extension>
        <element id="Reference">
          <path value="Reference"/>
          <short value="A reference from one resource to another"/>
          <definition value="A reference from one resource to another."/>
          <comment
                   value="References SHALL be a reference to an actual FHIR resource, and SHALL be resolvable (allowing for access control, temporary unavailability, etc.). Resolution can be either by retrieval from the URL, or, where applicable by resource type, by treating an absolute reference as a canonical URL and looking it up in a local registry/repository."/>
          <min value="0"/>
          <max value="*"/>
          <base>
            <path value="Reference"/>
            <min value="0"/>
            <max value="*"/>
          </base>
          <constraint>
            <key value="ele-1"/>
            <severity value="error"/>
            <human value="All FHIR elements must have a @value or children"/>
            <expression
                        value="hasValue() or (children().count() &gt; id.count())"/>
            <source value="http://hl7.org/fhir/StructureDefinition/Element"/>
          </constraint>
          <constraint>
            <key value="ref-1"/>
            <severity value="error"/>
            <human
                   value="SHALL have a contained resource if a local reference is provided"/>
            <expression
                        value="reference.exists()  implies (reference.startsWith('#').not() or (reference.substring(1).trace('url') in %rootResource.contained.id.trace('ids')) or (reference='#' and %rootResource!=%resource))"/>
            <source value="http://hl7.org/fhir/StructureDefinition/Reference"/>
          </constraint>
          <constraint>
            <key value="ref-2"/>
            <severity value="error"/>
            <human
                   value="At least one of reference, identifier and display SHALL be present (unless an extension is provided)."/>
            <expression
                        value="reference.exists() or identifier.exists() or display.exists() or extension.exists()"/>
            <source value="http://hl7.org/fhir/StructureDefinition/Reference"/>
          </constraint>
          <isModifier value="false"/>
          <mapping>
            <identity value="rim"/>
            <map
                 value="n/a,The target of a resource reference is a RIM entry point (Act, Role, or Entity)"/>
          </mapping>
        </element>
        <element id="Reference.id">
          <path value="Reference.id"/>
          <representation value="xmlAttr"/>
          <short value="Unique id for inter-element referencing"/>
          <definition
                      value="Unique id for the element within a resource (for internal references). This may be any string value that does not contain spaces."/>
          <min value="0"/>
          <max value="1"/>
          <base>
            <path value="Element.id"/>
            <min value="0"/>
            <max value="1"/>
          </base>
          <type>
            <extension
                       url="http://hl7.org/fhir/StructureDefinition/structuredefinition-fhir-type">
              <valueUrl value="id"/>
            </extension>
            <code value="http://hl7.org/fhirpath/System.String"/>
          </type>
          <condition value="ele-1"/>
          <isModifier value="false"/>
          <isSummary value="false"/>
          <mapping>
            <identity value="rim"/>
            <map value="n/a"/>
          </mapping>
        </element>
        <element id="Reference.extension">
          <path value="Reference.extension"/>
          <slicing>
            <discriminator>
              <type value="value"/>
              <path value="url"/>
            </discriminator>
            <description value="Extensions are always sliced by (at least) url"/>
            <rules value="open"/>
          </slicing>
          <short value="Additional content defined by implementations"/>
          <definition
                      value="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 managable, 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."/>
          <comment
                   value="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."/>
          <alias value="extensions"/>
          <alias value="user content"/>
          <min value="0"/>
          <max value="*"/>
          <base>
            <path value="Element.extension"/>
            <min value="0"/>
            <max value="*"/>
          </base>
          <type>
            <code value="Extension"/>
          </type>
          <constraint>
            <key value="ele-1"/>
            <severity value="error"/>
            <human value="All FHIR elements must have a @value or children"/>
            <expression
                        value="hasValue() or (children().count() &gt; id.count())"/>
            <source value="http://hl7.org/fhir/StructureDefinition/Element"/>
          </constraint>
          <constraint>
            <key value="ext-1"/>
            <severity value="error"/>
            <human value="Must have either extensions or value[x], not both"/>
            <expression value="extension.exists() != value.exists()"/>
            <source value="http://hl7.org/fhir/StructureDefinition/Extension"/>
          </constraint>
          <isModifier value="false"/>
          <isSummary value="false"/>
          <mapping>
            <identity value="rim"/>
            <map value="n/a"/>
          </mapping>
        </element>
        <element id="Reference.reference">
          <path value="Reference.reference"/>
          <short value="Literal reference, Relative, internal or absolute URL"/>
          <definition
                      value="A reference to a location at which the other resource is found. The reference may be a relative reference, in which case it is relative to the service base URL, or an absolute URL that resolves to the location where the resource is found. The reference may be version specific or not. If the reference is not to a FHIR RESTful server, then it should be assumed to be version specific. Internal fragment references (start with '#') refer to contained resources."/>
          <comment
                   value="Using absolute URLs provides a stable scalable approach suitable for a cloud/web context, while using relative/logical references provides a flexible approach suitable for use when trading across closed eco-system boundaries.   Absolute URLs do not need to point to a FHIR RESTful server, though this is the preferred approach. If the URL conforms to the structure &quot;[type]/[id]&quot; then it should be assumed that the reference is to a FHIR RESTful server."/>
          <min value="1"/>
          <max value="1"/>
          <base>
            <path value="Reference.reference"/>
            <min value="0"/>
            <max value="1"/>
          </base>
          <type>
            <code value="string"/>
          </type>
          <condition value="ref-2"/>
          <condition value="ref-1"/>
          <constraint>
            <key value="ele-1"/>
            <severity value="error"/>
            <human value="All FHIR elements must have a @value or children"/>
            <expression
                        value="hasValue() or (children().count() &gt; id.count())"/>
            <source value="http://hl7.org/fhir/StructureDefinition/Element"/>
          </constraint>
          <isModifier value="false"/>
          <isSummary value="true"/>
          <mapping>
            <identity value="rim"/>
            <map value="N/A"/>
          </mapping>
        </element>
        <element id="Reference.type">
          <path value="Reference.type"/>
          <short
                 value="Type the reference refers to (e.g. &quot;Patient&quot;) - must be a resource in resources"/>
          <definition
                      value="The expected type of the target of the reference. If both Reference.type and Reference.reference are populated and Reference.reference is a FHIR URL, both SHALL be consistent.

