Conformance

This section provides essential guidance on the conformance requirements for systems interacting with the Longitudinal Record Access (LRA) platform. LRA IG makes use of conformance language such as SHALL, SHOULD and MAY to describe the behavior of systems. The meaning of these words shall be interpreted as per the FHIR core specification. The conformance section includes:

Must Support Definitions: Provides expectations for implementers on handling Must Support elements in LRA data. Clients are expected to process these elements without causing system failures and to display or consume them as specified. The page explains sender and receiver responsibilities and highlights that where source systems set conformance rules—such as EMPI or PLR—the LRA will defer to those specific requirements.

Capability Statement: Outlines the capabilities of the LRA Server, including supported resources, interactions, and operations. This ensures consistent implementation across systems by defining the core functionality and data exchange standards that clients must support. This page also covers details on SMART on FHIR security, supported formats, and the process-message operation for event-based communication.

Response Handling: Describes how clients should handle errors at both the HTTP and FHIR layers, with specific guidance on HTTP status codes and expected behaviors for each type of response. This page includes examples of using the OperationOutcome resource for error reporting, helping clients standardize their error-handling processes.

Important Notes:

  • Clients SHALL interpret the technical FHIR specifications provided in this guide and adhere to requirements, especially for attributes marked as Must Support. Compliance with these specifications ensures that data provided by the LRA is effectively used or displayed.

  • For source-system integrations like EMPI and PLR, conformance relies on the source system’s conformance rules. For these systems, LRA does not define its own technical conformance rules but instead aligns with the established conformance requirements of each source.

  • To ensure effective conformance expectations for LRA platform, the LRA team will work closely with source system teams to define necessary conformance requirements, encompassing both technical and business aspects where needed.