What do these items have in common?
- Cardiac pacemaker
- Pregnancy testing kit
- Endoscopic camera
They’re FHIR Devices.
To be clearer, they’re all examples of items that can be captured using FHIR’s Device resource.
Device defines “a manufactured item that is used in the provision of healthcare.”
That manufactured item may be as simple as an over-the-counter pregnancy test kit or a needle used to suture a wound.
It may be a far more complicated implantable device such as a pacemaker or an artificial liver.
Or it may be an expensive ultrasound machine or optical microscope.
The definition of what constitutes a Device is wide. It expands over time.
Software as a Medical Device (SaMD) can be stored in a Device resource. As can an AI algorithm. Both of these generate animated discussions on the FHIR chat forum.
Here are some key elements of Device:
Device.type
What exactly is it? Preferably using a code from SNOMED CT or another code system.
Device.parent
Documents the connection between component parts of a larger device.
Device.location
Where is the device right now? An operating theatre, a storage room?
Device.patient
Who is the device implanted in, attached to or used by?
If you’re having difficulty mapping your object to FHIR’s Device resource, take a look at two companion resources that are often used in conjunction with Device.
- DeviceDefinition – describes the characteristics and capabilities of a Device.
- DeviceMetric – describes the settings and measurements used by a Device.
More about Device: http://hl7.org/fhir/R4/device.html
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