Please note:

This is an Implementation Guide for UK Core FHIR Assets in Development.
There will be disruption as the content will be updated on an ad-hoc basis and with links not working.
Therefore this Implementation Guide must not be implemented.
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StructureDefinition-UKCore-Flag

Canonical_URL	Status	Current_Version	Last_Updated	Description
https://fhir.hl7.org.uk/StructureDefinition/UKCore-Flag	draft	1.2.0	2023-12-12	This profile defines the UK constraints and extensions on the International FHIR resource Flag.

Profile_Purpose

Profile_Purpose
A flag is a warning or notification of some sort presented to the user - who may be a clinician or some other person involve in patient care. It usually represents something of sufficient significance to warrant a special display of some sort - rather than just a note in the resource. A flag has a subject representing the resource that will trigger its display. This subject can be of different types, as described in the examples below: A note that a patient has an overdue account, which the provider may wish to discuss with them - in case of hardship, for example (`subject = Patient`) An outbreak of Ebola in a particular region (`subject = Location`) so that all patients from that region have a higher risk of having that condition A particular provider is unavailable for referrals over a given period (`subject = Practitioner`) A patient who is enrolled in a clinical trial (`subject = Group`) Special guidance or caveats to be aware of when following a protocol (`subject = PlanDefinition`) Warnings about using a drug in a formulary requires special approval (`subject = Medication`)

A flag is a warning or notification of some sort presented to the user - who may be a clinician or some other person involve in patient care. It usually represents something of sufficient significance to warrant a special display of some sort - rather than just a note in the resource. A flag has a subject representing the resource that will trigger its display.

This subject can be of different types, as described in the examples below:

A note that a patient has an overdue account, which the provider may wish to discuss with them - in case of hardship, for example (subject = Patient)
An outbreak of Ebola in a particular region (subject = Location) so that all patients from that region have a higher risk of having that condition
A particular provider is unavailable for referrals over a given period (subject = Practitioner)
A patient who is enrolled in a clinical trial (subject = Group)
Special guidance or caveats to be aware of when following a protocol (subject = PlanDefinition)
Warnings about using a drug in a formulary requires special approval (subject = Medication)

