About this HL7 v3 / CDA Viewer
HL7 v3 and CDA documents are XML-heavy and often difficult to inspect quickly because important meaning lives in both nested elements and attributes. This viewer flattens the structure into paths, values, and types so you can examine the document shape without manually expanding the XML tree.
Who this calculator is for
- Analysts and developers working with CDA, C-CDA, or HL7 v3 XML payloads.
- Teams tracing where identifiers, codes, timestamps, or patient details appear in a large document tree.
- Anyone comparing v3/CDA structure with FHIR or HL7 v2 representations during interoperability work.
When to use it
- Use it when you need a quick structural view of a CDA or other HL7 v3 XML document.
- Use it to locate attributes such as `@code`, `@codeSystem`, `@extension`, or `@value` without building a custom parser first.
- Use it to inspect example payloads before mapping them into another format or interface layer.
How to use this calculator
- Paste your HL7 v3 or CDA XML content.
- The table will generate X-Path style rows.
- Look for the `@` symbol to identify attribute values versus text values.
Key assumptions
- This viewer focuses on XML structure only and does not validate document conformance, template IDs, Schematron assertions, or implementation-guide rules.
- The flattened output shows where values live in the XML tree, but it does not infer clinical meaning beyond the raw path and attribute names.
- Narrative sections, namespaces, and very large documents may still require manual review or a dedicated validator when exact conformance matters.
Accuracy and testing
Review formula sources, default test cases, assumptions, unit handling, rounding rules, and changelog for this calculator.
How this calculator works
The tool performs a recursive traversal of the XML DOM (Document Object Model). It extracts element names, attributes, and text values, constructing a unique path for every piece of data.
DOM Parsing with Attribute extraction.
Inputs explained
XML Content
The full XML string of the CDA or v3 message.
Understanding your results
The XML Path shows where the data lives. E.g., `ClinicalDocument/recordTarget/patientRole/id/@extension` is the patient ID.
Key Features
- Handles deep XML nesting
- Extracts attributes (@code, @value)
- Generated X-Path for each element
Things to Keep in Mind
Does not render the CDA narrative block (HTML). It displays the raw data structure only. Not a validator.
Tips & Best Practices
- C-CDA (Consolidated CDA) documents can be huge. This tool works best for inspecting headers or specific sections rather than rendering the whole human-readable narrative.
- Attributes like `@code` and `@codeSystem` are critical in v3 for semantic interoperability.
Glossary of Terms
- RIM
- Reference Information Model. The abstract object model from which all v3 domains are derived.
- CDA
- Clinical Document Architecture. An HL7 v3 standard for the exchange of clinical documents (like Discharge Summaries).