HAPI FHIR custom search response

Question

I am building a restful FHIR search API which requires a custom response. This is different from a custom resource. The API must return all Patients as follows:

{
   "Patients":[
          {
           "patientid": "pat1",
           "gender": "male",
           "birthDate": "1924-10-10",
           "deceasedBoolean": true
          },
         {
          "patientid": "pat2",
           "gender": "female",
           "birthDate": "1957-10-10",
           "deceasedBoolean": false
         }

]
}

So, thats an object with an array of objects. How can I return this instead of a Bundle?

That's not FHIR. Better you add an extra layer somewhere in your backend that translates a FHIR response (typically a Bundle) into your custom JSON object. — Jaime, Jun 30 '19 at 03:40
Agree with @Jaime, you will have to translate fhir patient search bundle into custom response, once your get response from FHIR server. — Yusubov, Jul 01 '19 at 12:08

score 3 · Answer 1 · answered Jun 29 '19 at 22:13

If you return that, you don't have a FHIR API. You have a custom API. FHIR defines what the results of a search look like. If you don't align with those requirements, you're not conformant with the standard.

The whole point of a standard API like FHIR is that search results look the same regardless of what system is returning them - so that clients only have to be coded to a single interface instead of a distinct interface for every server.

The data you're trying to expose could be exposed as a proper searchset response Bundle containing valid FHIR-formatted resources. If you do that, you would be conformant and able to claim that you've implemented FHIR.

However, if you insist on exposing your data in the format you've described above, you will not be able to claim FHIR conformance and no FHIR-conformant clients or libraries will work with your system without customization. (And unless you have regulatory power or significant money to spend, the odds of clients performing such customization is pretty slim.)

HAPI FHIR custom search response

1 Answers1