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

# DocumentReference

> A reference to a document of any kind for any purpose. Provides metadata about the document so that the document can be discovered and managed. The scope of a document is any seralized object with a mime-type, so includes formal patient centric documents (CDA), clinical notes, scanned paper, and non-patient specific documents like policy text.

## Properties

| Name | Required | Type | Description |
| - | - | - | - |
| masterIdentifier | No | [Identifier](/medical-api/fhir/data-types/identifier) | Master Version Specific Identifier |
| identifier | No | [Identifier](/medical-api/fhir/data-types/identifier)\[] | Other identifiers for the document |
| status | Yes | code | current / superseded / entered-in-error |
| docStatus | No | code | preliminary / final / amended / entered-in-error |
| type | No | [CodeableConcept](/medical-api/fhir/data-types/codeableconcept) | Kind of document (LOINC if possible) |
| category | No | [CodeableConcept](/medical-api/fhir/data-types/codeableconcept)\[] | Categorization of document |
| subject | No | Reference\<[Patient](/medical-api/fhir/resources/patient) / [Practitioner](/medical-api/fhir/resources/practitioner) / [Group](/medical-api/fhir/resources/group) / [Device](/medical-api/fhir/resources/device)> | Who/what is the subject of the document |
| date | No | instant | When this document reference was created |
| author | No | Reference\<[Practitioner](/medical-api/fhir/resources/practitioner) / [PractitionerRole](/medical-api/fhir/resources/practitionerrole) / [Organization](/medical-api/fhir/resources/organization) / [Device](/medical-api/fhir/resources/device) / [Patient](/medical-api/fhir/resources/patient) / [RelatedPerson](/medical-api/fhir/resources/relatedperson)>\[] | Who and/or what authored the document |
| authenticator | No | Reference\<[Practitioner](/medical-api/fhir/resources/practitioner) / [PractitionerRole](/medical-api/fhir/resources/practitionerrole) / [Organization](/medical-api/fhir/resources/organization)> | Who/what authenticated the document |
| custodian | No | Reference\<[Organization](/medical-api/fhir/resources/organization)> | Organization which maintains the document |
| relatesTo | No | DocumentReferenceRelatesTo | Relationships to other documents |
| - id | No | string | Unique id for inter-element referencing |
| - extension | No | [Extension](/medical-api/fhir/data-types/extension)\[] | Additional content defined by implementations |
| - modifierExtension | No | [Extension](/medical-api/fhir/data-types/extension)\[] | Extensions that cannot be ignored even if unrecognized |
| - code | Yes | code | replaces / transforms / signs / appends |
| - target | Yes | Reference\<[DocumentReference](/medical-api/fhir/resources/documentreference)> | Target of the relationship |
| description | No | string | Human-readable description |
| securityLabel | No | [CodeableConcept](/medical-api/fhir/data-types/codeableconcept)\[] | Document security-tags |
| content | Yes | DocumentReferenceContent | Document referenced |
| - id | No | string | Unique id for inter-element referencing |
| - extension | No | [Extension](/medical-api/fhir/data-types/extension)\[] | Additional content defined by implementations |
| - modifierExtension | No | [Extension](/medical-api/fhir/data-types/extension)\[] | Extensions that cannot be ignored even if unrecognized |
| - attachment | Yes | [Attachment](/medical-api/fhir/data-types/attachment) | Where to access the document |
| - format | No | [Coding](/medical-api/fhir/data-types/coding) | Format/content rules for the document |
| context | No | DocumentReferenceContext | Clinical context of document |
| - id | No | string | Unique id for inter-element referencing |
| - extension | No | [Extension](/medical-api/fhir/data-types/extension)\[] | Additional content defined by implementations |
| - modifierExtension | No | [Extension](/medical-api/fhir/data-types/extension)\[] | Extensions that cannot be ignored even if unrecognized |
| - encounter | No | Reference\<[Encounter](/medical-api/fhir/resources/encounter) / [EpisodeOfCare](/medical-api/fhir/resources/episodeofcare)>\[] | Context of the document content |
| - event | No | [CodeableConcept](/medical-api/fhir/data-types/codeableconcept)\[] | Main clinical acts documented |
| - period | No | [Period](/medical-api/fhir/data-types/period) | Time of service that is being documented |
| - facilityType | No | [CodeableConcept](/medical-api/fhir/data-types/codeableconcept) | Kind of facility where patient was seen |
| - practiceSetting | No | [CodeableConcept](/medical-api/fhir/data-types/codeableconcept) | Additional details about where the content was created (e.g. clinical specialty) |
| - sourcePatientInfo | No | Reference\<[Patient](/medical-api/fhir/resources/patient)> | Patient demographics from source |
| - related | No | Reference\<Resource>\[] | Related identifiers or resources |

## Search Parameters

| Name | Type | Description | Expression |
| - | - | - | - |
| identifier | token | Master Version Specific Identifier | DocumentReference.masterIdentifier |
| patient | reference | Who/what is the subject of the document | DocumentReference.subject |
| type | token | Kind of document (LOINC if possible) | DocumentReference.type |
| encounter | reference | Context of the document content | DocumentReference.context.encounter |
| authenticator | reference | Who/what authenticated the document | DocumentReference.authenticator |
| author | reference | Who and/or what authored the document | DocumentReference.author |
| category | token | Categorization of document | DocumentReference.category |
| contenttype | token | Mime type of the content, with charset etc. | DocumentReference.content.attachment.contentType |
| custodian | reference | Organization which maintains the document | DocumentReference.custodian |
| date | date | When this document reference was created | DocumentReference.date |
| description | string | Human-readable description | DocumentReference.description |
| event | token | Main clinical acts documented | DocumentReference.context.event |
| facility | token | Kind of facility where patient was seen | DocumentReference.context.facilityType |
| format | token | Format/content rules for the document | DocumentReference.content.format |
| language | token | Human language of the content (BCP-47) | DocumentReference.content.attachment.language |
| location | uri | Uri where the data can be found | DocumentReference.content.attachment.url |
| period | date | Time of service that is being documented | DocumentReference.context.period |
| related | reference | Related identifiers or resources | DocumentReference.context.related |
| relatesto | reference | Target of the relationship | DocumentReference.relatesTo.target |
| relation | token | replaces / transforms / signs / appends | DocumentReference.relatesTo.code |
| security-label | token | Document security-tags | DocumentReference.securityLabel |
| setting | token | Additional details about where the content was created (e.g. clinical specialty) | DocumentReference.context.practiceSetting |
| status | token | current / superseded / entered-in-error | DocumentReference.status |
| subject | reference | Who/what is the subject of the document | DocumentReference.subject |
| relationship | composite | Combination of relation and relatesTo | DocumentReference.relatesTo |

## Inherited Properties

| Name | Required | Type | Description |
| - | - | - | - |
| id | No | string | Logical id of this artifact |
| meta | No | [Meta](/medical-api/fhir/data-types/meta) | Metadata about the resource |
| implicitRules | No | uri | A set of rules under which this content was created |
| language | No | code | Language of the resource content |
| text | No | [Narrative](/medical-api/fhir/data-types/narrative) | Text summary of the resource, for human interpretation |
| contained | No | Resource\[] | Contained, inline Resources |
| extension | No | [Extension](/medical-api/fhir/data-types/extension)\[] | Additional content defined by implementations |
| modifierExtension | No | [Extension](/medical-api/fhir/data-types/extension)\[] | Extensions that cannot be ignored |

To view the FHIR specification for this resource, see [DocumentReference](https://www.hl7.org/fhir/StructureDefinition/DocumentReference).


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