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Instance-Level Operations

Execute FHIR operations on a specific resource instance.
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resource_type
string
required
The FHIR resource type (e.g., Patient, Observation, Encounter)
​
id
string
required
The logical ID of the resource
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operation
string
required
The operation name (e.g., $validate, $everything, $meta)

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Endpoint

GET /fhir/:resource_type/:id/$:operation
POST /fhir/:resource_type/:id/$:operation
Use GET for operations that only read data, or POST for operations that require input parameters.

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Example Request

curl -X POST \
     -H "Content-Type: application/fhir+json" \
     -d '{"resourceType":"Parameters"}' \
     https://your-server.com/fhir/Patient/123/$validate

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Common Instance Operations

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$validate

Validate a specific resource instance: 
POST /fhir/Patient/123/$validate
Content-Type: application/fhir+json

{
  "resourceType": "Parameters",
  "parameter": [
    {
      "name": "resource",
      "resource": {
        "resourceType": "Patient",
        "id": "123",
        "name": [{"family": "Doe"}]
      }
    }
  ]
}

​
$everything (Patient)

Get all resources related to a specific patient: 
GET /fhir/Patient/123/$everything
Or with parameters: 
POST /fhir/Patient/123/$everything
Content-Type: application/fhir+json

{
  "resourceType": "Parameters",
  "parameter": [
    {
      "name": "_since",
      "valueDateTime": "2024-01-01T00:00:00Z"
    },
    {
      "name": "_type",
      "valueString": "Observation,MedicationRequest"
    }
  ]
}

​
$meta

Read or update resource metadata: 
GET /fhir/Patient/123/$meta
Update metadata: 
POST /fhir/Patient/123/$meta
Content-Type: application/fhir+json

{
  "resourceType": "Parameters",
  "parameter": [
    {
      "name": "meta",
      "valueMeta": {
        "tag": [
          {
            "system": "http://example.org/tags",
            "code": "important"
          }
        ]
      }
    }
  ]
}

​
Request Format

Operations use a Parameters resource for input: 
{
  "resourceType": "Parameters",
  "parameter": [
    {
      "name": "parameter-name",
      "valueString": "parameter-value"
    },
    {
      "name": "resource",
      "resource": {
        "resourceType": "Patient",
        "id": "123",
        ...
      }
    }
  ]
}

​
Response

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Success (200 OK)

Returns operation results, typically as a Parameters resource or a Bundle: 
{
  "resourceType": "Bundle",
  "type": "searchset",
  "entry": [
    {
      "resource": {
        "resourceType": "Observation",
        "subject": {
          "reference": "Patient/123"
        },
        ...
      }
    }
  ]
}

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Error (400 Bad Request)

Returns an OperationOutcome if the operation fails: 
{
  "resourceType": "OperationOutcome",
  "issue": [
    {
      "severity": "error",
      "code": "invalid",
      "details": {
        "text": "Operation $unknown not supported for Patient/123"
      }
    }
  ]
}

​
Not Found (404)

Returns an error if the resource doesn’t exist: 
{
  "resourceType": "OperationOutcome",
  "issue": [
    {
      "severity": "error",
      "code": "not-found",
      "details": {
        "text": "Resource Patient/123 not found"
      }
    }
  ]
}

​
Available Operations

The available instance-level operations depend on server configuration and resource type. Check the capability statement (/fhir/metadata) to see which operations are supported: 
{
  "rest": [
    {
      "resource": [
        {
          "type": "Patient",
          "operation": [
            {
              "name": "$validate",
              "definition": "http://hl7.org/fhir/OperationDefinition/Resource-validate"
            },
            {
              "name": "$everything",
              "definition": "http://hl7.org/fhir/OperationDefinition/Patient-everything"
            }
          ]
        }
      ]
    }
  ]
}

​
Notes

  • Instance operations apply to a specific resource
  • Available operations vary by resource type
  • Operations may require specific permissions
  • Use POST when operations require input parameters
  • Operation names are case-sensitive and start with $
  • The resource must exist for instance operations to work