Aidbox Terminology Module

Aidbox terminology server implementation modes, FHIR operations, and integration with FHIR Artifact Registry

The Aidbox Terminology Module is a fully conformant FHIR Terminology Service that seamlessly integrates with FHIR workflows including validation, UI components, and translation services. The module implements most standard FHIR terminology operations (see capabilities for details) including $lookup, $validate-code, $expand, $translate, and subsumption testing, providing comprehensive terminology capabilities through a RESTful API.

Aidbox's terminology implementation centers on the FHIR Artifact Registry (FAR), which serves as the primary storage for canonical resources including CodeSystems and ValueSets. This architecture supports FHIR Implementation Guide delivery mechanisms and knowledge artifact lifecycle.

Operational Modes

The terminology module operates in three distinct modes to accommodate different deployment scenarios:

Local Mode: Uses only resources stored in Aidbox's FAR. Provides complete control but requires all CodeSystems to be explicitly loaded.
Hybrid Mode: Combines local storage with external server fallback. Balances performance with comprehensive coverage through intelligent request partitioning.
Remote Mode: Routes all requests to external terminology servers, bypassing local storage entirely.

See Operational Modes for detailed explanations with examples and sequence diagrams.

Key Features

FHIR R4 Compliance: Full conformance with FHIR Terminology Service specification
Intelligent Request Routing: Hybrid engine that optimally partitions mixed ValueSet operations
Implementation Guide Integration: Native support for IG loading and lifecycle management
Performance Optimization: Local caching with external fallback for comprehensive coverage
Standard Operations: Complete support for $lookup, $validate-code, $expand, $translate, and subsumption testing