Resource type: conceptmap

Description

A statement of relationships from one set of concepts to one or more other concepts - either concepts in code systems, or data element/data element concepts, or classes in class models.

Elements

PathShortDefinitionComments
A map from one set of concepts to one or more other conceptsA statement of relationships from one set of concepts to one or more other concepts - either concepts in code systems, or data element/data element concepts, or classes in class models.
urlCanonical identifier for this concept map, represented as a URI (globally unique)An absolute URI that is used to identify this concept map when it is referenced in a specification, model, design or an instance; also called its canonical identifier. This SHOULD be globally unique and SHOULD be a literal address at which at which an authoritative instance of this concept map is (or will be) published. This URL can be the target of a canonical reference. It SHALL remain the same when the concept map is stored on different servers.Can be a urn:uuid: or a urn:oid: but real http: addresses are preferred. Multiple instances may share the same URL if they have a distinct version. The determination of when to create a new version of a resource (same url, new version) vs. defining a new artifact is up to the author. Considerations for making this decision are found in [Technical and Business Versions](resource.html#versions). In some cases, the resource can no longer be found at the stated url, but the url itself cannot change. Implementations can use the [meta.source](resource.html#meta) element to indicate where the current master source of the resource can be found.
identifierAdditional identifier for the concept mapA formal identifier that is used to identify this concept map when it is represented in other formats, or referenced in a specification, model, design or an instance.Typically, this is used for identifiers that can go in an HL7 V3 II (instance identifier) data type, and can then identify this concept map outside of FHIR, where it is not possible to use the logical URI.
versionBusiness version of the concept mapThe identifier that is used to identify this version of the concept map when it is referenced in a specification, model, design or instance. This is an arbitrary value managed by the concept map author and is not expected to be globally unique. For example, it might be a timestamp (e.g. yyyymmdd) if a managed version is not available. There is also no expectation that versions can be placed in a lexicographical sequence.There may be different concept map instances that have the same identifier but different versions. The version can be appended to the url in a reference to allow a reference to a particular business version of the concept map with the format [url]|[version].
nameName for this concept map (computer friendly)A natural language name identifying the concept map. This name should be usable as an identifier for the module by machine processing applications such as code generation.The name is not expected to be globally unique. The name should be a simple alphanumeric type name to ensure that it is machine-processing friendly.
titleName for this concept map (human friendly)A short, descriptive, user-friendly title for the concept map.This name does not need to be machine-processing friendly and may contain punctuation, white-space, etc.
statusdraft | active | retired | unknownThe status of this concept map. Enables tracking the life-cycle of the content.Allows filtering of concept maps that are appropriate for use versus not.
experimentalFor testing purposes, not real usageA Boolean value to indicate that this concept map is authored for testing purposes (or education/evaluation/marketing) and is not intended to be used for genuine usage.Allows filtering of concept maps that are appropriate for use versus not.
dateDate last changedThe date (and optionally time) when the concept map was published. The date must change when the business version changes and it must change if the status code changes. In addition, it should change when the substantive content of the concept map changes.Note that this is not the same as the resource last-modified-date, since the resource may be a secondary representation of the concept map. Additional specific dates may be added as extensions or be found by consulting Provenances associated with past versions of the resource.
publisherName of the publisher (organization or individual)The name of the organization or individual that published the concept map.Usually an organization but may be an individual. The publisher (or steward) of the concept map is the organization or individual primarily responsible for the maintenance and upkeep of the concept map. This is not necessarily the same individual or organization that developed and initially authored the content. The publisher is the primary point of contact for questions or issues with the concept map. This item SHOULD be populated unless the information is available from context.
contactContact details for the publisherContact details to assist a user in finding and communicating with the publisher.May be a web site, an email address, a telephone number, etc.
descriptionNatural language description of the concept mapA free text natural language description of the concept map from a consumer's perspective.The description is not intended to describe the semantics of the concept map. The description should capture its intended use, which is needed for ensuring integrity for its use in models across future changes.
useContextThe context that the content is intended to supportThe content was developed with a focus and intent of supporting the contexts that are listed. These contexts may be general categories (gender, age, ...) or may be references to specific programs (insurance plans, studies, ...) and may be used to assist with indexing and searching for appropriate concept map instances.When multiple useContexts are specified, there is no expectation that all or any of the contexts apply.
