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.