The Encounter resource represents an interaction between a patient and a healthcare provider for the purpose of delivering care or assessing health. It covers a wide range of clinical events, from inpatient admissions and outpatient visits to telehealth consultations and emergency encounters.
In the FHIR ecosystem, the Encounter resource provides the contextual framework that connects clinical data such as Observations, Conditions, and Procedures to the events where they occurred.
Encounters are used to document the circumstances under which healthcare services are provided. They establish when, where, and by whom care was delivered, and they link related resources that describe the outcomes of that care.
Common examples include:
Because almost every healthcare workflow involves an encounter, this resource is a key component in building complete and traceable clinical records.
Like all FHIR resources, the Encounter resource has a defined structure that includes key elements such as status, class, participants, and time period. Below is an example of a simple Encounter resource in JSON format:
{
"resourceType": "Encounter",
"id": "enc-001",
"status": "finished",
"class": {
"system": "http://terminology.hl7.org/CodeSystem/v3-ActCode",
"code": "AMB",
"display": "Ambulatory"
},
"type": [
{
"coding": [
{
"system": "http://snomed.info/sct",
"code": "185349003",
"display": "Encounter for check-up (procedure)"
}
]
}
],
"subject": {
"reference": "Patient/12345",
"display": "Jane Doe"
},
"participant": [
{
"individual": {
"reference": "Practitioner/567",
"display": "Dr. Smith"
}
}
],
"period": {
"start": "2025-10-10T08:00:00-05:00",
"end": "2025-10-10T08:30:00-05:00"
},
"location": [
{
"location": {
"reference": "Location/clinic-room-5",
"display": "Exam Room 5"
}
}
],
"serviceProvider": {
"reference": "Organization/abc-clinic",
"display": "ABC Health Clinic"
}
}This example represents a completed outpatient checkup. The Encounter includes the status, class, patient, provider, time period, and location, all linked to other resources that give the data meaning.
| Element | Description |
|---|---|
| status | Indicates the current state of the encounter (for example, 'planned', 'in-progress', or 'finished'). |
| class | Identifies the broad type of encounter (for example, inpatient, outpatient, or virtual). |
| type | Describes the specific kind of encounter using coded terminology such as SNOMED CT. |
| subject | References the Patient who is the focus of the encounter. |
| participant | Lists the practitioners or related individuals involved in the encounter. |
| period | Defines when the encounter took place. |
| reasonCode | Indicates why the encounter occurred, such as a diagnosis or symptom. |
| location | Points to where the encounter happened (clinic, ward, or virtual). |
| serviceProvider | Identifies the organization responsible for the care. |
These elements collectively describe both the administrative and clinical context of the encounter.
Encounters act as a hub connecting multiple resources that document the care process.
| Related Resource | Relationship Description |
|---|---|
| Patient | The individual receiving care. |
| Practitioner | The provider responsible for the encounter. |
| Observation | Measurements and test results recorded during the encounter. |
| Condition | Diagnoses or problems identified during the encounter. |
| Procedure | Treatments or interventions performed. |
| MedicationRequest | Prescriptions made as a result of the encounter. |
| Location | The physical or virtual site of care delivery. |
By linking these resources together, the Encounter resource forms a structured narrative of patient care.
The Encounter resource is classified as Normative (FMM level 5). It is a core, stable part of the FHIR standard and is widely implemented across EHRs, health information exchanges, and integration platforms. This means that its structure is mature and will remain consistent across future FHIR versions.
Encounters frequently use standardized terminologies to describe their type, purpose, and class.
Common coding systems include:
Using standardized codes ensures that encounters are categorized and understood consistently across systems.
As with other FHIR resources, Encounters can be customized using Profiles and Extensions to meet local or regulatory needs.
Examples include:
Profiles and Extensions allow organizations to adapt the Encounter resource to their workflows while maintaining interoperability with the FHIR standard.
Validation ensures that Encounter data meets FHIR structure and business requirements. You can use tools like the FHIR Validator to verify that your Encounter resources follow the correct schema or profile.
In Iguana, both the FHIR Resource Creator and FHIR Profiling Tool can help generate and validate Encounter resources. For example, Iguana can:
These capabilities make it easier to ensure Encounter data is both accurate and compliant in production environments.
Encounters are used in nearly every healthcare integration scenario, including:
Because the Encounter resource defines the context for care delivery, it is central to understanding the who, what, when, and where of every clinical interaction.
Explore other core FHIR resources that work alongside Patient data, such as the Patient and Observation resources.
Continue reading: FHIR Profiles and Extensions →
