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Observation

Overview​

The Observation resource provides measurements and simple assertions made about a patient, device, or other subject. This includes vital signs, laboratory results, and other clinical observations that are fundamental to patient care.

Resource Schema​

Key fields in the Observation resource:

{
  "resourceType": "Observation",
  "id": "example-observation-123",
  "status": "final",
  "category": [
    {
      "coding": [
        {
          "system": "http://terminology.hl7.org/CodeSystem/observation-category",
          "code": "vital-signs"
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "code": {
    "coding": [
      {
        "system": "http://loinc.org",
        "code": "2708-6",
        "display": "Oxygen saturation in Arterial blood"
      }
    ]
  },
  "subject": {
    "reference": "Patient/123456"
  },
  "valueQuantity": {
    "value": 98,
    "unit": "%",
    "system": "http://unitsofmeasure.org",
    "code": "%"
  }
}

Operations​

The Observation resource supports Read and Search operations. Support varies by CareRecord solution.

CareRecord / SolutionReadSearch
GEHRIMED✅✅
myAvatar✅✅
myEvolv✅✅
myUnity✅✅
TheraOffice✅✅

Read​

Retrieves a specific Observation resource by ID.

HTTP Method: GET
URL: /Observation/{id}

Examples​

curl -X GET https://fhir.netsmartcloud.com/uscore/v1/Observation/123456 \
    -H "Authorization: Bearer {token}" \
    -H "Accept: application/fhir+json"

Retrieves Observation resources matching specified criteria.

HTTP Method: GET or POST
URL: /Observation or /Observation/_search

Search Parameters​

Patient-based Search:

ParameterTypeRequiredDescriptionExample
patientreferenceYesREQUIRED The subject that the observation is about (if patient)patient=value
categorytokenNoThe classification of the type of observationcategory=value
codetokenNoThe code of the observation typecode=value
datedateNoObtained date/time. If the obtained element is a period, a date that falls in the period.date=value
encounterreferenceNoEncounter related to the observationencounter=value
pagestringNoZero-based page indexpage=value
_revincludespecialNoInclude Provenance resource(s) that reference the matched search results. Allowed: "Provenance:target"_revinclude=value

ID-based Search:

ParameterTypeRequiredDescriptionExample
categorytokenNoThe classification of the type of observationcategory=value
codetokenNoThe code of the observation typecode=value
datedateNoObtained date/time. If the obtained element is a period, a date that falls in the period.date=value
encounterreferenceNoEncounter related to the observationencounter=value
pagestringNoZero-based page indexpage=value
_revincludespecialNoInclude Provenance resource(s) that reference the matched search results. Allowed: "Provenance:target"_revinclude=value

Examples​

POST Method (Recommended)​

The POST method keeps sensitive information out of URL logs.

Search by Patient and Code
curl -X POST https://fhir.netsmartcloud.com/uscore/v1/Observation/_search \
    -H "Authorization: Bearer {token}" \
    -H "Accept: application/fhir+json" \
    -H "Content-Type: application/x-form-urlencoded" \
    -d "patient=Patient/147" \
    -d "code=2708-6"
GET Method​
Search by Patient and Code
curl -X GET "https://fhir.netsmartcloud.com/uscore/v1/Observation?patient=Patient/147&code=2708-6" \
    -H "Authorization: Bearer {token}" \
    -H "Accept: application/fhir+json"

Integration Patterns​

Common Workflows​

  1. Vital Signs Retrieval - Search by patient and category for vital signs
  2. Lab Results - Search by patient and code for specific laboratory tests
  3. Trending Data - Use date ranges to track observations over time

Relationships to Other Resources​

The Observation resource relates to several other resources:

Error Handling​

For common errors and troubleshooting guidance, see Common Errors.

Supported Profiles​

Profiles supported by this resource (as defined in the CapabilityStatement):