The FHIR team is pleased to announce that a new stable version has been released, at http://hl7.org/fhir/2016May. This version represents the first stable release of the candidate release #3 for FHIR, and has been released to support the Montreal Connectathon and the CQL on FHIR ballot.

This version includes a number of significant changes and new features:

• Significant on going development with regard to clinical decision support / clinical query language (in particular, a common expression language with CQL)
• A new profile to describe vital signs (note: this is proposed as mandatory to enable better data sharing)
• Further development of workflow management, genomic data, eClaims, provider directories, CCDA profiles, and consent management
• An RDF format for resources, along with the start of real ontology support
• A new candidate mapping language to support implementers when migrating content into and out of FHIR resources

These are just the highlights – there have been changes to nearly every resource in response to user feedback and new requirements and implementation projects. Note that there’s a few significant breaking changes in this version.

The Montreal Connectathon will be held on May 7 / 8 at the next HL7 WGM. We’re going to have a wide variety of tracks for implementers to participate in, including:

• Introductory Patient track
• Clinical Decision Support (CDS Hooks, CQF on FHIR, CDS Enablement Services)
• Workflow (Lab Orders)
• Terminology Services, Genomics, Structured Data Capture
• A special Canadian SMART on FHIR track
• And yet more…

Some of these are established tracks, while others are new additions. With that much going on, it’s quite likely we’ll run out of space (120 seats), so register early. For full details about the connectathon and the tracks, see the FHIR Wiki.

p.s. This is called the “May 2016 release” even though it’s actually released at the end of March because the connectathon, the ballot, and other feedback from the release will be processed at the May WGM.