    The type is the Canonical URL of Resource Definition that is the type this reference refers to. References are URLs that are relative to http://hl7.org/fhir/StructureDefinition/ e.g. &quot;Patient&quot; is a reference to http://hl7.org/fhir/StructureDefinition/Patient. Absolute URLs are only allowed for logical models (and can only be used in references in logical models, not resources)."/>
          <comment
                   value="This element is used to indicate the type of  the target of the reference. This may be used which ever of the other elements are populated (or not). In some cases, the type of the target may be determined by inspection of the reference (e.g. a known RESTful URL) or by resolving the target of the reference."/>
          <min value="0"/>
          <max value="1"/>
          <base>
            <path value="Reference.type"/>
            <min value="0"/>
            <max value="1"/>
          </base>
          <type>
            <code value="uri"/>
          </type>
          <constraint>
            <key value="ele-1"/>
            <severity value="error"/>
            <human value="All FHIR elements must have a @value or children"/>
            <expression
                        value="hasValue() or (children().count() &gt; id.count())"/>
            <source value="http://hl7.org/fhir/StructureDefinition/Element"/>
          </constraint>
          <isModifier value="false"/>
          <isSummary value="true"/>
          <binding>
            <extension
                       url="http://hl7.org/fhir/StructureDefinition/elementdefinition-bindingName">
              <valueString value="FHIRResourceTypeExt"/>
            </extension>
            <strength value="extensible"/>
            <description
                         value="Aa resource (or, for logical models, the URI of the logical model)."/>
            <valueSet value="http://hl7.org/fhir/ValueSet/resource-types|5.0.0"/>
          </binding>
          <mapping>
            <identity value="rim"/>
            <map value="N/A"/>
          </mapping>
        </element>
        <element id="Reference.identifier">
          <path value="Reference.identifier"/>
          <short value="Logical reference, when literal reference is not known"/>
          <definition
                      value="An identifier for the target resource. This is used when there is no way to reference the other resource directly, either because the entity it represents is not available through a FHIR server, or because there is no way for the author of the resource to convert a known identifier to an actual location. There is no requirement that a Reference.identifier point to something that is actually exposed as a FHIR instance, but it SHALL point to a business concept that would be expected to be exposed as a FHIR instance, and that instance would need to be of a FHIR resource type allowed by the reference."/>
          <comment
                   value="When an identifier is provided in place of a reference, any system processing the reference will only be able to resolve the identifier to a reference if it understands the business context in which the identifier is used. Sometimes this is global (e.g. a national identifier) but often it is not. For this reason, none of the useful mechanisms described for working with references (e.g. chaining, includes) are possible, nor should servers be expected to be able resolve the reference. Servers may accept an identifier based reference untouched, resolve it, and/or reject it - see CapabilityStatement.rest.resource.referencePolicy.

    When both an identifier and a literal reference are provided, the literal reference is preferred. Applications processing the resource are allowed - but not required - to check that the identifier matches the literal reference

    Applications converting a logical reference to a literal reference may choose to leave the logical reference present, or remove it.

    Reference is intended to point to a structure that can potentially be expressed as a FHIR resource, though there is no need for it to exist as an actual FHIR resource instance - except in as much as an application wishes to actual find the target of the reference. The content referred to be the identifier must meet the logical constraints implied by any limitations on what resource types are permitted for the reference.  For example, it would not be legitimate to send the identifier for a drug prescription if the type were Reference(Observation|DiagnosticReport).  One of the use-cases for Reference.identifier is the situation where no FHIR representation exists (where the type is Reference (Any).

    This element only allows for a single identifier. In the case where additional identifers are required, use the [http://hl7.org/fhir/StructureDefinition/additionalIdentifier](http://hl7.org/fhir/extensions/StructureDefinition-additionalIdentifier.html) extension."/>
          <min value="0"/>
          <max value="1"/>
          <base>
            <path value="Reference.identifier"/>
            <min value="0"/>
            <max value="1"/>
          </base>
          <type>
            <code value="Identifier"/>
          </type>
          <condition value="ref-2"/>
          <constraint>
            <key value="ele-1"/>
            <severity value="error"/>
            <human value="All FHIR elements must have a @value or children"/>
            <expression
                        value="hasValue() or (children().count() &gt; id.count())"/>
            <source value="http://hl7.org/fhir/StructureDefinition/Element"/>
          </constraint>
          <isModifier value="false"/>
          <isSummary value="true"/>
          <mapping>
            <identity value="rim"/>
            <map value=".identifier"/>
          </mapping>
        </element>
        <element id="Reference.display">
          <extension
                     url="http://hl7.org/fhir/StructureDefinition/elementdefinition-translatable">
            <valueBoolean value="true"/>
          </extension>
          <extension
                     url="http://hl7.org/fhir/StructureDefinition/elementdefinition-translatable">
            <valueBoolean value="true"/>
          </extension>
          <path value="Reference.display"/>
          <short value="Text alternative for the resource"/>
          <definition
                      value="Plain text narrative that identifies the resource in addition to the resource reference."/>
          <comment
                   value="This is generally not the same as the Resource.text of the referenced resource.  The purpose is to identify what's being referenced, not to fully describe it."/>
          <min value="0"/>
          <max value="1"/>
          <base>
            <path value="Reference.display"/>
            <min value="0"/>
            <max value="1"/>
          </base>
          <type>
            <code value="string"/>
          </type>
          <condition value="ref-2"/>
          <constraint>
            <key value="ele-1"/>
            <severity value="error"/>
            <human value="All FHIR elements must have a @value or children"/>
            <expression
                        value="hasValue() or (children().count() &gt; id.count())"/>
            <source value="http://hl7.org/fhir/StructureDefinition/Element"/>
          </constraint>
          <isModifier value="false"/>
          <isSummary value="true"/>
          <mapping>
            <identity value="rim"/>
            <map value="N/A"/>
          </mapping>
        </element>
      </snapshot>
      <differential>
        <element id="Reference.reference">
          <path value="Reference.reference"/>
          <min value="1"/>
        </element>
      </differential>
    </StructureDefinition>