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Sandbox Environments

Important

Sandbox environments are provided to facilitate development and testing. They should not be used for production workloads or real patient data. All sandbox environments use synthetic, non-PHI data.

Netsmart provides sandbox environments to help developers test their integrations with CareConnect APIs before deploying to production. These environments contain synthetic data and are designed to mirror production functionality while providing a safe space for development and testing.

Overview​

Sandbox environments allow you to:

  • Test API Integration - Validate your application's FHIR API calls and OAuth 2.0 flows
  • Explore Data Models - Understand FHIR resource structures and relationships
  • Validate Workflows - Test end-to-end integration scenarios
  • Debug Issues - Troubleshoot problems without affecting production data
  • Demonstrate Functionality - Show proof-of-concept implementations to stakeholders

Available Sandbox Environments​

Base URL for all sandbox APIs: https://fhirtest.netsmartcloud.com

API Endpoint Pattern: /{api-type}/{version}/{tenant-id}

Provider API Sandboxes​

CareRecordStatusTenant NameTenant IDCareFabric Scope
Netsmart myAvatar✅ AvailableInternal CGI Avatard6c40265-c5c6-494f-b1aa-a27bf9a8c3f1CGIAV_KS!UAT:PROD
Netsmart GEHRIMED🚧 TBD---
Netsmart myEvolv🚧 TBD---
Netsmart myUnity🚧 TBD---
Netsmart TheraOffice🚧 TBD---

Supported Provider APIs:

Example URLs for myAvatar sandbox:

  • Provider Patient Access: https://fhirtest.netsmartcloud.com/provider/patient-access/v2/d6c40265-c5c6-494f-b1aa-a27bf9a8c3f1
  • Provider System Access: https://fhirtest.netsmartcloud.com/provider/system-access/v2/d6c40265-c5c6-494f-b1aa-a27bf9a8c3f1

Payer API Sandboxes​

CareRecordStatusTenant NameTenant IDCareFabric Scope
Netsmart myAvatar✅ AvailableInternal CGI Avatard6c40265-c5c6-494f-b1aa-a27bf9a8c3f1CGIAV_KS!UAT:PROD

Supported Payer APIs:

Example URLs for myAvatar sandbox:

  • Payer Patient Access: https://fhirtest.netsmartcloud.com/payer/patient-access/v2/d6c40265-c5c6-494f-b1aa-a27bf9a8c3f1
  • Payer System Access: https://fhirtest.netsmartcloud.com/payer/system-access/v2/d6c40265-c5c6-494f-b1aa-a27bf9a8c3f1
  • Payer Provider Directory: https://fhirtest.netsmartcloud.com/payer/provider-directory/v2/d6c40265-c5c6-494f-b1aa-a27bf9a8c3f1

All sandbox environments use synthetic, non-PHI data. Check this page regularly for updates on additional sandbox availability.

Getting Started with Sandbox​

Prerequisites​

For Patient Access and System Access APIs:

  1. Developer Account - Create an account in the Developer Portal
  2. Application Registration - Register your application through the guided setup
  3. Tenant Authorization - Request access to sandbox tenant(s)
  4. Development Environment - Set up your development tools and FHIR client

For Provider Directory APIs:

  1. Development Environment - Set up your development tools and FHIR client
  2. No Registration Required - Provider Directory APIs are publicly accessible

Registration Process​

For Patient Access and System Access APIs:

The registration and authorization processes for sandbox environments are identical to production:

  1. Create Developer Account - Sign up at the Non-Production Developer Portal
  2. Register Application - Follow the guided setup for your application type
  3. Request Tenant Authorization - Search for and select the desired sandbox tenant using any of the identifiers from the tables above:
    • Tenant Name (e.g., "Internal CGI Avatar" for myAvatar)
    • Tenant ID (e.g., "d6c40265-c5c6-494f-b1aa-a27bf9a8c3f1" for myAvatar)
    • CareFabric Scope (e.g., "CGIAV_KS!UAT:PROD" for myAvatar)
  4. Configure OAuth 2.0 - Set up authentication flows with provided credentials
  5. Begin Testing - Start integration testing with sandbox data

For Provider Directory APIs:

  1. Start Testing - Provider Directory APIs are publicly accessible and can be tested immediately using the sandbox URLs above
  2. No Authentication Required - These APIs do not require OAuth 2.0 tokens or app registration

Developer Portal Access​

Non-Production Environment:

To request authorization, search for the desired tenant using any of the identifiers from the sandbox tables above (tenant name, tenant ID, or CareFabric scope).