Flag	I		Flag	There are no (further) constraints on this element Element id Flag Short description Key information to flag to healthcare providers Alternate names Barriers to Care, Alert, Warning Definition Prospective warnings of potential issues when providing care to the patient. Data type Flag Constraints dom-2: If the resource is contained in another resource, it SHALL NOT contain nested Resources `contained.contained.empty()` dom-4: If a resource is contained in another resource, it SHALL NOT have a meta.versionId or a meta.lastUpdated `contained.meta.versionId.empty() and contained.meta.lastUpdated.empty()` dom-3: If the resource is contained in another resource, it SHALL be referred to from elsewhere in the resource or SHALL refer to the containing resource `contained.where((('#'+id in (%resource.descendants().reference \| %resource.descendants().as(canonical) \| %resource.descendants().as(uri) \| %resource.descendants().as(url))) or descendants().where(reference = '#').exists() or descendants().where(as(canonical) = '#').exists() or descendants().where(as(canonical) = '#').exists()).not()).trace('unmatched', id).empty()` dom-6: A resource should have narrative for robust management text.`div`.exists() dom-5: If a resource is contained in another resource, it SHALL NOT have a security label `contained.meta.security.empty()` Mappings rim: Entity. Role, or Act rim: Observation[classCode=ISSUE, moodCode=EVN]
id	Σ	0..1	string	There are no (further) constraints on this element Element id Flag.id Short description Logical id of this artifact Definition The logical id of the resource, as used in the URL for the resource. Once assigned, this value never changes. Comments The only time that a resource does not have an id is when it is being submitted to the server using a create operation. Data type string
meta	Σ	0..1	Meta	There are no (further) constraints on this element Element id Flag.meta Short description Metadata about the resource Definition The metadata about the resource. This is content that is maintained by the infrastructure. Changes to the content might not always be associated with version changes to the resource. Data type Meta Constraints ele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children `hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count())` Mappings rim: n/a rim: N/A
implicitRules	Σ ?!	0..1	uri	There are no (further) constraints on this element Element id Flag.implicitRules Short description A set of rules under which this content was created Definition A reference to a set of rules that were followed when the resource was constructed, and which must be understood when processing the content. Often, this is a reference to an implementation guide that defines the special rules along with other profiles etc. Comments Asserting this rule set restricts the content to be only understood by a limited set of trading partners. This inherently limits the usefulness of the data in the long term. However, the existing health eco-system is highly fractured, and not yet ready to define, collect, and exchange data in a generally computable sense. Wherever possible, implementers and/or specification writers should avoid using this element. Often, when used, the URL is a reference to an implementation guide that defines these special rules as part of it's narrative along with other profiles, value sets, etc. Data type uri Constraints ele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children `hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count())` Mappings rim: n/a
language		0..1	codeBinding	There are no (further) constraints on this element Element id Flag.language Short description Language of the resource content Definition The base language in which the resource is written. Comments Language is provided to support indexing and accessibility (typically, services such as text to speech use the language tag). The html language tag in the narrative applies to the narrative. The language tag on the resource may be used to specify the language of other presentations generated from the data in the resource. Not all the content has to be in the base language. The Resource.language should not be assumed to apply to the narrative automatically. If a language is specified, it should it also be specified on the div element in the html (see rules in HTML5 for information about the relationship between xml:lang and the html lang attribute). Data type code Binding A human language. CommonLanguages (preferred) Constraints ele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children `hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count())` Mappings rim: n/a
text		0..1	Narrative	There are no (further) constraints on this element Element id Flag.text Short description Text summary of the resource, for human interpretation Alternate names narrative, html, xhtml, display Definition A human-readable narrative that contains a summary of the resource and can be used to represent the content of the resource to a human. The narrative need not encode all the structured data, but is required to contain sufficient detail to make it "clinically safe" for a human to just read the narrative. Resource definitions may define what content should be represented in the narrative to ensure clinical safety. Comments Contained resources do not have narrative. Resources that are not contained SHOULD have a narrative. In some cases, a resource may only have text with little or no additional discrete data (as long as all minOccurs=1 elements are satisfied). This may be necessary for data from legacy systems where information is captured as a "text blob" or where text is additionally entered raw or narrated and encoded information is added later. Data type Narrative Constraints ele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children `hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count())` Mappings rim: n/a rim: N/A rim: Act.text?
