When I try to use the Network endpoint in Plan-Net I get an error. What is going on?

BLUF*: Network records are available via the Organization endpoint with a search parameter of ?type=”ntwk”/

For many Payers HL7 FHIR is a new world. The Provider/Pharmacy Directory API specification is defined in the HL7 Da Vinci PDex Plan-Net Implementation Guide (IG).

One of the resources/profiles defined in the IG is the Network. The Network profile is used to identify an aggregation of organizations and individuals that deliver a set of services across a geography through health insurance products/plans.

It is important to realize in FHIR that a profile is different from a resource. The base FHIR specification defines a set of resources. Implementation Guides typically define Profiles that are a more customized/specific definition of that base resource.

In Plan-Net there are two very similar resources:

  • Organization
  • Network

They are both profiles of the Organization base resource. Consequently, both types of record are accessed via the Organization endpoint.

Network records can be found by adding a search parameter as follows:

  • Organization?type=”ntwk”

BLUF: Bottom Line Up Front

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