SearchParameter

Define and use SearchParameter resource

SearchParameter is a special meta-resource, which describes which part of resource and how you want to make searchable. Aidbox is coming with predefined set of search params for different resource types, but you can define new search params on-fly.

Aidbox does not support FHIR SearchParameters. Aidbox SearchParameter has its own, concise structure, which is not the same as FHIR SearchParameters. To import your own FHIR SearchParameters you have to convert them into Aidbox representation.

Here is example of Patient.name search parameter:

GET /SearchParameter/Patient.name
​
# 200
name: name
type: string
resource: {id: Patient, resourceType: Entity}
expression:
- [name]

Structure

All this attributes are required.

path	type	desc
.name	keyword	Name of search parameter, will be used in search query string
.resource	Reference	Reference to resource, i.e. {id: Patient, resourceType: Reference}
.type	keyword	Type of search parameter (see Types)
.expression	expression	expression for elements to search (see Expression)

Types

number	Search parameter SHALL be a number (a whole number, or a decimal).
date	Search parameter is on a date/time. The date format is the standard XML format, though other formats may be supported.
string	Search parameter is a simple string, like a name part. Search is case-insensitive and accent-insensitive. May match just the start of a string.
token	Search parameter on a coded element or identifier. May be used to search through the text, displayname, code and code/codesystem (for codes) and label, system and key (for identifier). Its value is either a string or a pair of namespace and value, separated by a "|", depending on the modifier used.
reference	A reference to another resource.
composite	A composite search parameter that combines a search on two values together.
quantity	A search parameter that searches on a quantity.
uri	A search parameter that searches on a URI (RFC 3986).

Depending on the value type, different modifiers can be applied.

Expression

Expression is a set of elements, by which we want to search. Expression is logically very simple subset of FHIRPath (which can be efficiently implemented in database) expressed as data. Expression is array of PathArrays; PathArray is an array of strings, integers or objects, where each type has special meaning:

• string - name of element

• integer - index in collection

• object - filter by pattern in collection

Examples:

• PathArray ["name", "given"] extracts as array all given and family names and flatten into one collection. Equivalent FHIRPath expression is name.given | name.family.

• PathArray [["name", 0, "given", 0]] extract only first given of first name (FHIRPath name.0.given.0

• PathArray [["telecom", {"system": "phone"}, "value"]] extract all values of telecom collection filtered by system=phone (equivalent FHIRPath: telecom.where(system='phone').value )

Expression consists of array of PathArrays, all results of PathArray are concatinated into one collection.

Create Custom Search Parameter

Is described in Custom Search Parameterpage.