fhir-instrument-search

name	fhir-instrument-search
description	Find existing validated FHIR Questionnaire instruments before writing custom items. Searches Simplifier, the FHIR package registry, AHRQ's instrument repository, and PROMIS. Use whenever the user asks for a "depression screen", "pain scale", "ADL assessment", etc. — almost always there's a published instrument.

FHIR instrument search

When to use this

• The user asks for a screening, intake, or outcome instrument by domain ("depression screening", "fall risk", "pediatric pain").
• You're about to author new items and want to check whether a validated instrument already covers the territory.
• A draft duplicates content from a known instrument and you want to swap-in (or sub-Questionnaire-reference) the canonical version.

Sources

1. Simplifier — https://simplifier.net/search?type=Questionnaire (browser search; programmatic via https://simplifier.net/api if creds are present).
2. FHIR package registry — https://packages.fhir.org/ and https://registry.fhir.org/.
3. AHRQ instrument repository — https://www.ahrq.gov/ (search for instruments by domain).
4. PROMIS APIs — https://www.healthmeasures.net/promis-instruments (computer-adaptive forms have a different API path).
5. Local library — data/forms/ already-imported instruments; the studio shows them in the Library panel.

Capture per candidate

• Canonical URL (e.g. http://loinc.org/q/44249-1 for PHQ-9 in some publications, or the publisher-specific canonical URL).
• Version, copyright, license terms (some instruments are copyrighted with restrictions on modification — flag these).
• Item count, scoring rule, validation population, languages available.

License triage

• Public domain (PHQ-9, GAD-7, AUDIT-C, MMSE-2 derivatives in some jurisdictions): include freely.
• Free with attribution (most NIH / AHRQ): include with attribution.
• Permission required (some PROMIS forms, BDI-II, HADS): surface the requirement; do NOT inline copyrighted content. Use subQuestionnaire referencing the canonical URL instead.

Output

In findings.json, summarize each candidate with the fields above plus a "fits this form because" sentence. In a propose-edit, prefer subQuestionnaire reference over inlining for any non-public-domain instrument.

Pitfalls

• "Has a Questionnaire resource" ≠ validated. Many published forms are clinician convenience rewrites, not psychometrically validated.
• Inlining copyrighted items as paraphrases. Don't paraphrase; either get the rights or reference.
• LOINC panels don't always have canonical FHIR Questionnaires. Sometimes you assemble one from the LOINC item codes manually.