jurisdictionIntended jurisdiction for concept map (if applicable)A legal or geographic region in which the concept map is intended to be used.It may be possible for the concept map to be used in jurisdictions other than those for which it was originally designed or intended.
purposeWhy this concept map is definedExplanation of why this concept map is needed and why it has been designed as it has.This element does not describe the usage of the concept map. Instead, it provides traceability of ''why'' the resource is either needed or ''why'' it is defined as it is. This may be used to point to source materials or specifications that drove the structure of this concept map.
copyrightUse and/or publishing restrictionsA copyright statement relating to the concept map and/or its contents. Copyright statements are generally legal restrictions on the use and publishing of the concept map.nullFrequently, the copyright differs between the concept map, and codes that are included. The copyright statement should clearly differentiate between these when required.
source[x]The source value set that contains the concepts that are being mappedIdentifier for the source value set that contains the concepts that are being mapped and provides context for the mappings.Should be a version specific reference. URIs SHOULD be absolute. If there is no source or target value set, there is no specified context for the map (not recommended). The source value set may select codes from either an explicit (standard or local) or implicit code system.
target[x]The target value set which provides context for the mappingsThe target value set provides context for the mappings. Note that the mapping is made between concepts, not between value sets, but the value set provides important context about how the concept mapping choices are made.Should be a version specific reference. URIs SHOULD be absolute. If there is no source or target value set, the is no specified context for the map.
groupSame source and target systemsA group of mappings that all have the same source and target system.
group.idUnique id for inter-element referencingUnique id for the element within a resource (for internal references). This may be any string value that does not contain spaces.
group.extensionAdditional content defined by implementationsMay be used to represent additional information that is not part of the basic definition of the element. To make the use of extensions safe and manageable, there is a strict set of governance applied to the definition and use of extensions. Though any implementer can define an extension, there is a set of requirements that SHALL be met as part of the definition of the extension.There can be no stigma associated with the use of extensions by any application, project, or standard - regardless of the institution or jurisdiction that uses or defines the extensions. The use of extensions is what allows the FHIR specification to retain a core level of simplicity for everyone.
group.modifierExtensionExtensions that cannot be ignored even if unrecognizedMay be used to represent additional information that is not part of the basic definition of the element and that modifies the understanding of the element in which it is contained and/or the understanding of the containing element's descendants. Usually modifier elements provide negation or qualification. To make the use of extensions safe and manageable, there is a strict set of governance applied to the definition and use of extensions. Though any implementer can define an extension, there is a set of requirements that SHALL be met as part of the definition of the extension. Applications processing a resource are required to check for modifier extensions. Modifier extensions SHALL NOT change the meaning of any elements on Resource or DomainResource (including cannot change the meaning of modifierExtension itself).There can be no stigma associated with the use of extensions by any application, project, or standard - regardless of the institution or jurisdiction that uses or defines the extensions. The use of extensions is what allows the FHIR specification to retain a core level of simplicity for everyone.
group.sourceSource system where concepts to be mapped are definedAn absolute URI that identifies the source system where the concepts to be mapped are defined.This is not needed if the source value set is specified and it contains concepts from only a single system.
group.sourceVersionSpecific version of the code systemThe specific version of the code system, as determined by the code system authority.The specification of a particular code system version may be required for code systems which lack concept permanence.
group.targetTarget system that the concepts are to be mapped toAn absolute URI that identifies the target system that the concepts will be mapped to.This is not needed if the target value set is specified and it contains concepts from only a single system. The group target may also be omitted if all of the target element equivalence values are 'unmatched'.
group.targetVersionSpecific version of the code systemThe specific version of the code system, as determined by the code system authority.The specification of a particular code system version may be required for code systems which lack concept permanence.
group.elementMappings for a concept from the source setMappings for an individual concept in the source to one or more concepts in the target.Generally, the ideal is that there would only be one mapping for each concept in the source value set, but a given concept may be mapped multiple times with different comments or dependencies.
group.element.idUnique id for inter-element referencingUnique id for the element within a resource (for internal references). This may be any string value that does not contain spaces.
group.element.extensionAdditional content defined by implementationsMay be used to represent additional information that is not part of the basic definition of the element. To make the use of extensions safe and manageable, there is a strict set of governance applied to the definition and use of extensions. Though any implementer can define an extension, there is a set of requirements that SHALL be met as part of the definition of the extension.There can be no stigma associated with the use of extensions by any application, project, or standard - regardless of the institution or jurisdiction that uses or defines the extensions. The use of extensions is what allows the FHIR specification to retain a core level of simplicity for everyone.
