Retrieval Lifecycle

IAS follows a token-assured, asynchronous lifecycle that governs how person-authorized clinical records are retrieved through QHIN-enabled exchange and returned to your system.

Retrieval is initiated only after identity verification and person authorization requirements are satisfied. Processing occurs asynchronously and depends on downstream exchange response behavior.

Identity Verification

Before a retrieval request is submitted, the person’s identity must be verified through an approved Credential Service Provider (CSP). Detailed identity and eligibility requirements are described in Enrollment and Authorization.

Person Authorization

Retrieval requires explicit person authorization. Detailed authorization and eligibility requirements are described in Enrollment and Authorization.

Retrieval Request Submission

Once identity verification and authorization requirements are satisfied, your system initiates retrieval.

IAS validates eligibility conditions, including identity token integrity and demographic consistency, before initiating exchange processing. If validation succeeds, retrieval processing begins asynchronously.

Network Query and Retrieval

IAS performs document query and retrieval workflows through QHIN-enabled exchange.

Exchange participation, person matching behavior, and document availability vary based on responding exchange participants and the data available at the time of processing.

If no matching records are found or exchange does not return data, retrieval may complete without results.

Normalization and Processing

Retrieved clinical artifacts, including supported document formats such as C-CDA, are returned as documents. If document import and normalization is enabled in your implementation model, retrieved documents are imported into your tenant and processed.

When enabled, processing preserves source references and provenance metadata linking derived clinical data to the originating document and source exchange context.

IAS does not modify source records and does not generate new clinical content.

Result Availability

Retrieval processing occurs asynchronously. Your system must monitor the retrieval status and retrieve the response after the request reaches a terminal state.

Retrieval responses return Bundles containing DocumentReference resources. Structured clinical data becomes available only if document import is enabled and retrieved documents are imported into your tenant. Structured data is accessed through standard FHIR R4 APIs such as $everything. Pagination may apply where supported by the applicable API.

If processing completes partially, available results are returned with status information indicating partial completion.

Audit and Provenance

IAS maintains audit and provenance metadata for each retrieval.

Provenance metadata links normalized resources to originating documents, source exchange context, and retrieval timestamps. Your organization may use this information for traceability, compliance, and operational review.