> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://help.elationhealth.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Specimen Information

## Overview

Specimen Information addresses:

* Specimen HL7® FHIR® resource with [US Core Profile 6.1.0](http://hl7.org/fhir/us/core/STU6.1/StructureDefinition-us-core-specimen.html)

The Specimen resource describes a sample of a physical substance collected from a patient for laboratory analysis, diagnostic testing, or other purposes. This profile meets the U.S. Core Data for Interoperability (USCDI) v3 requirements for Specimen Information.

Specimens can include blood, urine, tissue samples, swabs, and other biological materials collected for testing. The Specimen resource provides information about what was collected, how it was collected, when it was collected, and its current status.

**Each Specimen Must Have:**

* a specimen code

**Each Specimen Must Support:**

* a patient

**Profile Specific Implementation Guidance:**

* Since the binding is extensible when a code is unavailable, just text is allowed.
* in addition to Specimen search criteria, clients may request Specimen resources be included with Observation or DiagnosticReport resource query. An example query is provided in the Notes section below.

This resource conforms to [USCDI v3](https://www.healthit.gov/isp/uscdi-data-class/clinical-tests#uscdi-v3) for Specimen - refers to [US Core Specimen Profile 6.1.0](http://hl7.org/fhir/us/core/STU6.1/StructureDefinition-us-core-specimen.html). Specimen response will be provided in JSON (refers to Capability Statement) format as per [FHIR](https://hl7.org/fhir) standard R4 version.

### Must support elements, mandatory and optional search parameters

*Specimen **must support** these elements:*

* `type`
* `subject`

*Each Specimen Must Have (Mandatory):*

* `type`

*The following search parameters and search parameter combinations SHALL be supported:*

The syntax used to describe the interactions is described [here](/articles/fhir/us-core-guidance).

**SHALL** support both read Specimen by `id` **AND** Specimen search using the `_id` search parameter:

`GET [base url]/Specimen/[id]`

`GET [base url]/Specimen?_id=[id]`

*The following search parameter combinations SHOULD be supported:*

**SHOULD** support searching using the `patient` search parameter:

`GET [base url]/Specimen?patient={Type/}[id]`

The response to any search operation is always a list of resources in a Bundle or an Operation Outcome.

*The following search parameter combinations MAY be supported:*

**MAY** support searching for Observation resources that reference a Specimen using the `_include` parameter:

`GET [base url]/[Resource-type]?_id=[id]&_include=Observation:specimen`

The response to any search operation is always a list of resources in a Bundle or an Operation Outcome.

## Specimen by ID

Read a single Specimen resource by its ID.

**METHOD** *GET*

```
GET [base url]/Specimen/[id]
```

**PARAMS**
\[base url] \* [FHIR base url](/articles/fhir/service-base-urls)
\[id] - Specimen's id

**HEADERS**

The Authorization token SHALL be obtained during the Authentication and Authorization process. Go to [Authentication and Authorization](/articles/fhir/authentication-authorization) for further details.

| Header        | Type       | Required/Optional | Value            |
| ------------- | ---------- | ----------------- | ---------------- |
| Authorization | **string** | required          | `Bearer <token>` |

**RESPONSES**

| Code | Description                        | Comment                                                                                                                                         |
| ---- | ---------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| 200  | OK                                 | The request was processed successfully                                                                                                          |
| 400  | Bad request                        | Invalid request parameters or FHIR operation outcome resource returned                                                                          |
| 401  | Unauthorized                       | This code indicates that the client request has not been completed because it lacks valid authentication credentials for the requested resource |
| 404  | No route matched with those values | The request was able to communicate with a given server, but the server could not find what was requested                                       |
| 500  | Internal Server Error              | The server has encountered a situation it doesn't know how to handle                                                                            |

**EXAMPLE:**

```
curl --location --request GET 'https://sandbox.fhir.elationemr.com/fhir/Specimen/specimen-123' \
--header 'Authorization: Bearer fe1cd986-1ac7-4c26-b8b3-d632a48408fd'
```

## Specimen Search by ID

Search for Specimen using the `_id` search parameter.

