Details about how to use the Care Connect Patient API using the RESTful API architecture.

RESTful Architecture

As part of the FHIR RESTful API architecture, Patient elements may be used as parameters for record creation, searching and removal when using a server that provides the FHIR RSTFUL functionality.

Create record

The create interaction is performed by an HTTP POST of the CareConnect-Patient-1 resource to the designated FHIR endpoint. A create interaction may use elements to capture patient details, including ‘nhsNumber’ , name and address.

Example HTTP POST operation:

POST [base]/Patient

A successful POST can return several possible responses to the request:

  • HTTP 201-Record Created: The entry has been successfully created and the NRLS returns an HTTP Location header containing the ‘server’ assigned logical Id of the created resource.
  • HTTP 400-Bad Request: Resource could not be parsed or failed basic FHIR validation rules
  • HTTP 404-Not Found: Resource type not supported, or not a FHIR end-point
  • HTTP 422-Unprocessable Entity: The proposed resource violated applicable FHIR profiles or server business rules.

Remove Record

The conditional delete interaction is used to remove a CareConnect-Patient-1 record from a FHIR endpoint using the identifier element, which may contain an nhsNumber or other value as the parameter for removal.

DELETE [base]/Patient?identifier=4021341152

Assuming successful URL submission, there are two possible outcomes to the delete request:

  • HTTP 204-No Content: The record either does not exist or has been successfully deleted.
  • HTTP 404-No match to delete: The parameters used to identify the record were not met.

Search for a record

The search interaction uses the HTTP GET command to return a set of results based on the search criteria submitted. The identifer element MAY be used to search for a record on a FHIR endpoint using nhsNumber, other or both values as search parameters.

GET [base]/Patient?identifier=4021341152

Common HTTP Status codes returned on FHIR-related errors (in addition to normal HTTP errors related to security, header and content type negotiation issues):

  • 400 Bad Request search could not be processed or failed basic FHIR validation rules
  • 401 Not Authorized authorization is required for the interaction that was attempted
  • 404 Not Found resource type not supported, or not a FHIR end-point

Code Examples

Examples of C# and Java will be provided in a later version of this API guide.

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