All termsProtocols
FHIR R4
A RESTful API for exchanging FHIR R4 resources (Patient, Observation, Appointment…) over HTTP.
When to use it
For modern, resource-oriented integration — apps, portals, and services that prefer REST/JSON over HL7 v2.
In plain terms
A modern web API for healthcare data, versus the older telegram-style HL7 v2 feed.
Common gotchas
- FHIR is flexible — profiles / implementation guides (e.g. US Core) constrain what a server actually supports.
- Auth (SMART on FHIR / OAuth) and scopes are part of the integration, not an afterthought.
- "Supports FHIR" varies widely by resource and version.