Healthcare Data GlossaryTech
FHIR: Definition and Healthcare Context
Full name: Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources
Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources (FHIR) is a standard for health care data exchange developed by HL7 International. FHIR defines modular data elements — resources such as Patient, Practitioner, Organization, and Observation — exchangeable via REST APIs, JSON, and XML using standard web technologies. The ONC 21st Century Cures Act Final Rule mandated FHIR-based APIs for certified EHRs starting in 2022. FHIR R4 is the current base standard for U.S. health care interoperability.
Last updated: 2026-05-31Reviewed by: Dr. Jennifer Montecillo, MD — Gullas College of Medicine, 2019. Non-practicing medical reviewer.
How it’s used
- CMS NPPES NPI Registry: Fonteum's FHIR API layer exposes NPPES provider records as FHIR Practitioner and Organization resources at /api/fhir/Practitioner and /api/fhir/Organization.
- CMS QPP MIPS: the CMS Quality Payment Program uses FHIR-based APIs for electronic measure submission and quality data exchange.
Frequently asked questions
- What does FHIR stand for?
- FHIR stands for Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources — an HL7 standard for exchanging health care data using modern web technologies like REST APIs and JSON.
- What version of FHIR is used in the US?
- FHIR R4 (Release 4) is the current base standard mandated by the ONC 21st Century Cures Act Final Rule for certified EHRs.
- How does FHIR improve health data exchange?
- FHIR replaces legacy HL7 v2 messaging with RESTful APIs, enabling apps and systems to access structured health records using standard HTTP requests.