contained		0..*	Resource	There are no (further) constraints on this element Element id Flag.contained Short description Contained, inline Resources Alternate names inline resources, anonymous resources, contained resources Definition These resources do not have an independent existence apart from the resource that contains them - they cannot be identified independently, and nor can they have their own independent transaction scope. Comments This should never be done when the content can be identified properly, as once identification is lost, it is extremely difficult (and context dependent) to restore it again. Contained resources may have profiles and tags In their meta elements, but SHALL NOT have security labels. Data type Resource Mappings rim: Entity. Role, or Act rim: N/A
extension	I	0..*	Extension	There are no (further) constraints on this element Element id Flag.extension Short description Additional content defined by implementations Alternate names extensions, user content Definition May be used to represent additional information that is not part of the basic definition of the resource. To make the use of extensions safe and manageable, there is a strict set of governance applied to the definition and use of extensions. Though any implementer can define an extension, there is a set of requirements that SHALL be met as part of the definition of the extension. Comments There can be no stigma associated with the use of extensions by any application, project, or standard - regardless of the institution or jurisdiction that uses or defines the extensions. The use of extensions is what allows the FHIR specification to retain a core level of simplicity for everyone. Data type Extension Sliced: Unordered, Open, by url(Value) Extensions are always sliced by (at least) url Constraints ele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children `hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count())` ext-1: Must have either extensions or value[x], not both `extension.exists() != value.exists()` Mappings rim: n/a rim: N/A
modifierExtension	?! I	0..*	Extension	There are no (further) constraints on this element Element id Flag.modifierExtension Short description Extensions that cannot be ignored Alternate names extensions, user content Definition May be used to represent additional information that is not part of the basic definition of the resource and that modifies the understanding of the element that contains it and/or the understanding of the containing element's descendants. Usually modifier elements provide negation or qualification. To make the use of extensions safe and manageable, there is a strict set of governance applied to the definition and use of extensions. Though any implementer is allowed to define an extension, there is a set of requirements that SHALL be met as part of the definition of the extension. Applications processing a resource are required to check for modifier extensions. Modifier extensions SHALL NOT change the meaning of any elements on Resource or DomainResource (including cannot change the meaning of modifierExtension itself). Requirements Modifier extensions allow for extensions that cannot be safely ignored to be clearly distinguished from the vast majority of extensions which can be safely ignored. This promotes interoperability by eliminating the need for implementers to prohibit the presence of extensions. For further information, see the definition of modifier extensions. Comments There can be no stigma associated with the use of extensions by any application, project, or standard - regardless of the institution or jurisdiction that uses or defines the extensions. The use of extensions is what allows the FHIR specification to retain a core level of simplicity for everyone. Data type Extension Sliced: Unordered, Open, by url(Value) Extensions are always sliced by (at least) url Constraints ele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children `hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count())` ext-1: Must have either extensions or value[x], not both `extension.exists() != value.exists()` Mappings rim: n/a rim: N/A
identifier	Σ	0..*	Identifier	There are no (further) constraints on this element Element id Flag.identifier Short description Business identifier Definition Business identifiers assigned to this flag by the performer or other systems which remain constant as the resource is updated and propagates from server to server. Requirements Allows identification of the flag as it is known by various participating systems and in a way that remains consistent across servers. Comments This is a business identifier, not a resource identifier (see discussion). It is best practice for the identifier to only appear on a single resource instance, however business practices may occasionally dictate that multiple resource instances with the same identifier can exist - possibly even with different resource types. For example, multiple Patient and a Person resource instance might share the same social insurance number. Data type Identifier Constraints ele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children `hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count())` Mappings rim: n/a v2: CX / EI (occasionally, more often EI maps to a resource id or a URL) rim: II - The Identifier class is a little looser than the v3 type II because it allows URIs as well as registered OIDs or GUIDs. Also maps to Role[classCode=IDENT] servd: Identifier w5: FiveWs.identifier rim: .id
status	S Σ ?!	1..1	codeBinding	There are no (further) constraints on this element Element id Flag.status Short description active \| inactive \| entered-in-error Definition Supports basic workflow. Comments This element is labeled as a modifier because the status contains codes that mark the resource as not currently valid. Data type code Binding Indicates whether this flag is active and needs to be displayed to a user, or whether it is no longer needed or was entered in error. FlagStatus (required) Constraints ele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children `hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count())` Mappings rim: n/a w5: FiveWs.status rim: .status
