What is the basic building block of FHIR?

What is the basic building block of FHIR?

• A. A Resource
• B. A Data Type
• C. A Bundle
• D. An Extension

Answer: (A)

In FHIR, the basic building block is the Resource. A Resource is a defined, reusable data structure that represents a specific clinical or administrative concept, such as a Patient, Observation, or Encounter. Each Resource has a distinct type, an id, and metadata, plus a consistent, standardized structure that makes it possible to store, search, and exchange information across different systems. Inside a Resource, you describe the actual content using data types (like string, code, dateTime, quantity). Those data types are the building blocks for the values within the Resource, but they aren’t the unit of exchange themselves. A Bundle serves to group multiple Resources for transport or batch operations, and an Extension provides a way to add data not covered by the standard Resource definitions. Both are important, but they aren’t the fundamental unit of interoperability—the Resource is.

In FHIR, the basic building block is the Resource. A Resource is a defined, reusable data structure that represents a specific clinical or administrative concept, such as a Patient, Observation, or Encounter. Each Resource has a distinct type, an id, and metadata, plus a consistent, standardized structure that makes it possible to store, search, and exchange information across different systems.

Inside a Resource, you describe the actual content using data types (like string, code, dateTime, quantity). Those data types are the building blocks for the values within the Resource, but they aren’t the unit of exchange themselves.

A Bundle serves to group multiple Resources for transport or batch operations, and an Extension provides a way to add data not covered by the standard Resource definitions. Both are important, but they aren’t the fundamental unit of interoperability—the Resource is.