GraphQL | Medplum

The FHIR GraphQL API allows you to query and retrieve FHIR resources using GraphQL syntax, enabling precise data fetching with a single request. Unlike traditional REST endpoints that return fixed resource structures, GraphQL lets clients specify exactly which fields and related resources they need, reducing over-fetching and minimizing network round trips.

Use Cases:

• Efficient data loading: Fetch a patient along with their conditions, medications, and recent encounters in a single query instead of multiple REST calls
• Mobile and web applications: Minimize bandwidth usage by requesting only the fields needed for specific UI components
• Complex data relationships: Navigate FHIR references and retrieve nested resources (e.g., Patient → Encounters → Practitioners) in one request
• API exploration: Use GraphQL introspection to discover available FHIR resources and their fields programmatically

Medplum provides a GraphQL API based on the FHIR GraphQL draft specification.

Check out our FHIR GraphQL Guide for an in depth explanation of how to leverage the FHIR GraphQL API.