HL7 Version 3 Standard: XML Implementable Technology Specification – V3 Structures 1.1, Release 1

This document describes how HL7 V3 compliant messages can be expressed using XML. It presents an Implementable Technology Specification (ITS) for the encoding rules for HL7 Version 3 messages based on the Extensible Markup Language XML. This document represents the method that is recommended by HL7, describing the underlying rules and principles. The corresponding data type descriptions necessary for this specification are described in the Data Types XML ITS.

This document covers ISO levels 5 and 6. Those familiar with HL7 V2 might call these the "XML encoding rules" for HL7 Version 3 messages.

It is a prerequisite that readers have a general knowledge of XML technology, and it is assumed that readers are familiar with HL7 version 3 terminology - especially those related to message definition.

Main sections:

· Introduction and scope

· Overview

· XML structures derived from an HMD

· Use of XML namespaces

· Determination of the XML representation

· Informal extensions

· Backwards and forwards compatibility

· The use of schema processors

· Appendix A: Example instance for an interaction