Workflows

The Workflow Module provides reusable coordination tools to manage referrals, triage, task tracking, and communication across healthcare settings. These profiles support interoperability across domains and can be adapted for specific use cases such as eReferral, virtual care, and team-based care coordination.

This module provides building blocks for enabling workflow interoperability. It does not define how workflows are executed in practice. Specifics such as which systems initiate requests, how tasks are assigned, or the order of communication are determined by domain-specific or jurisdictional implementation guides. Different domains may choose to achieve similar workflow objectives through different mechanisms, depending on existing infrastructure, policy requirements, and participant capabilities.

Included Profiles

Workflow Resources

• Task (CA Core)
  A standardized task coordination resource used to represent actionable work, triage decisions, or status updates. Future CA Core+ versions may introduce specialized Task profiles to support distinct workflow patterns.

• ServiceRequest (CA-Core)
  Represents a clinical or administrative request, such as a referral, diagnostic test, or consultation. This profile ensures consistency across care coordination workflows.

• Communication (CA-Core)
  Captures asynchronous communication between systems or actors, including secure messages, status updates, or notifications related to ongoing workflows.

Supporting Context

• HealthcareService (CA-Core)
  Defines the services provided by an organization or practitioner, enabling structured referrals, scheduling, and service availability tracking.

Design Principles

• Profiles are harmonized with jurisdictional and national specifications, ensuring alignment with projects like eReferral, virtual care, and coordinated care models.
• Workflows reference key FHIR resources such as Patient, Practitioner, Organization, Encounter, and Location to maintain interoperability and data integrity.
• Supports standardized tracking, assignment, and handoff of work across different systems, care settings, and jurisdictions.
• Enables automation of workflows by integrating with decision support, consent management, and scheduling solutions.

Usage Examples

These workflow profiles support various care delivery scenarios:

• eReferral systems – Initiate, track, and respond to referral requests with structured workflow coordination.
• Care coordination solutions – Assign and monitor tasks across care teams, supporting transitions and follow-ups.
• Triage and scheduling workflows – Route service requests to the appropriate provider, automate prioritization, and facilitate provider assignment.

For detailed implementation examples, refer to the Examples section.

Relationship to Other Modules

The Workflow Module is designed for interoperability with other CA Core+ modules, for more information visit the Modules page.

Implementation & Adoption

• Implementation Guides (IGs) – These profiles are expected to be reused and further constrained in domain-specific and jurisdictional IGs to meet local regulatory, policy, and operational requirements. Review General Guidance for more information.