category	Σ	0..*	CodeableConcept	There are no (further) constraints on this element Element id Flag.category Short description Clinical, administrative, etc. Definition Allows a flag to be divided into different categories like clinical, administrative etc. Intended to be used as a means of filtering which flags are displayed to particular user or in a given context. Comments The value set will often need to be adjusted based on local business rules and usage context. Data type CodeableConcept Binding A general category for flags for filtering/display purposes. FlagCategory (example) Constraints ele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children `hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count())` Mappings rim: n/a v2: CE/CNE/CWE rim: CD orim: fhir:CodeableConcept rdfs:subClassOf dt:CD w5: FiveWs.class rim: .code
code	S Σ	1..1	CodeableConcept	There are no (further) constraints on this element Element id Flag.code Short description Coded or textual message to display to user Definition The coded value or textual component of the flag to display to the user. Comments If non-coded, use CodeableConcept.text. This element should always be included in the narrative. Data type CodeableConcept Binding Detail codes identifying specific flagged issues. FlagCode (example) Constraints ele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children `hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count())` Mappings rim: n/a v2: CE/CNE/CWE rim: CD orim: fhir:CodeableConcept rdfs:subClassOf dt:CD w5: FiveWs.what[x] rim: .value
subject	S Σ I	1..1	Reference(Patient \| Location \| Group \| Organization \| Practitioner \| PlanDefinition \| Medication \| Procedure)	There are no (further) constraints on this element Element id Flag.subject Short description Who/What is flag about? Definition The patient, location, group, organization, or practitioner etc. this is about record this flag is associated with. Comments References SHALL be a reference to an actual FHIR resource, and SHALL be resolveable (allowing for access control, temporary unavailability, etc.). Resolution can be either by retrieval from the URL, or, where applicable by resource type, by treating an absolute reference as a canonical URL and looking it up in a local registry/repository. Data type Reference(Patient \| Location \| Group \| Organization \| Practitioner \| PlanDefinition \| Medication \| Procedure) Constraints ele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children `hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count())` ref-1: SHALL have a contained resource if a local reference is provided `reference.startsWith('#').not() or (reference.substring(1).trace('url') in %rootResource.contained.id.trace('ids'))` Mappings rim: n/a rim: The target of a resource reference is a RIM entry point (Act, Role, or Entity) w5: FiveWs.subject[x] rim: .participation[typeCode=SBJ].role[classCode=PAT \| LOCE \| ASSIGNED] w5: FiveWs.subject
period	Σ I	0..1	Period	There are no (further) constraints on this element Element id Flag.period Short description Time period when flag is active Definition The period of time from the activation of the flag to inactivation of the flag. If the flag is active, the end of the period should be unspecified. Comments A Period specifies a range of time; the context of use will specify whether the entire range applies (e.g. "the patient was an inpatient of the hospital for this time range") or one value from the range applies (e.g. "give to the patient between these two times"). Period is not used for a duration (a measure of elapsed time). See Duration. Data type Period Constraints ele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children `hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count())` per-1: If present, start SHALL have a lower value than end `start.hasValue().not() or end.hasValue().not() or (start <= end)` Mappings rim: n/a v2: DR rim: IVL<TS>[lowClosed="true" and highClosed="true"] or URG<TS>[lowClosed="true" and highClosed="true"] w5: FiveWs.context
encounter	Σ I	0..1	Reference(Encounter)	There are no (further) constraints on this element Element id Flag.encounter Short description Alert relevant during encounter Definition This alert is only relevant during the encounter. Comments If both Flag.encounter and Flag.period are valued, then Flag.period.start shall not be before Encounter.period.start and Flag.period.end shall not be after Encounter.period.end. Data type Reference(Encounter) Constraints ele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children `hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count())` ref-1: SHALL have a contained resource if a local reference is provided `reference.startsWith('#').not() or (reference.substring(1).trace('url') in %rootResource.contained.id.trace('ids'))` Mappings rim: n/a rim: The target of a resource reference is a RIM entry point (Act, Role, or Entity) w5: FiveWs.context
author	Σ I	0..1	Reference(Device \| Organization \| Patient \| Practitioner \| PractitionerRole)	There are no (further) constraints on this element Element id Flag.author Short description Flag creator Definition The person, organization or device that created the flag. Comments References SHALL be a reference to an actual FHIR resource, and SHALL be resolveable (allowing for access control, temporary unavailability, etc.). Resolution can be either by retrieval from the URL, or, where applicable by resource type, by treating an absolute reference as a canonical URL and looking it up in a local registry/repository. Data type Reference(Device \| Organization \| Patient \| Practitioner \| PractitionerRole) Constraints ele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children `hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count())` ref-1: SHALL have a contained resource if a local reference is provided `reference.startsWith('#').not() or (reference.substring(1).trace('url') in %rootResource.contained.id.trace('ids'))` Mappings rim: n/a rim: The target of a resource reference is a RIM entry point (Act, Role, or Entity) w5: FiveWs.author rim: .participation[typeCode=AUT].role

