Health Samurai Blog

FHIR (Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources) revolutionized medical data exchange between systems. However, its nested JSON structure makes data analytics challenging.

FHIR's nested structure works for APIs but frustrates SQL analytics. SQL on FHIR uses a simple DSL to define flat views – portable across ETL/ELT runners, tested via shared suites. Nikolai Ryzhikov's DevDays session demos the workflow from Synthea data to Grafana dashboards.

Aidbox just became the first FHIR server to pass all SQL-on-FHIR tests — thanks to full support for the repeat element. This update lets engineers query deeply nested FHIR structures like QuestionnaireResponse.item with a single, elegant definition.

The new $materialize operation in Aidbox creates SQL tables or views from FHIR ViewDefinition resources, making nested FHIR data easier to query. It helps turn complex JSON structures into familiar tabular formats for use with standard SQL tools.