Home > Identifier Policy

Identifier Policy

This specification uses URIs whenever Object Identifiers are required. URIs (Uniform Resource Identifiers) are globally unique identifiers for individual objects, as well as for value sets, code systems, profiles, namespaces, and more. URIs are the preferred object identifiers for FHIR objects, and are usually represented as URLs. All URIs used in Ontario Health projects must conform to Ontario Health's URI Management Policy.

For more information, or to obtain the proper URLs for use in this project, contact Ontario Health DigitalHealthStandards@OntarioHealth.ca.

The base URL for eReferral and eConsult FHIR interface will be referred to as "[base]" in the sections and examples below. These identifiers capture the URI specific to an implementation/environment, such as the URL for resources and extensions used in the eReferral solution.

The base for global identifier namespaces will be referred to as "[id-system-global-base]" throughout the specification.

The base for local identifier namespaces e.g. Patient Medical Record Number (MRN) Assigning Authority will be referred to as "[id-system-local-base]" throughout the specification.

The base for local code systems e.g. will be referred to as "[code-system-local-base]" throughout the specification.

Due to the evolving FHIR standard and its developing framework and governance, implementers should recognize that these identifiers may change if identifier registration becomes governed nationally or internationally. Implementers are recommended to implement URIs using configurable variables.

Table - Identifier Variables