Detailed Descriptions

Flag
Definition	Prospective warnings of potential issues when providing care to the patient.
Cardinality	0...*
Alias	Barriers to Care, Alert, Warning
Invariants	dom-2: If the resource is contained in another resource, it SHALL NOT contain nested Resources `contained.contained.empty()` dom-4: If a resource is contained in another resource, it SHALL NOT have a meta.versionId or a meta.lastUpdated `contained.meta.versionId.empty() and contained.meta.lastUpdated.empty()` dom-3: If the resource is contained in another resource, it SHALL be referred to from elsewhere in the resource or SHALL refer to the containing resource `contained.where((('#'+id in (%resource.descendants().reference \| %resource.descendants().as(canonical) \| %resource.descendants().as(uri) \| %resource.descendants().as(url))) or descendants().where(reference = '#').exists() or descendants().where(as(canonical) = '#').exists() or descendants().where(as(canonical) = '#').exists()).not()).trace('unmatched', id).empty()` dom-6: A resource should have narrative for robust management text.`div`.exists() dom-5: If a resource is contained in another resource, it SHALL NOT have a security label `contained.meta.security.empty()`
Mappings	rim: Entity. Role, or Act rim: Observation[classCode=ISSUE, moodCode=EVN]
Flag.id
Definition	The logical id of the resource, as used in the URL for the resource. Once assigned, this value never changes.
Cardinality	0...1
Type	string
Summary	True
Comments	The only time that a resource does not have an id is when it is being submitted to the server using a create operation.
Flag.meta
Definition	The metadata about the resource. This is content that is maintained by the infrastructure. Changes to the content might not always be associated with version changes to the resource.
Cardinality	0...1
Type	Meta
Summary	True
Invariants	ele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children `hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count())`
Mappings	rim: n/a rim: N/A
Flag.implicitRules
Definition	A reference to a set of rules that were followed when the resource was constructed, and which must be understood when processing the content. Often, this is a reference to an implementation guide that defines the special rules along with other profiles etc.
Cardinality	0...1
Type	uri
Modifier	True
Summary	True
Comments	Asserting this rule set restricts the content to be only understood by a limited set of trading partners. This inherently limits the usefulness of the data in the long term. However, the existing health eco-system is highly fractured, and not yet ready to define, collect, and exchange data in a generally computable sense. Wherever possible, implementers and/or specification writers should avoid using this element. Often, when used, the URL is a reference to an implementation guide that defines these special rules as part of it's narrative along with other profiles, value sets, etc.
Invariants	ele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children `hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count())`
Mappings	rim: n/a
Flag.language
Definition	The base language in which the resource is written.
Cardinality	0...1
Type	code
Binding	A human language. CommonLanguages (preferred)
Comments	Language is provided to support indexing and accessibility (typically, services such as text to speech use the language tag). The html language tag in the narrative applies to the narrative. The language tag on the resource may be used to specify the language of other presentations generated from the data in the resource. Not all the content has to be in the base language. The Resource.language should not be assumed to apply to the narrative automatically. If a language is specified, it should it also be specified on the div element in the html (see rules in HTML5 for information about the relationship between xml:lang and the html lang attribute).
Invariants	ele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children `hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count())`
Mappings	rim: n/a
Flag.text
Definition	A human-readable narrative that contains a summary of the resource and can be used to represent the content of the resource to a human. The narrative need not encode all the structured data, but is required to contain sufficient detail to make it "clinically safe" for a human to just read the narrative. Resource definitions may define what content should be represented in the narrative to ensure clinical safety.
Cardinality	0...1
Type	Narrative
Alias	narrative, html, xhtml, display
Comments	Contained resources do not have narrative. Resources that are not contained SHOULD have a narrative. In some cases, a resource may only have text with little or no additional discrete data (as long as all minOccurs=1 elements are satisfied). This may be necessary for data from legacy systems where information is captured as a "text blob" or where text is additionally entered raw or narrated and encoded information is added later.
Invariants	ele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children `hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count())`
Mappings	rim: n/a rim: N/A rim: Act.text?
Flag.contained
Definition	These resources do not have an independent existence apart from the resource that contains them - they cannot be identified independently, and nor can they have their own independent transaction scope.
Cardinality	0...*
Type	Resource
Alias	inline resources, anonymous resources, contained resources
Comments	This should never be done when the content can be identified properly, as once identification is lost, it is extremely difficult (and context dependent) to restore it again. Contained resources may have profiles and tags In their meta elements, but SHALL NOT have security labels.
Mappings	rim: Entity. Role, or Act rim: N/A
Flag.extension
Definition	May be used to represent additional information that is not part of the basic definition of the resource. To make the use of extensions safe and manageable, there is a strict set of governance applied to the definition and use of extensions. Though any implementer can define an extension, there is a set of requirements that SHALL be met as part of the definition of the extension.
Cardinality	0...*
Type	Extension
Alias	extensions, user content
Comments	There can be no stigma associated with the use of extensions by any application, project, or standard - regardless of the institution or jurisdiction that uses or defines the extensions. The use of extensions is what allows the FHIR specification to retain a core level of simplicity for everyone.
Slicing	Unordered, Open, by url(Value)
Invariants	ele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children `hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count())` ext-1: Must have either extensions or value[x], not both `extension.exists() != value.exists()`
Mappings	rim: n/a rim: N/A
Flag.modifierExtension
Definition	May be used to represent additional information that is not part of the basic definition of the resource and that modifies the understanding of the element that contains it and/or the understanding of the containing element's descendants. Usually modifier elements provide negation or qualification. To make the use of extensions safe and manageable, there is a strict set of governance applied to the definition and use of extensions. Though any implementer is allowed to define an extension, there is a set of requirements that SHALL be met as part of the definition of the extension. Applications processing a resource are required to check for modifier extensions. Modifier extensions SHALL NOT change the meaning of any elements on Resource or DomainResource (including cannot change the meaning of modifierExtension itself).
Cardinality	0...*
Type	Extension
Modifier	True
Alias	extensions, user content
