For a full list of available versions, see the Directory of published versions

1.2. Relationship to Other Specifications

This section describes how this Implementation Guide (IG) relates to other specifications, standards, and profiling strategies.

1.2.1. Referencing

This IG builds on the HL7 FHIR® Structured Data Capture (SDC) implementation guide. Implementers are expected to read and understand referenced portions of SDC.

This IG constrains core FHIR R4 resources (primarily Questionnaire and QuestionnaireResponse) and reuses a number of SDC-defined extensions and patterns (e.g., expression-based population and definition-based extraction), while adding Ontario-specific constraints and capabilities where needed.

1.2.2. Profiling Strategy

The profiling approach for this IG is:

• Base on FHIR R4 core resources and constrain them to the Ontario eForms requirements.
• Reuse SDC patterns and extensions wherever possible, to remain aligned with international guidance.
• Introduce Ontario-specific profiles, extensions, and terminologies only where required to achieve consistent rendering, processing, and cross-system interoperability.

This IG also adopts role-based implementation obligations (defined in Conformance Rules) to express conformance expectations by actor (Renderer, Population Engine, Extraction Engine, QR Narrative Generator). Where SDC profiles rely on Must Support expectations, this IG may define Ontario-specific artifacts aligned to SDC intent but expressed using obligations.

1.2.3. Variances

This IG includes some capabilities that are not (yet) fully covered by SDC, including:

• The ability for a Questionnaire to define a custom rendering (expressed using FHIRPath-enhanced Liquid) that describes how a completed QuestionnaireResponse should be rendered as narrative for downstream consumption.
• The ability for individuals to answer questions by interacting with an image (e.g., click to select or de-select answers), where enabled by Ontario-specific extensions.