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Value Sets Overview

Value sets are curated collections of codes from one or more code systems. They define which codes are valid for a particular use case or context.

What is a Value Set?

A value set is a selection of codes from code systems that are appropriate for use in a specific context. For example, a "Blood Type" value set would include only the codes for different blood types from a blood group code system.

Available Value Sets

Clinical Value Sets

  • Blood Groups

    ABO and Rh blood group classifications for patient records and transfusion management.

  • Medications

    Common medications used in Bangladesh healthcare facilities.

  • Vaccines

    Vaccines administered in Bangladesh immunization programs.

  • Dose Forms

    Pharmaceutical dose forms (tablets, capsules, injections, etc.).

  • ICD-11 Conditions

    Disease and condition codes based on ICD-11 classification.

Demographics Value Sets

  • Religions

    Religious affiliations recognized in Bangladesh.

  • Occupations

    71 occupation categories for patient demographic data.

  • Languages

    Languages spoken in Bangladesh and internationally.

  • Countries

    International country codes for nationality and address.

Geographic Value Sets

Administrative Value Sets

  • Identifier Types

    Types of identifiers used in Bangladesh healthcare (NID, Birth Registration, etc.).

  • Encounter Class

    Types of patient encounters (inpatient, outpatient, emergency).

  • Encounter Status

    Status values for patient encounters.

Immunization Value Sets

Value Set Structure

graph TD A[Value Set] --> B[Compose] B --> C[Include] B --> D[Exclude] C --> E[Code System 1] C --> F[Code System 2] E --> G[Specific Codes] E --> H[All Codes] E --> I[Filter]

Using Value Sets

In FHIR Resources

{
  "resourceType": "Patient",
  "extension": [{
    "url": "http://zarishsphere.org/fhir/StructureDefinition/religion",
    "valueCodeableConcept": {
      "coding": [{
        "system": "https://fhir.dghs.gov.bd/core/CodeSystem/bd-religions",
        "code": "1",
        "display": "Islam"
      }]
    }
  }]
}

Validation

Value sets are used to validate that codes used in FHIR resources are appropriate for the context:

// Validate a code against a value set
valid := valueSet.ValidateCode("https://fhir.dghs.gov.bd/core/CodeSystem/bd-religions", "1")

Value Set Categories

Category Count Description
Clinical 5 Medical and pharmaceutical value sets
Demographics 4 Patient demographic information
Geographic 5 Bangladesh administrative divisions
Administrative 3 Healthcare administration
Immunization 3 Vaccination-related codes

Best Practices

Use Appropriate Value Sets

Always use the most specific value set available for your use case. For example, use the Bangladesh-specific value sets for local implementations.

Version Binding

Specify whether your binding to a value set is "required", "extensible", or "preferred" based on your needs.

Expansion

Value sets can be expanded to show all included codes at a specific point in time.

Next Steps