Requirements	Modifier extensions allow for extensions that cannot be safely ignored to be clearly distinguished from the vast majority of extensions which can be safely ignored. This promotes interoperability by eliminating the need for implementers to prohibit the presence of extensions. For further information, see the definition of modifier extensions.
Comments	There can be no stigma associated with the use of extensions by any application, project, or standard - regardless of the institution or jurisdiction that uses or defines the extensions. The use of extensions is what allows the FHIR specification to retain a core level of simplicity for everyone.
Slicing	Unordered, Open, by url(Value)
Invariants	ele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children `hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count())` ext-1: Must have either extensions or value[x], not both `extension.exists() != value.exists()`
Mappings	rim: n/a rim: N/A
Flag.identifier
Definition	Business identifiers assigned to this flag by the performer or other systems which remain constant as the resource is updated and propagates from server to server.
Cardinality	0...*
Type	Identifier
Summary	True
Requirements	Allows identification of the flag as it is known by various participating systems and in a way that remains consistent across servers.
Comments	This is a business identifier, not a resource identifier (see discussion). It is best practice for the identifier to only appear on a single resource instance, however business practices may occasionally dictate that multiple resource instances with the same identifier can exist - possibly even with different resource types. For example, multiple Patient and a Person resource instance might share the same social insurance number.
Invariants	ele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children `hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count())`
Mappings	rim: n/a v2: CX / EI (occasionally, more often EI maps to a resource id or a URL) rim: II - The Identifier class is a little looser than the v3 type II because it allows URIs as well as registered OIDs or GUIDs. Also maps to Role[classCode=IDENT] servd: Identifier w5: FiveWs.identifier rim: .id
Flag.status
Definition	Supports basic workflow.
Cardinality	1...1
Type	code
Binding	Indicates whether this flag is active and needs to be displayed to a user, or whether it is no longer needed or was entered in error. FlagStatus (required)
Must Support	True
Modifier	True
Summary	True
Comments	This element is labeled as a modifier because the status contains codes that mark the resource as not currently valid.
Invariants	ele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children `hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count())`
Mappings	rim: n/a w5: FiveWs.status rim: .status
Flag.category
Definition	Allows a flag to be divided into different categories like clinical, administrative etc. Intended to be used as a means of filtering which flags are displayed to particular user or in a given context.
Cardinality	0...*
Type	CodeableConcept
Binding	A general category for flags for filtering/display purposes. FlagCategory (example)
Summary	True
Comments	The value set will often need to be adjusted based on local business rules and usage context.
Invariants	ele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children `hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count())`
Mappings	rim: n/a v2: CE/CNE/CWE rim: CD orim: fhir:CodeableConcept rdfs:subClassOf dt:CD w5: FiveWs.class rim: .code
Flag.code
Definition	The coded value or textual component of the flag to display to the user.
Cardinality	1...1
Type	CodeableConcept
Binding	Detail codes identifying specific flagged issues. FlagCode (example)
Must Support	True
Summary	True
Comments	If non-coded, use CodeableConcept.text. This element should always be included in the narrative.
Invariants	ele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children `hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count())`
Mappings	rim: n/a v2: CE/CNE/CWE rim: CD orim: fhir:CodeableConcept rdfs:subClassOf dt:CD w5: FiveWs.what[x] rim: .value
Flag.subject
Definition	The patient, location, group, organization, or practitioner etc. this is about record this flag is associated with.
Cardinality	1...1
Type	Reference(Patient \| Location \| Group \| Organization \| Practitioner \| PlanDefinition \| Medication \| Procedure)
Must Support	True
Summary	True
Comments	References SHALL be a reference to an actual FHIR resource, and SHALL be resolveable (allowing for access control, temporary unavailability, etc.). Resolution can be either by retrieval from the URL, or, where applicable by resource type, by treating an absolute reference as a canonical URL and looking it up in a local registry/repository.
Invariants	ele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children `hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count())` ref-1: SHALL have a contained resource if a local reference is provided `reference.startsWith('#').not() or (reference.substring(1).trace('url') in %rootResource.contained.id.trace('ids'))`
Mappings	rim: n/a rim: The target of a resource reference is a RIM entry point (Act, Role, or Entity) w5: FiveWs.subject[x] rim: .participation[typeCode=SBJ].role[classCode=PAT \| LOCE \| ASSIGNED] w5: FiveWs.subject
Flag.period
Definition	The period of time from the activation of the flag to inactivation of the flag. If the flag is active, the end of the period should be unspecified.
Cardinality	0...1
Type	Period
Summary	True
Comments	A Period specifies a range of time; the context of use will specify whether the entire range applies (e.g. "the patient was an inpatient of the hospital for this time range") or one value from the range applies (e.g. "give to the patient between these two times"). Period is not used for a duration (a measure of elapsed time). See Duration.
Invariants	ele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children `hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count())` per-1: If present, start SHALL have a lower value than end `start.hasValue().not() or end.hasValue().not() or (start <= end)`
Mappings	rim: n/a v2: DR rim: IVL<TS>[lowClosed="true" and highClosed="true"] or URG<TS>[lowClosed="true" and highClosed="true"] w5: FiveWs.context
Flag.encounter
Definition	This alert is only relevant during the encounter.
Cardinality	0...1
Type	Reference(Encounter)
Summary	True
Comments	If both Flag.encounter and Flag.period are valued, then Flag.period.start shall not be before Encounter.period.start and Flag.period.end shall not be after Encounter.period.end.
Invariants	ele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children `hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count())` ref-1: SHALL have a contained resource if a local reference is provided `reference.startsWith('#').not() or (reference.substring(1).trace('url') in %rootResource.contained.id.trace('ids'))`
Mappings	rim: n/a rim: The target of a resource reference is a RIM entry point (Act, Role, or Entity) w5: FiveWs.context
Flag.author
Definition	The person, organization or device that created the flag.
Cardinality	0...1
Type	Reference(Device \| Organization \| Patient \| Practitioner \| PractitionerRole)
Summary	True
Comments	References SHALL be a reference to an actual FHIR resource, and SHALL be resolveable (allowing for access control, temporary unavailability, etc.). Resolution can be either by retrieval from the URL, or, where applicable by resource type, by treating an absolute reference as a canonical URL and looking it up in a local registry/repository.
Invariants	ele-1: All FHIR elements must have a @value or children `hasValue() or (children().count() > id.count())` ref-1: SHALL have a contained resource if a local reference is provided `reference.startsWith('#').not() or (reference.substring(1).trace('url') in %rootResource.contained.id.trace('ids'))`
Mappings	rim: n/a rim: The target of a resource reference is a RIM entry point (Act, Role, or Entity) w5: FiveWs.author rim: .participation[typeCode=AUT].role