group.element.modifierExtensionExtensions that cannot be ignored even if unrecognizedMay be used to represent additional information that is not part of the basic definition of the element and that modifies the understanding of the element in which it is contained and/or the understanding of the containing element's descendants. Usually modifier elements provide negation or qualification. To make the use of extensions safe and manageable, there is a strict set of governance applied to the definition and use of extensions. Though any implementer can define an extension, there is a set of requirements that SHALL be met as part of the definition of the extension. Applications processing a resource are required to check for modifier extensions. Modifier extensions SHALL NOT change the meaning of any elements on Resource or DomainResource (including cannot change the meaning of modifierExtension itself).There can be no stigma associated with the use of extensions by any application, project, or standard - regardless of the institution or jurisdiction that uses or defines the extensions. The use of extensions is what allows the FHIR specification to retain a core level of simplicity for everyone.
group.element.codeIdentifies element being mappedIdentity (code or path) or the element/item being mapped.
group.element.displayDisplay for the codeThe display for the code. The display is only provided to help editors when editing the concept map.The display is ignored when processing the map.
group.element.targetConcept in target system for elementA concept from the target value set that this concept maps to.Ideally there would only be one map, with equal or equivalent mapping. But multiple maps are allowed for several narrower options, or to assert that other concepts are unmatched.
group.element.target.idUnique id for inter-element referencingUnique id for the element within a resource (for internal references). This may be any string value that does not contain spaces.
group.element.target.extensionAdditional content defined by implementationsMay be used to represent additional information that is not part of the basic definition of the element. To make the use of extensions safe and manageable, there is a strict set of governance applied to the definition and use of extensions. Though any implementer can define an extension, there is a set of requirements that SHALL be met as part of the definition of the extension.There can be no stigma associated with the use of extensions by any application, project, or standard - regardless of the institution or jurisdiction that uses or defines the extensions. The use of extensions is what allows the FHIR specification to retain a core level of simplicity for everyone.
group.element.target.modifierExtensionExtensions that cannot be ignored even if unrecognizedMay be used to represent additional information that is not part of the basic definition of the element and that modifies the understanding of the element in which it is contained and/or the understanding of the containing element's descendants. Usually modifier elements provide negation or qualification. To make the use of extensions safe and manageable, there is a strict set of governance applied to the definition and use of extensions. Though any implementer can define an extension, there is a set of requirements that SHALL be met as part of the definition of the extension. Applications processing a resource are required to check for modifier extensions. Modifier extensions SHALL NOT change the meaning of any elements on Resource or DomainResource (including cannot change the meaning of modifierExtension itself).There can be no stigma associated with the use of extensions by any application, project, or standard - regardless of the institution or jurisdiction that uses or defines the extensions. The use of extensions is what allows the FHIR specification to retain a core level of simplicity for everyone.
group.element.target.codeCode that identifies the target elementIdentity (code or path) or the element/item that the map refers to.
group.element.target.displayDisplay for the codeThe display for the code. The display is only provided to help editors when editing the concept map.The display is ignored when processing the map.
group.element.target.equivalencerelatedto | equivalent | equal | wider | subsumes | narrower | specializes | inexact | unmatched | disjointThe equivalence between the source and target concepts (counting for the dependencies and products). The equivalence is read from target to source (e.g. the target is 'wider' than the source).This element is labeled as a modifier because it may indicate that a target does not apply.
group.element.target.commentDescription of status/issues in mappingA description of status/issues in mapping that conveys additional information not represented in the structured data.
group.element.target.dependsOnOther elements required for this mapping (from context)A set of additional dependencies for this mapping to hold. This mapping is only applicable if the specified element can be resolved, and it has the specified value.
group.element.target.dependsOn.idUnique id for inter-element referencingUnique id for the element within a resource (for internal references). This may be any string value that does not contain spaces.
group.element.target.dependsOn.extensionAdditional content defined by implementationsMay be used to represent additional information that is not part of the basic definition of the element. To make the use of extensions safe and manageable, there is a strict set of governance applied to the definition and use of extensions. Though any implementer can define an extension, there is a set of requirements that SHALL be met as part of the definition of the extension.There can be no stigma associated with the use of extensions by any application, project, or standard - regardless of the institution or jurisdiction that uses or defines the extensions. The use of extensions is what allows the FHIR specification to retain a core level of simplicity for everyone.