Sandbox Data​

Data Characteristics​

Synthetic Data: All sandbox environments use synthetic, non-PHI data that represents realistic healthcare scenarios without containing any real patient information.

Data Volume: Sandbox environments contain sufficient data to test various scenarios:

  • Multiple patient records with diverse demographics
  • Comprehensive clinical data (conditions, medications, procedures)
  • Provider and organization information
  • Insurance coverage and claims data (payer APIs)
  • Provider directory entries with network relationships

Data Relationships: Data is designed to demonstrate realistic relationships:

  • Patients with multiple encounters and providers
  • Care teams and referral patterns
  • Insurance coverage periods and claims
  • Provider network affiliations

Sample Data Scenarios​

Patient Access Testing:

  • Patients with various consent scenarios
  • Different authorization scopes and permissions
  • Multiple coverage periods and payers

System Access Testing:

  • Population-level data for bulk export testing
  • Group-based data exports
  • Various date ranges and filtering scenarios

Provider Directory Testing:

  • Multiple provider types and specialties
  • Network and plan associations
  • Geographic distribution of providers

Testing Guidelines​

Best Practices​

  1. Start with CapabilityStatement - Always begin by retrieving the CapabilityStatement to understand available resources and operations

  2. Test Authentication First - Verify OAuth 2.0 flows work correctly before testing FHIR operations

  3. Use Realistic Scenarios - Test with data patterns that match your production use cases

  4. Test Error Conditions - Verify your application handles errors gracefully

  5. Validate Data Models - Ensure your application correctly processes FHIR resource structures

Common Testing Scenarios​

Patient Access API:

# Test patient authorization and data access
GET https://fhirtest.netsmartcloud.com/provider/patient-access/v2/d6c40265-c5c6-494f-b1aa-a27bf9a8c3f1/Patient/{patient-id}
Authorization: Bearer {access_token}

System Access API:

# Test bulk data export
GET https://fhirtest.netsmartcloud.com/provider/system-access/v2/d6c40265-c5c6-494f-b1aa-a27bf9a8c3f1/Group/{group-id}/$export
Authorization: Bearer {access_token}
Prefer: respond-async

Provider Directory API:

# Test provider search (no authentication required)
GET https://fhirtest.netsmartcloud.com/payer/provider-directory/v2/d6c40265-c5c6-494f-b1aa-a27bf9a8c3f1/Practitioner?specialty=cardiology

Limitations and Considerations​

Sandbox Limitations​

  • Synthetic Data Only - No real patient or provider information

  • Limited Data Volume - Smaller datasets compared to production

  • Performance Differences - May not reflect production performance characteristics

  • Feature Parity - Some advanced features may not be available in sandbox

Rate Limiting​

Sandbox environments have rate limits to ensure fair usage:

  • Standard Rate Limits - Similar to production but may be more restrictive
  • Bulk Export Limits - Limited concurrent export jobs
  • Request Throttling - Automatic throttling for high-volume testing

Data Management​

  • No Custom Data - Cannot upload or modify sandbox data

Transitioning to Production​

Production Readiness Checklist​

  • Authentication Tested - OAuth 2.0 flows working correctly
  • Error Handling - Application handles all error scenarios gracefully
  • Data Validation - FHIR resource processing validated
  • Performance Testing - Application performs adequately with realistic data volumes
  • Security Review - Security best practices implemented
  • Compliance Verification - HIPAA and regulatory requirements met

Production Configuration​

  1. Update Base URLs - Change from fhirtest.netsmartcloud.com to fhir.netsmartcloud.com
  2. Production Tenant IDs - Use production tenant IDs for the organizations you're authorized to access
  3. Production Credentials - Update to production client credentials
  4. Security Hardening - Implement production security measures
  5. Monitoring Setup - Configure logging and monitoring for production

Getting Help​

Sandbox Support​

Technical Issues:

Access Requests:

  • Create account in Non-Production Developer Portal
  • Register your application through the guided setup process
  • Request tenant authorization for sandbox environments
  • Allow 3-5 business days for tenant authorization approval

Resources​

Contact Information​

Sandbox Access: Use the Non-Production Developer Portal to register applications and request tenant authorization

Technical Support: For sandbox-related technical issues and integration assistance

Documentation Feedback: Report issues or suggestions for improving sandbox documentation