Table View

Flag		..
Flag.status		..
Flag.code		..
Flag.subject		..

XML View

<StructureDefinition xmlns="http://hl7.org/fhir">
    <id value="UKCore-Flag" />
    <url value="https://fhir.hl7.org.uk/StructureDefinition/UKCore-Flag" />
    <version value="1.2.0" />
    <name value="UKCoreFlag" />
    <title value="UK Core Flag" />
    <status value="draft" />
    <date value="2023-12-12" />
    <publisher value="HL7 UK" />
    <contact>
        <name value="HL7 UK" />
        <telecom>
            <system value="email" />
            <value value="ukcore@hl7.org.uk" />
            <use value="work" />
            <rank value="1" />
        </telecom>
    </contact>
    <description value="This profile defines the UK constraints and extensions on the International FHIR resource [Flag](https://hl7.org/fhir/R4/Flag.html)." />
    <purpose value="A flag is a warning or notification of some sort presented to the user - who may be a clinician or some other person involve in patient care. It usually represents something of sufficient significance to warrant a special display of some sort - rather than just a note in the resource. A flag has a subject representing the resource that will trigger its display.   \n\nThis subject can be of different types, as described in the examples below:   \n\n- A note that a patient has an overdue account, which the provider may wish to discuss with them - in case of hardship, for example (`subject = Patient`)   \n- An outbreak of Ebola in a particular region (`subject = Location`) so that all patients from that region have a higher risk of having that condition   \n- A particular provider is unavailable for referrals over a given period (`subject = Practitioner`)   \n- A patient who is enrolled in a clinical trial (`subject = Group`)   \n- Special guidance or caveats to be aware of when following a protocol (`subject = PlanDefinition`)   \n- Warnings about using a drug in a formulary requires special approval (`subject = Medication`)" />
    <copyright value="Copyright &#169; 2021+ HL7 UK Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the &quot;License&quot;); you may not use this file except in compliance with the License. You may obtain a copy of the License at  http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0 Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software distributed under the License is distributed on an &quot;AS IS&quot; BASIS, WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied. See the License for the specific language governing permissions and limitations under the License. HL7&#174; FHIR&#174; standard Copyright &#169; 2011+ HL7 The HL7&#174; FHIR&#174; standard is used under the FHIR license. You may obtain a copy of the FHIR license at  https://www.hl7.org/fhir/license.html." />
    <fhirVersion value="4.0.1" />
    <kind value="resource" />
    <abstract value="false" />
    <type value="Flag" />
    <baseDefinition value="http://hl7.org/fhir/StructureDefinition/Flag" />
    <derivation value="constraint" />
    <differential>
        <element id="Flag.status">
            <path value="Flag.status" />
            <mustSupport value="true" />
        </element>
        <element id="Flag.code">
            <path value="Flag.code" />
            <mustSupport value="true" />
        </element>
        <element id="Flag.subject">
            <path value="Flag.subject" />
            <mustSupport value="true" />
        </element>
    </differential>
</StructureDefinition>