group.element.target.dependsOn.modifierExtensionExtensions that cannot be ignored even if unrecognizedMay be used to represent additional information that is not part of the basic definition of the element and that modifies the understanding of the element in which it is contained and/or the understanding of the containing element's descendants. Usually modifier elements provide negation or qualification. To make the use of extensions safe and manageable, there is a strict set of governance applied to the definition and use of extensions. Though any implementer can define an extension, there is a set of requirements that SHALL be met as part of the definition of the extension. Applications processing a resource are required to check for modifier extensions. Modifier extensions SHALL NOT change the meaning of any elements on Resource or DomainResource (including cannot change the meaning of modifierExtension itself).There can be no stigma associated with the use of extensions by any application, project, or standard - regardless of the institution or jurisdiction that uses or defines the extensions. The use of extensions is what allows the FHIR specification to retain a core level of simplicity for everyone.
group.element.target.dependsOn.propertyReference to property mapping depends onA reference to an element that holds a coded value that corresponds to a code system property. The idea is that the information model carries an element somewhere that is labeled to correspond with a code system property.
group.element.target.dependsOn.systemCode System (if necessary)An absolute URI that identifies the code system of the dependency code (if the source/dependency is a value set that crosses code systems).
group.element.target.dependsOn.valueValue of the referenced elementIdentity (code or path) or the element/item/ValueSet/text that the map depends on / refers to.
group.element.target.dependsOn.displayDisplay for the code (if value is a code)The display for the code. The display is only provided to help editors when editing the concept map.The display is ignored when processing the map.
group.element.target.productOther concepts that this mapping also producesA set of additional outcomes from this mapping to other elements. To properly execute this mapping, the specified element must be mapped to some data element or source that is in context. The mapping may still be useful without a place for the additional data elements, but the equivalence cannot be relied on.
group.unmappedWhat to do when there is no mapping for the source conceptWhat to do when there is no mapping for the source concept. "Unmapped" does not include codes that are unamatched, and the unmapped element is ignored in a code is specified to have equivalence = unmatched.This only applies if the source code has a system value that matches the system defined for the group.
group.unmapped.idUnique id for inter-element referencingUnique id for the element within a resource (for internal references). This may be any string value that does not contain spaces.
group.unmapped.extensionAdditional content defined by implementationsMay be used to represent additional information that is not part of the basic definition of the element. To make the use of extensions safe and manageable, there is a strict set of governance applied to the definition and use of extensions. Though any implementer can define an extension, there is a set of requirements that SHALL be met as part of the definition of the extension.There can be no stigma associated with the use of extensions by any application, project, or standard - regardless of the institution or jurisdiction that uses or defines the extensions. The use of extensions is what allows the FHIR specification to retain a core level of simplicity for everyone.
group.unmapped.modifierExtensionExtensions that cannot be ignored even if unrecognizedMay be used to represent additional information that is not part of the basic definition of the element and that modifies the understanding of the element in which it is contained and/or the understanding of the containing element's descendants. Usually modifier elements provide negation or qualification. To make the use of extensions safe and manageable, there is a strict set of governance applied to the definition and use of extensions. Though any implementer can define an extension, there is a set of requirements that SHALL be met as part of the definition of the extension. Applications processing a resource are required to check for modifier extensions. Modifier extensions SHALL NOT change the meaning of any elements on Resource or DomainResource (including cannot change the meaning of modifierExtension itself).There can be no stigma associated with the use of extensions by any application, project, or standard - regardless of the institution or jurisdiction that uses or defines the extensions. The use of extensions is what allows the FHIR specification to retain a core level of simplicity for everyone.
group.unmapped.modeprovided | fixed | other-mapDefines which action to take if there is no match for the source concept in the target system designated for the group. One of 3 actions are possible: use the unmapped code (this is useful when doing a mapping between versions, and only a few codes have changed), use a fixed code (a default code), or alternatively, a reference to a different concept map can be provided (by canonical URL).
group.unmapped.codeFixed code when mode = fixedThe fixed code to use when the mode = 'fixed' - all unmapped codes are mapped to a single fixed code.
group.unmapped.displayDisplay for the codeThe display for the code. The display is only provided to help editors when editing the concept map.The display is ignored when processing the map.
group.unmapped.urlcanonical reference to an additional ConceptMap to use for mapping if the source concept is unmappedThe canonical reference to an additional ConceptMap resource instance to use for mapping if this ConceptMap resource contains no matching mapping for the source concept.

