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Identifier Policy

The PCR project FHIR interface uses Uniform Resource Identifiers (URIs) as an alternative to the Object Identifiers (OIDs) used in PCR legacy interfaces. URIs are globally unique identifiers for individual objects, as well as for value sets, code systems, profiles, namespaces, and more. PCR FHIR URIs can be translated to OIDs, and are usually represented as Uniform Resource Locators (URLs). All URIs conform to Ontario Health’s URI Management Policy.

To obtain the full URI & endpoint reference data required to integrate with the PCR, please contact oh-ds_registries@ontariohealth.ca.

The base URL for PCR 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 PCR solution.

The base for global identifier namespaces will be referred to as "[id-system-global-base]" throughout the specification. Examples of the provincial health numbers can be found here. 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 this specification. The base for local code systems 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, establishing a process to synchronize with Ontario Health for any future changes (depending on the client use case).

Table - Identifier Variables