**METHOD** *GET*

```
GET [base url]/Specimen?_id=[id]
```

**PARAMS**
\[base url] - [FHIR base url](/articles/fhir/service-base-urls)
\[id] - Specimen's id

**HEADERS**

The Authorization token SHALL be obtained during the Authentication and Authorization process. Go to [Authentication and Authorization](/articles/fhir/authentication-authorization) for further details.

| Header        | Type       | Required/Optional | Value            |
| ------------- | ---------- | ----------------- | ---------------- |
| Authorization | **string** | required          | `Bearer <token>` |

**RESPONSES**

| Code | Description                        | Comment                                                                                                                                         |
| ---- | ---------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| 200  | OK                                 | The request was processed successfully                                                                                                          |
| 400  | Bad request                        | Invalid request parameters or FHIR operation outcome resource returned                                                                          |
| 401  | Unauthorized                       | This code indicates that the client request has not been completed because it lacks valid authentication credentials for the requested resource |
| 404  | No route matched with those values | The request was able to communicate with a given server, but the server could not find what was requested                                       |
| 500  | Internal Server Error              | The server has encountered a situation it doesn't know how to handle                                                                            |

The response to any search operation is always a list of resources in a Bundle or an Operation Outcome.

**EXAMPLE:**

```
curl --location --request GET 'https://sandbox.fhir.elationemr.com/fhir/Specimen?_id=specimen-123' \
--header 'Authorization: Bearer fe1cd986-1ac7-4c26-b8b3-d632a48408fd'
```

## Specimen by Patient

Search for Specimen using the `patient` parameter.

**METHOD** *GET*

```
GET [base url]/Specimen?patient={Type/}[id]
```

**PARAMS**
\[base url] - [FHIR base url](/articles/fhir/service-base-urls)
\{Type/} - Reference type for the patient resource. *Example:* `Patient/`
\[id] - Patient's id

**HEADERS**

The Authorization token SHALL be obtained during the Authentication and Authorization process. Go to [Authentication and Authorization](/articles/fhir/authentication-authorization) for further details.

| Header        | Type       | Required/Optional | Value            |
| ------------- | ---------- | ----------------- | ---------------- |
| Authorization | **string** | required          | `Bearer <token>` |

**RESPONSES**

| Code | Description                        | Comment                                                                                                                                         |
| ---- | ---------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| 200  | OK                                 | The request was processed successfully                                                                                                          |
| 400  | Bad request                        | Invalid request parameters or FHIR operation outcome resource returned                                                                          |
| 401  | Unauthorized                       | This code indicates that the client request has not been completed because it lacks valid authentication credentials for the requested resource |
| 404  | No route matched with those values | The request was able to communicate with a given server, but the server could not find what was requested                                       |
| 500  | Internal Server Error              | The server has encountered a situation it doesn't know how to handle                                                                            |

The response to any search operation is always a list of resources in a Bundle or an Operation Outcome.

**EXAMPLE:**

```
curl --location --request GET 'https://sandbox.fhir.elationemr.com/fhir/Specimen?patient=Patient/05b87542-b50e-4f19-8a87-2da2e6959bfb' \
--header 'Authorization: Bearer fe1cd986-1ac7-4c26-b8b3-d632a48408fd'
```

## Observation with Included Specimen

Search for Observation resources with included Specimen references.

**METHOD** *GET*

```
GET [base url]/Observation?_id=[id]&_include=Observation:specimen
```

**PARAMS**
\[base url] - [FHIR base url](/articles/fhir/service-base-urls)
\[id] - Observation's id
\_include - Include related Specimen resources in the response bundle

**HEADERS**

The Authorization token SHALL be obtained during the Authentication and Authorization process. Go to [Authentication and Authorization](/articles/fhir/authentication-authorization) for further details.

| Header        | Type       | Required/Optional | Value            |
| ------------- | ---------- | ----------------- | ---------------- |
| Authorization | **string** | required          | `Bearer <token>` |

**RESPONSES**

| Code | Description                        | Comment                                                                                                                                         |
| ---- | ---------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| 200  | OK                                 | The request was processed successfully                                                                                                          |
| 400  | Bad request                        | Invalid request parameters or FHIR operation outcome resource returned                                                                          |
| 401  | Unauthorized                       | This code indicates that the client request has not been completed because it lacks valid authentication credentials for the requested resource |
| 404  | No route matched with those values | The request was able to communicate with a given server, but the server could not find what was requested                                       |
| 500  | Internal Server Error              | The server has encountered a situation it doesn't know how to handle                                                                            |

The response to any search operation is always a list of resources in a Bundle or an Operation Outcome.

**EXAMPLE:**

```
curl --location --request GET 'https://sandbox.fhir.elationemr.com/fhir/Observation?_id=9163726&_include=Observation:specimen' \
--header 'Authorization: Bearer fe1cd986-1ac7-4c26-b8b3-d632a48408fd'
```