Skip to content
FonteumPublic-records evidence
Screen 25 NPIs free →Buy $129 certificate →
Fonteum 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.

Source file
Not reported
Published
Not reported
Retrieved
Not reported
Snapshot
Not retained for this reference page
Data as of
Not reported
Last updated: 2026-07-11Reviewed 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.

Related terms

Authoritative sources

← All glossary terms

What’s on file, by the numbers

Platform snapshot · 2026-08-30

13.4Mproviders & companiesProviders, organizations, owners, and facilities on file
26.2Msource-linked factsSource-linked field facts in the dated platform snapshot
90sources with dataDistinct snapshot source IDs with at least one positive record count
16fresh sourcesDistinct source IDs whose latest positive-data snapshot falls within the preceding 45 days
111sources integratedActive registry rows; integration does not establish a load
13state Medicaid jurisdictionsDistinct states represented in the state-exclusions serving table

Integrated, with-data, and fresh-observation counts are separate. No platform-wide source-completeness count is published. Completeness is source-specific and must be evaluated against the named source's expected scope. State coverage is a separate jurisdiction measure.

Source authority is record-specific

Use the issuer named on the record.

Fonteum spans federal, state, and global public publishers. A source page or returned record identifies its issuer and dataset where that metadata is available. A platform registry count does not assign every page to one authority or establish loaded, fresh, or complete coverage.

Browse source records and their stated limitations →

Reproducible by design

Inspect the evidence each published figure actually supplies.

Source and date

Research pages expose the named public file and observation date where those fields are available. Source-file SHA-256 coverage is separate; facts do not currently link deterministically to signatures.

Available derivation

Studies with a retained release and committed derivation link the SQL or method used. Other studies state the evidence and reproduction limits they actually have.

Daily observations

Dated table row-count observations can detect local drift. They do not imply that an upstream publisher released or Fonteum ingested new data that day.

Named medical review

Reviewed by Jennifer Montecillo, MD, medical reviewer. Non-practicing medical reviewer.

Read the full provenance and attestation methodology →

Request access