FHIR Software Development Skill

A comprehensive Claude Code skill for building FHIR (Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources) software systems with expert guidance on implementation, validation, and healthcare data exchange.

Overview

This skill provides specialized assistance for FHIR development across multiple versions (R4, R4B, R5) and programming languages. It includes expert knowledge of:

• FHIR resource modeling and validation
• Implementation Guide (IG) development
• FHIR server and client implementation
• SMART on FHIR integration
• Terminology services and validation
• Healthcare API development

When to Use This Skill

Invoke this skill when working on:

• FHIR API Development: Building REST APIs that comply with FHIR specifications
• Healthcare Applications: Apps that need to process or exchange FHIR resources
• FHIR Servers/Clients: Implementing FHIR-compliant servers or client applications
• Data Validation: Validating resources against FHIR profiles and Implementation Guides
• SMART on FHIR Apps: Healthcare applications using SMART launch workflows
• Terminology Integration: Working with ValueSets, CodeSystems, and terminology services
• Profile Development: Creating custom FHIR profiles and Implementation Guides
• IG Authoring with FSH: Writing FHIR Shorthand (.fsh) files, configuring SUSHI, and converting FHIR JSON to FSH with GoFSH

Features

Core Capabilities

• Package Management: Guidance on using FHIR package loaders and managing local package caches
• Resource Modeling: Best practices for modeling FHIR resources in TypeScript, Python, and other languages
• Server Implementation: Patterns for FastAPI, Express, and other frameworks
• Search Implementation: FHIR search parameter processing and query parsing
• Validation: Profile validation, terminology validation, and constraint checking
• SMART on FHIR: OAuth 2.0 workflows and app launch sequences
• Testing: Unit testing patterns and integration testing for FHIR APIs

Language Support

• TypeScript/Node.js: Express, FHIR TypeScript types, package loaders
• Python: FastAPI, Pydantic, fhir.resources library
• Support for other languages with FHIR libraries

FHIR Versions

• FHIR R4 (4.0.1)
• FHIR R4B
• FHIR R5
• Implementation Guide compatibility

Installation

Prerequisites

• Claude Code CLI or VS Code extension installed

CLI

1. Launch Claude Code in your terminal:

   claude
   

2. Add the marketplace:

   /plugin marketplace add TopologyHealth/ClaudeFHIRSkill
   

3. Install the skill:

   /plugin install fhir-developer-skills@ClaudeFHIRSkill
   

VS Code

1. Click / in the Claude Code chat to open the command menu
2. Select Manage Plugins
3. Click Marketplaces
4. Enter the repository URL: https://github.com/TopologyHealth/ClaudeFHIRSkill
5. Click Install
6. The skill will appear in your Plugins list

Manual

Add this skill to your Claude Code environment by placing the SKILL.md file in your project’s .claude/skills/ directory or your global skills directory.

Usage Examples

Example 1: Building a FHIR Server Endpoint

I need to create a FHIR Patient endpoint in Python using FastAPI

The skill will provide guidance on:

• Setting up FastAPI with fhir.resources
• Implementing CRUD operations
• Validation patterns
• Error handling with OperationOutcome

Example 2: Validating Against a Profile

How do I validate a Patient resource against the US Core Patient profile?

The skill will guide you through:

• Loading the US Core package
• Setting up profile validation
• Checking must-support elements
• Terminology binding validation

Example 3: SMART on FHIR Integration

I need to implement SMART on FHIR authorization for my app

The skill provides:

• OAuth 2.0 configuration
• Authorization code flow implementation
• Token exchange patterns
• Scope management

Key Patterns Covered

• Package/Specification Management: Local caching, package resolution, document indexing
• Resource Modeling: Type-safe models with validation
• Search Implementation: Parameter parsing, query building, _include/_revinclude
• Batch/Transaction Processing: Bundle handling with proper transaction semantics
• Error Handling: Proper OperationOutcome generation
• Testing: Unit and integration testing patterns

Resources Referenced

• FHIR Specification
• Implementation Guide Registry
• FHIR Package Registry
• US Core Implementation Guide
• SMART on FHIR Specification

Contributing

Contributions to improve this skill are welcome! Please ensure any additions:

• Follow FHIR specification guidelines
• Include working code examples
• Cover common use cases
• Support multiple programming languages where applicable

License

This skill is provided as-is for use with Claude Code.

Support

For issues or questions about using this skill with Claude Code, please refer to the Claude Code documentation.

For FHIR specification questions, consult the official FHIR documentation or the FHIR community chat.