Scope and Usage

A concept map defines a mapping from a set of concepts defined in a code system (commonly referred to as the "system") to one or more concepts defined in other code systems. In the mapping context, a system can be a typical code system based on a recognized standard or local terminology (in any of its forms), or in some cases it may be an "implicit" code system that is not based on a recognized terminology but still represents a set of "concepts" that can be usefully mapped. Mappings are one way - from the source to the target system. In many cases, the reverse mappings are valid, but this cannot be assumed to be the case.

Mappings between code system concepts are only intended to be defined in the context of a particular business usage. The business use case is normally defined by the specification of the source and target value sets. The mappings may be useful in other contexts, but this must be determined based on the context of use and meaning; it cannot be taken for granted automatically. An example where the usage context is important for choosing the correct mapping is mapping from a clinical terminology (e.g. SNOMED CT) to a classification (e.g. ICD-10) for either data analysis or billing. Mappings in the data analysis context would be targeted for an appropriate classification (often at a higher level), whereas in the billing context there may be specific requirements to be met (e.g. leaf level codes only) that could result in multiple mappings for a single source concept and then require additional information beyond the source concept itself in order to select the correct final mapping.

Note that all code systems (explicit or implicit) represented in FHIR have URI identifiers for value sets (also either explicit or implicit) that include the entire code system, and these "all codes" value sets can be used for mappings that are valid in all use contexts that are appropriate for the code system.

Each mapping for a concept from the source to target system includes an equivalence property that specifies how similar the mapping is (or, in some cases, that there is no valid mapping). There is one element for each concept or field in the source value set or system that needs to be mapped. Each source concept may have multiple targets:

There SHOULD be at least one target for each element, but some incomplete concept maps might not have a target for each concept.

A key concept for the ConceptMap resource is the $translate operation. This operation is a formal definition of an API by which a terminology server can allow clients to ask for a translation to be done based on the content in the ConceptMap resource. As such it also provides useful perspective on the operational use of ConceptMap resources in any context.

Boundaries and Relationships

While ConceptMap resources are not referred to directly from any other resource, they may be included and used in ImplementationGuide resources, and provide background knowledge that is useful in many contexts, including operations defined in this specification.

In addition to ConceptMap, there is also the StructureMap resource. The ConceptMap resource defines relationships between concepts in their own right, along with grading of their equivalencies, while the StructureMap defines an executable transform for instances that conform to a known structure.