JSON View

{
    "resourceType": "StructureDefinition",
    "id": "UKCore-Flag",
    "url": "https://fhir.hl7.org.uk/StructureDefinition/UKCore-Flag",
    "version": "1.2.0",
    "name": "UKCoreFlag",
    "title": "UK Core Flag",
    "status": "draft",
    "date": "2023-12-12",
    "publisher": "HL7 UK",
    "contact":  [
        {
            "name": "HL7 UK",
            "telecom":  [
                {
                    "system": "email",
                    "value": "ukcore@hl7.org.uk",
                    "use": "work",
                    "rank": 1
                }
            ]
        }
    ],
    "description": "This profile defines the UK constraints and extensions on the International FHIR resource [Flag](https://hl7.org/fhir/R4/Flag.html).",
    "purpose": "A flag is a warning or notification of some sort presented to the user - who may be a clinician or some other person involve in patient care. It usually represents something of sufficient significance to warrant a special display of some sort - rather than just a note in the resource. A flag has a subject representing the resource that will trigger its display.   \n\nThis subject can be of different types, as described in the examples below:   \n\n- A note that a patient has an overdue account, which the provider may wish to discuss with them - in case of hardship, for example (`subject = Patient`)   \n- An outbreak of Ebola in a particular region (`subject = Location`) so that all patients from that region have a higher risk of having that condition   \n- A particular provider is unavailable for referrals over a given period (`subject = Practitioner`)   \n- A patient who is enrolled in a clinical trial (`subject = Group`)   \n- Special guidance or caveats to be aware of when following a protocol (`subject = PlanDefinition`)   \n- Warnings about using a drug in a formulary requires special approval (`subject = Medication`)",
    "copyright": "Copyright © 2021+ HL7 UK Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the \"License\"); you may not use this file except in compliance with the License. You may obtain a copy of the License at  http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0 Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software distributed under the License is distributed on an \"AS IS\" BASIS, WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied. See the License for the specific language governing permissions and limitations under the License. HL7® FHIR® standard Copyright © 2011+ HL7 The HL7® FHIR® standard is used under the FHIR license. You may obtain a copy of the FHIR license at  https://www.hl7.org/fhir/license.html.",
    "fhirVersion": "4.0.1",
    "kind": "resource",
    "abstract": false,
    "type": "Flag",
    "baseDefinition": "http://hl7.org/fhir/StructureDefinition/Flag",
    "derivation": "constraint",
    "differential": {
        "element":  [
            {
                "id": "Flag.status",
                "path": "Flag.status",
                "mustSupport": true
            },
            {
                "id": "Flag.code",
                "path": "Flag.code",
                "mustSupport": true
            },
            {
                "id": "Flag.subject",
                "path": "Flag.subject",
                "mustSupport": true
            }
        ]
    }
}

Usage

This Profile has the following derived profiles:

This Profile is referenced in the following Extensions:

This Profile is referenced in the following Profiles:

Feedback

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Report issue for UKCore-Flag

Examples

Food Allergy - An example to illustrate a flag regarding a food allergy.
Example UKCore-Flag-FoodAllergy

Example Usage Scenarios

The following are example usage scenarios for the UK Core Flag profile:

Query for flag information for a given Patient
Exchange flag information within a FHIR document or message.

Profile Specific Implementation Guidance:

Minimum Viable Content

A minimum viable content that all provider and consumer systems SHALL support are the following elements.

Element	Reason
`Flag.status`	Supports basic workflow.
`Flag.code`	The coded value or textual component of the flag to display to the user.
`Flag.subject`	The patient, location, group, organization, or practitioner etc. this is about record this flag is associated with.

`subject`

Where possible, it is expected that the resource being referenced SHOULD conform to one of the following UK Core profiles:

`encounter`

Where possible, it is expected that the resource being referenced SHOULD conform to Profile UKCore-Encounter.

`author`

Where possible, it is expected that the resource being referenced SHOULD conform to one of the following UK Core profiles: