# Health Connect Australia Provider Directory FHIR Implementation Guide

0.2.0-preview - Preview

Health Connect Australia Provider Directory FHIR Implementation Guide, published by Australian Digital Health Agency. This guide is not an authorized publication; it is the continuous build for version 0.2.0-preview built by the FHIR (HL7® FHIR® Standard) CI Build. This version is based on the current content of https://github.com/steveswinsburg/HealthConnect/ and changes regularly. See the Directory of published versions

## Search Parameters

Page standards status: Informative

### Custom Search Parameters

This page lists the custom SearchParameters that have been defined within this Implementation Guide.

Name | Description
--- | ---
All Day | Search HealthcareServices or PractitionerRoles by whether they are available all day.
End Time | Search HealthcareServices or PractitionerRoles by availability end time.
Start Time | Search HealthcareServices or PractitionerRoles by availability start time.
Days of Week | Search HealthcareServices or PractitionerRoles by days of week availability. Supports multiple days using OR logic.
Endpoint Payload Mime Type | Search for Endpoint resources by payloadMimeType.
Endpoint URL | Search for Endpoint resources by address (URL).
HC Endpoint Identifier | Search an Endpoint record by its HC identifier.
Healthcare Service Billing | Search for HealthcareService resources by billing information.
Languages | Search HealthcareServices or PractitionerRoles by supported languages/communication methods. Shared across HealthcareService and PractitionerRole.
Location Amenities | Search for Location resources by amenities.
Location Physical Type | Search for Location resources by physicalType field.
Location Postal Address | Search for Location resources by postal address components.
Practitioner's Registered Profession | Search a Practitioner record by their registered profession using string values.
Practitioner's Role Type | Search a PractitionerRole record by their role type.
Practitioner's Recorded Sex or Gender | Search a Practitioner record by their recorded sex or gender.
Practitioner Identifier (R5) | Search a Practitioner record by any identifier, including HPI-I and Professional Registration Number (PRN), mimicks R5-style identifier searching. Supports both `Practitioner.identifier` and `Practitioner.qualification.identifier`.

### Search Modifiers

The Health Connect Provider Directory supports specific search modifiers for string-type search parameters to tailor search functionality:

- `:exact` - Performs case-sensitive, exact matching without partial matching. Use this when you need precise lookups with string-type parameters.
- `:contains` - Searches for the value anywhere within the string, not just at the beginning. Use this for broader text searches.

Note: Token-type search parameters (such as `hcepi`) provide exact matching by default and do not require modifiers.

#### String-Type Parameters with Modifier Support

The following string-type search parameters can be used with the appropriate modifier:

Parameter | Resource Types | Type | Use Case for `:exact` | Use Case for `:contains`
--- | --- | --- | --- | ---
`name (R4)` | Practitioner | string | Exact name match (case-sensitive) | Recommended: Search for practitioners by partial name matches
`languages` | HealthcareService, PractitionerRole | string | Exact language match (case-sensitive) | Recommended: Search for partial language matches
`regprof` | Practitioner | string | Exact profession match (case-sensitive) | Recommended: Search for partial profession matches
`roletype` | PractitionerRole | string | Exact role type match (case-sensitive) | Recommended: Search for partial role type matches
`locmailaddress` | Location | string | Not supported | Search postal address components

### Prefix Operators for Time Availability Searches

The Start Time and End Time search parameters support numeric prefix operators, allowing you to search for times before, after, or at a specific value. These parameters use a four-digit numeric format (HHMM, e.g., `0830` for 8:30am, `1700` for 5:00pm).

You can use the following prefixes to control the comparison:

Prefix | Meaning | Example | Description
--- | --- | --- | ---
`eq` | Equal | `eq0830` | Matches exactly 08:30am
`ne` | Not equal | `ne1700` | Matches any time except 5:00pm
`gt` | Greater than | `gt0900` | Matches times after 9:00am
`lt` | Less than | `lt1200` | Matches times before 12:00pm (noon)
`ge` | Greater than or equal | `ge0800` | Matches times at or after 8:00am
`le` | Less than or equal | `le1700` | Matches times at or before 5:00pm

For example, to find HealthcareServices available after 9:00am, search with `starttime=gt0900`.