Testing and FHIR Validation
Important: This page is under development by NHS Digital
FHIR Validation SHOULD be used with this implementation guide.
This IG and FHIR Validation currently tests the following:
| Aspect | Verified | Description | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Structure | ✅ | Check that all the content in the resource is described by the specification, and nothing extra is present | XML, JSON and RDF |
| Cardinality | ✅ | Check that the cardinality of all properties is correct (min & max) | |
| Value Domains | ✅ | Check that the values of all properties conform to the rules for the specified types (including checking that enumerated codes are valid) | |
| Coding/CodeableConcept bindings | Limited | Check that codes/displays provided in the Coding/CodeableConcept types are valid | This requires a UK Terminology Server and currently it is not possible to use this directly with FHIR Validation tools. |
| Invariants | ✅ | Check that the invariants (co-occurrence rules, etc.) have been followed correctly | |
| Profiles | ✅ | Check that any rules in profiles have been followed (including those listed in the Resource.meta.profile, or in CapabilityStatement, or in an ImplementationGuide, or otherwise required by context) | |
| Questionnaires | ✅ | Check that a QuestionnaireResponse is valid against its matching Questionnaire | |
| Message Definitions | ✅ | Check that a Bundle (type=message) is valid against its matching MessageDefinition | Not supported in HL7 Validation tools but is supported in NHS Digital validators (Solutions Assurance and EPS) |
| Document Definitions | ✅ | Check that a Bundle (type=document) is valid against its matching Composition | Not supported in HL7 Validation tools but is supported in NHS Digital validators (Solutions Assurance) |
| Business Rules | ✘ | Business rules are made outside the specification, such as checking for duplicates, checking that references resolve, checking that a user is authorized to do what they want to do, etc. | Business rules are beyond the scope of the FHIR Implementation Guide. |
HL7 FHIR Validator
When using the FHIR Validator, the general format will be:
java -jar org.hl7.fhir.validator.jar [filename] -version 4.0.1 -ig [nhs-digial-ig-package] -profile [profile]
Where
- filename is the file name of the resource being validatatd.
- nhs-digital-ig-package is the url of the NHS Digital IG Package which can be found in the Downloads section
- profile the url of the profile to validate against.
e.g.
java -jar org.hl7.fhir.validator.jar patient-ex.xml -version 4.0.1 -ig https://packages.simplifier.net/uk.nhsdigital.r4/-/uk.nhsdigital.r4-2.1.25-discovery.tgz -profile https://fhir.nhs.uk/StructureDefinition/NHSDigital-Patient
Asking a FHIR Server
The Electronic Prescription Service has implemented this operation and is available GitHub validation-service-fhir-r4