ResearchElementDefinition | Medplum

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The ResearchElementDefinition resource describes a "PICO" element that knowledge (evidence, assertion, recommendation) is about.

Elements

Name	Required	Type	Description
url		uri	Canonical identifier for this research element definition, represented as a URI (globally unique) Details An absolute URI that is used to identify this research element definition 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 research element definition is (or will be) published. This URL can be the target of a canonical reference. It SHALL remain the same when the research element definition is stored on different servers. Can be a urn:uuid: or a urn:oid: but real http: addresses are preferred. Multiple instances may share the same URL if they have a distinct version. The determination of when to create a new version of a resource (same url, new version) vs. defining a new artifact is up to the author. Considerations for making this decision are found in Technical and Business Versions. In some cases, the resource can no longer be found at the stated url, but the url itself cannot change. Implementations can use the meta.source element to indicate where the current master source of the resource can be found.
identifier		Identifier[]	Additional identifier for the research element definition Details A formal identifier that is used to identify this research element definition when it is represented in other formats, or referenced in a specification, model, design or an instance. Typically, this is used for identifiers that can go in an HL7 V3 II (instance identifier) data type, and can then identify this research element definition outside of FHIR, where it is not possible to use the logical URI.
version		string	Business version of the research element definition Details The identifier that is used to identify this version of the research element definition when it is referenced in a specification, model, design or instance. This is an arbitrary value managed by the research element definition 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. To provide a version consistent with the Decision Support Service specification, use the format Major.Minor.Revision (e.g. 1.0.0). For more information on versioning knowledge assets, refer to the Decision Support Service specification. Note that a version is required for non-experimental active artifacts. There may be different research element definition 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 research element definition with the format [url]
name		string	Name for this research element definition (computer friendly) Details A natural language name identifying the research element definition. This name should be usable as an identifier for the module by machine processing applications such as code generation. 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.
title		string	Name for this research element definition (human friendly) Details A short, descriptive, user-friendly title for the research element definition. This name does not need to be machine-processing friendly and may contain punctuation, white-space, etc.
shortTitle		string	Title for use in informal contexts Details The short title provides an alternate title for use in informal descriptive contexts where the full, formal title is not necessary.
subtitle		string	Subordinate title of the ResearchElementDefinition Details An explanatory or alternate title for the ResearchElementDefinition giving additional information about its content.
status	✓	code	draft \| active \| retired \| unknown Details The status of this research element definition. Enables tracking the life-cycle of the content. Allows filtering of research element definitions that are appropriate for use versus not.
experimental		boolean	For testing purposes, not real usage Details A Boolean value to indicate that this research element definition is authored for testing purposes (or education/evaluation/marketing) and is not intended to be used for genuine usage. Allows filtering of research element definitions that are appropriate for use versus not.
subject[x]		CodeableConcept, Reference< Group >	E.g. Patient, Practitioner, RelatedPerson, Organization, Location, Device Details The intended subjects for the ResearchElementDefinition. If this element is not provided, a Patient subject is assumed, but the subject of the ResearchElementDefinition can be anything. The subject of the ResearchElementDefinition is critical in interpreting the criteria definitions, as the logic in the ResearchElementDefinitions is evaluated with respect to a particular subject. This corresponds roughly to the notion of a Compartment in that it limits what content is available based on its relationship to the subject. In CQL, this corresponds to the context declaration.
date		dateTime	Date last changed Details The date (and optionally time) when the research element definition 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 research element definition changes. Note that this is not the same as the resource last-modified-date, since the resource may be a secondary representation of the research element definition. Additional specific dates may be added as extensions or be found by consulting Provenances associated with past versions of the resource.
publisher		string	Name of the publisher (organization or individual) Details The name of the organization or individual that published the research element definition. Usually an organization but may be an individual. The publisher (or steward) of the research element definition is the organization or individual primarily responsible for the maintenance and upkeep of the research element definition. 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 research element definition. This item SHOULD be populated unless the information is available from context.
contact		ContactDetail[]	Contact details for the publisher Details Contact details to assist a user in finding and communicating with the publisher. May be a web site, an email address, a telephone number, etc.
description		markdown	Natural language description of the research element definition Details A free text natural language description of the research element definition from a consumer's perspective. This description can be used to capture details such as why the research element definition 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 research element definition 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 research element definition is presumed to be the predominant language in the place the research element definition was created).
comment		string[]	Used for footnotes or explanatory notes Details A human-readable string to clarify or explain concepts about the resource.
