FHIR Encounter
The Encounter resource represents an interaction between a patient and the health system: an inpatient stay, an outpatient visit, an ED presentation. It records the `class`, `type`, `status`, the `subject`, and the `period` of the contact.
US Core requirements
The elements below come from the profiles in our catalog that target Encounter. “Required” elements fail validation if absent; recommended elements are Must Support but do not fail on their own.
US Core Encounter (6.1)
http://hl7.org/fhir/us/core/StructureDefinition/us-core-encounter
Required
Encounter.status- US Core requires Encounter.status.Encounter.class- US Core requires Encounter.class.Encounter.type- US Core requires Encounter.type.Encounter.subject- US Core requires Encounter.subject (Patient reference).Encounter.period- US Core requires Encounter.period.
AU Core Encounter (2.0.0)
http://hl7.org.au/fhir/core/StructureDefinition/au-core-encounter
Required
Encounter.status- AU Core requires Encounter.status.Encounter.class- AU Core requires Encounter.class.Encounter.subject- AU Core requires Encounter.subject (AU Core Patient reference).
Recommended
Encounter.type- AU Core flags Encounter.type as Must Support.Encounter.period- AU Core flags Encounter.period as Must Support.
Minimal valid example
A minimal FHIR R4 Encounter that satisfies the common required elements:
{
"resourceType": "Encounter",
"status": "finished",
"class": {
"system": "http://terminology.hl7.org/CodeSystem/v3-ActCode",
"code": "IMP",
"display": "inpatient encounter"
},
"type": [
{
"text": "Cardiology"
}
],
"subject": {
"reference": "Patient/example"
},
"period": {
"start": "2024-01-15T09:30:00Z",
"end": "2024-01-18T10:15:00Z"
}
}Common validation failures
- Missing `class`, which is required, and it is a single Coding (often v3-ActCode `IMP`/`AMB`/`EMER`), not a CodeableConcept.
- Missing `type`. US Core requires at least one encounter type.
- `status` set to an HL7v2 value or a free-text string instead of a FHIR encounter status (`planned`, `in-progress`, `finished`, etc.).
- Missing `subject` (the Patient reference) or `period`.
Frequently asked questions
What is the FHIR Encounter resource?
The Encounter resource represents an interaction between a patient and the health system: an inpatient stay, an outpatient visit, an ED presentation. It records the `class`, `type`, `status`, the `subject`, and the `period` of the contact.
What are the US Core & AU Core required elements for Encounter?
For US Core Encounter (6.1), the elements marked required (error severity) are: Encounter.status, Encounter.class, Encounter.type, Encounter.subject, Encounter.period. For AU Core Encounter (2.0.0), the elements marked required (error severity) are: Encounter.status, Encounter.class, Encounter.subject. Recommended (Must Support but not failing) elements are also flagged by the coverage tool.
How do I validate a FHIR Encounter?
Paste the resource into the FHIR validator for a structural parse and conformance score, or use the coverage tool to score it against a specific profile like US Core. Both run in your browser, so PHI never leaves your device.
What are common Encounter validation failures?
Missing `class`, which is required, and it is a single Coding (often v3-ActCode `IMP`/`AMB`/`EMER`), not a CodeableConcept. Missing `type`. US Core requires at least one encounter type.