Both Code System supplements and Concept Maps may be used to define relationships between concepts in different systems. ConceptMaps are assertions of the relationships between different concepts that are associated with particular contexts of use, while CodeSystem supplements are used to define inherent properties and semantics of the concepts in the code system

Background and Context

Further discussion of the issues involved in mapping between concept definition systems can be found in the HL7 v3 Core Principles document and the functionality described in the OMG CTS 2 specification.

Notes

Grouping Mappings

The concept mappings in element are arranged into groups that share common source/target systems. These groups have no semantic significance; they exist to make the representation more concise. Concept maps may contain more than one group with the same source and target - this would be a less concise representation but may be useful in order to maintain a fixed order for the concepts that are mapped.

Concepts that are labeled as 'unmatched' are considered to be unmatched in the target value set, irrespective of whether they are contained in a group with a stated target system or not. Groups that contain no target system may only contained 'unmatched' concepts. There is no difference in the meaning of an unmatched target whether or not there is a stated target system.

Mapping Dependencies

In the simple case, a mapping is made from one code to another. E.g. from "home address" in one code system to "address - home" in another. But in other cases, the mapping is not a simple one to one mapping. A typical example might be mapping between a radiology imaging request that has 2 elements: modality, and body site, and another radiology imaging request that pre-coordinates both of these into a single code modality+body site. In this case, it is not possible to map from one code to another. Instead, the mapping might contain entries like this:

Source ConceptDependsOn.propertyDependsOn ConceptTarget Concept
X-RayBodysiteChestChest-XRay

When attempting to translate the source to the target, an application must also provide a value for the element identified in dependsOn.property so that the correct mapping can be performed. To support the reverse operation, product is the converse, and works in reverse.

To see a real example of a mapping with dependencies, check the Specimen Type Mapping.

Handling Unmapped Codes

If there is no explicit mapping for a code - that is, the engine processing the ConceptMap finds a group with a matching source system, but not matching element for the code it is translating, processing proceeds to the unmapped element that specifies what should happen.

The unmapped element can specify one of the following different actions to take if there is no mapping for a concept:

providedUse the code source as provided in the $translate request. This is especially useful for translations between versions of the same code system, where only a few codes have changed
fixedUse the code (and display) explicitly provided in the group.unmapped. This is useful when there's a fall back general code - especially for classifications
other-mapUse the map identified by the canonical URL in url. This is useful when a published concept map needs to be varied for a few specific cases on an institutional bass - the institution can create a simple concept that expresses their special cases, and then refer to the general purpose mappings

Note that this element is not used when there is an element with a matching code value, and an equivalence value of unmatched (or disjoint).

Implicit Code Systems

The ConceptMap resource is intended to map between concepts defined in a code system. It can also be useful to use the ConceptMap resource to define relationships between concepts defined in other kinds of resources. Here are some common kind of conceptual maps:

Though these resources are not explicitly defining code systems, they do define 'concept's that can still usefully be treated as code systems for the sake of subsetting (e.g. ValueSet) and defining relationships (e.g. ConceptMap). See Implicit Code Systems for further information.

Note that this is different from StructureMap because that is intended to define an executional transform between structures, not a conceptual model.

Search Parameters

dependsonReference to property mapping depends onConceptMap.group.element.target.dependsOn.property
othercanonical reference to an additional ConceptMap to use for mapping if the source concept is unmappedConceptMap.group.unmapped.url
productReference to property mapping depends onConceptMap.group.element.target.product.property
sourceThe source value set that contains the concepts that are being mapped(ConceptMap.source as canonical)
source-codeIdentifies element being mappedConceptMap.group.element.code
source-systemSource system where concepts to be mapped are definedConceptMap.group.source
source-uriThe source value set that contains the concepts that are being mapped(ConceptMap.source as uri)
targetThe target value set which provides context for the mappings(ConceptMap.target as canonical)
target-codeCode that identifies the target elementConceptMap.group.element.target.code
target-systemTarget system that the concepts are to be mapped toConceptMap.group.target
target-uriThe target value set which provides context for the mappings(ConceptMap.target as uri)

Extension Definitions

These are extension definitions for this resource defined by the spec