useContext		UsageContext[]	The context that the content is intended to support Details 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 research element definition instances. When multiple useContexts are specified, there is no expectation that all or any of the contexts apply.
jurisdiction		CodeableConcept[]	Intended jurisdiction for research element definition (if applicable) Details A legal or geographic region in which the research element definition is intended to be used. It may be possible for the research element definition to be used in jurisdictions other than those for which it was originally designed or intended.
purpose		markdown	Why this research element definition is defined Details Explanation of why this research element definition is needed and why it has been designed as it has. This element does not describe the usage of the research element definition. 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 research element definition.
usage		string	Describes the clinical usage of the ResearchElementDefinition Details A detailed description, from a clinical perspective, of how the ResearchElementDefinition is used.
copyright		markdown	Use and/or publishing restrictions Details A copyright statement relating to the research element definition and/or its contents. Copyright statements are generally legal restrictions on the use and publishing of the research element definition.
approvalDate		date	When the research element definition was approved by publisher Details The date on which the resource content was approved by the publisher. Approval happens once when the content is officially approved for usage. The 'date' element may be more recent than the approval date because of minor changes or editorial corrections.
lastReviewDate		date	When the research element definition was last reviewed Details The date on which the resource content was last reviewed. Review happens periodically after approval but does not change the original approval date. If specified, this date follows the original approval date.
effectivePeriod		Period	When the research element definition is expected to be used Details The period during which the research element definition content was or is planned to be in active use. The effective period for a research element definition 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.
topic		CodeableConcept[]	The category of the ResearchElementDefinition, such as Education, Treatment, Assessment, etc. Details Descriptive topics related to the content of the ResearchElementDefinition. Topics provide a high-level categorization grouping types of ResearchElementDefinitions that can be useful for filtering and searching.
author		ContactDetail[]	Who authored the content Details An individiual or organization primarily involved in the creation and maintenance of the content.
editor		ContactDetail[]	Who edited the content Details An individual or organization primarily responsible for internal coherence of the content.
reviewer		ContactDetail[]	Who reviewed the content Details An individual or organization primarily responsible for review of some aspect of the content.
endorser		ContactDetail[]	Who endorsed the content Details An individual or organization responsible for officially endorsing the content for use in some setting.
relatedArtifact		RelatedArtifact[]	Additional documentation, citations, etc. Details Related artifacts such as additional documentation, justification, or bibliographic references. Each related artifact is either an attachment, or a reference to another resource, but not both.
library		canonical[]	Logic used by the ResearchElementDefinition Details A reference to a Library resource containing the formal logic used by the ResearchElementDefinition.
type	✓	code	population \| exposure \| outcome Details The type of research element, a population, an exposure, or an outcome.
variableType		code	dichotomous \| continuous \| descriptive Details The type of the outcome (e.g. Dichotomous, Continuous, or Descriptive).
characteristic	✓	ResearchElementDefinitionCharacteristic[]	What defines the members of the research element Details A characteristic that defines the members of the research element. Multiple characteristics are applied with "and" semantics. Characteristics can be defined flexibly to accommodate different use cases for membership criteria, ranging from simple codes, all the way to using an expression language to express the criteria.
id		string	Unique id for inter-element referencing Details Unique id for the element within a resource (for internal references). This may be any string value that does not contain spaces.
extension		Extension[]	Additional content defined by implementations Details 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. 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.
modifierExtension		Extension[]	Extensions that cannot be ignored even if unrecognized Details 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). 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.
definition[x]	✓	CodeableConcept, canonical, Expression, DataRequirement	What code or expression defines members? Details Define members of the research element using Codes (such as condition, medication, or observation), Expressions ( using an expression language such as FHIRPath or CQL) or DataRequirements (such as Diabetes diagnosis onset in the last year).
usageContext		UsageContext[]	What code/value pairs define members? Details Use UsageContext to define the members of the population, such as Age Ranges, Genders, Settings.
exclude		boolean	Whether the characteristic includes or excludes members Details When true, members with this characteristic are excluded from the element.
unitOfMeasure		CodeableConcept	What unit is the outcome described in? Details Specifies the UCUM unit for the outcome.
studyEffectiveDescription		string	What time period does the study cover Details A narrative description of the time period the study covers.
studyEffective[x]		dateTime, Period, Duration, Timing	What time period does the study cover Details Indicates what effective period the study covers.
studyEffectiveTimeFromStart		Duration	Observation time from study start Details Indicates duration from the study initiation.
studyEffectiveGroupMeasure		code	mean \| median \| mean-of-mean \| mean-of-median \| median-of-mean \| median-of-median Details Indicates how elements are aggregated within the study effective period.
participantEffectiveDescription		string	What time period do participants cover Details A narrative description of the time period the study covers.
participantEffective[x]		dateTime, Period, Duration, Timing	What time period do participants cover Details Indicates what effective period the study covers.
participantEffectiveTimeFromStart		Duration	Observation time from study start Details Indicates duration from the participant's study entry.
participantEffectiveGroupMeasure		code	mean \| median \| mean-of-mean \| mean-of-median \| median-of-mean \| median-of-median Details Indicates how elements are aggregated within the study effective period.