Profiling and Validation
FHIR resources are very loose in requirements which gives FHIR its flexibility. For example, all elements are optional in the Patient resource, and it's possible to create a Patient resource without any data which does not make much sense. So, sometimes there is a need to constraint resources. In FHIR, you need to create a StructureDefinition resource and describe the requirements for a resource you want to restrict. And it is definitely not an easy task. There are special tools developed specifically for this. And there is an alternative — custom profiling in Aidbox which is in fact a well-known JSON Schema.
POST /Patient
Status: 201​id: 6c2b9ea9-ea57-4f9a-9c9a-6c46cbad43daresourceType: Patientmeta:...
For custom profiling, Aidbox provides additional resource AidboxProfile. This resource specifies resource type and JSON Schema which will validate the specified resource type.
The bind element is of type Reference. It specifies resource type which the profile will be applied to.
Example: Binding to Practitioner resource.
bind:id: Practitioner # Target resource type "Practitoner"resourceType: Entity
{"bind": {"id": "Practitioner","resourceType": "Entity"}}
It's a plain JSON Schema object which will validate a resource.
Example: Require the name attribute
schema:type: objectrequired:- name
{"schema": {"type": "object","required": ["name"]}}
Let's validate newly created Patient resources by specifying that name and gender properties are required. First, we need to create the appropriate AidboxProfile resource.
POST /AidboxProfile​resourceType: AidboxProfileid: custom-patient-constraintbind:id: PatientresourceType: Entityschema:type: objectrequired:- name- gender
POST [base]/AidboxProfile​{"resourceType": "AidboxProfile","id": "custom-patient-constraint","bind": {"id": "Patient","resourceType": "Entity"},"schema": {"type": "object","required": ["name","gender"]}}
STATUS: 201{"bind": {"id": "Patient","resourceType": "Entity"},"schema": {"required": ["name","gender"]},"id": "custom-patient-constraint","resourceType": "AidboxProfile","meta": {"lastUpdated": "2018-10-10T14:45:43.801Z","versionId": "2","tag": [{"system": "https://aidbox.io","code": "created"}]}}
If you are using Aidbox.Dev below 0.3.1 version, then after creating an AidboxProfile resource you will need to restart your Aidbox.Dev server.
$ docker-compose down && docker-compose up -d
Now, let's try to create a Patient resource without name and/or gender . You will receive the error.
POST /Patient​resourceType: PatientbirthDate: '1985-01-11'
POST [base]/Patient​{"resourceType": "Patient","birthDate": "1985-01-11"}
STATUS: 422​{"resourceType": "OperationOutcome","errors": [{"path": [],"message": "Property name is required","profile": {"id": "custom-patient-constraint","resourceType": "AidboxProfile"}}, {"path": [],"message": "Property gender is required","profile": {"id": "custom-patient-constraint","resourceType": "AidboxProfile"}}],"warnings": []}
Let's require given and family elements of the name property. In this case, we are expecting that name attribute of the type HumanName will contain elements given and family. Let's create the AidboxProfile resource with the code below. Then you will need to restart server if you're on Aidbox.Dev.
POST /AidboxProfile​resourceType: AidboxProfileid: custom-patient-constraintbind:id: PatientresourceType: Entityschema:type: objectrequired:- nameproperties:name:type: arrayminItems: 1items:type: objectrequired:- given- familyproperties:given:type: arrayminItems: 1items:type: stringfamily:type: string
POST [base]/AidboxProfile​{"resourceType": "AidboxProfile","id": "custom-patient-constraint","bind": {"id": "Patient","resourceType": "Entity"},"schema": {"type": "object","required": ["name"],"properties": {"name": {"type": "array","minItems": 1,"items": {"type": "object","required": ["given","family"],"properties": {"given": {"type": "array","minItems": 1,"items": {"type": "string"}},"family": {"type": "string"}}}}}}}
STATUS: 201​{"bind": {"id": "Patient","resourceType": "Entity"},"schema": {"type": "object","required": ["name"],"properties": {"name": {"type": "array","items": {"type": "object","required": ["given","family"],"properties": {"given": {"type": "array","items": {"type": "string"},"minItems": 1},"family": {"type": "string"}}},"minItems": 1}}},"id": "custom-patient-constraint","resourceType": "AidboxProfile","meta": {"lastUpdated": "2018-10-11T09:47:18.147Z","versionId": "12","tag": [{"system": "https://aidbox.io","code": "created"}]}}
Now, on Patient resource creation we will be receiving the validation error. Let's try to create a Patient resource without a family name. You will receive the error.
POST /Patient​name:- text: John Malcovichgiven:- John
POST [base]/Patient​{"name": [{"text": "John Malcovich","given": ["John"]}]}
STATUS: 422​{"resourceType": "OperationOutcome","errors": [{"path": ["name",0],"message": "Property family is required","profile": {"id": "custom-patient-constraint","resourceType": "AidboxProfile"}}],"warnings": []}
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