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Testing FHIR Service Base URLs with Postman

This tutorial demonstrates how to retrieve Netsmart CareConnect Service Base URLs using Postman. These URLs are published following the User-access Brands and Endpoints specification from SMART App Launch v2.2.0.

Prerequisites​

  • Postman installed
  • No authentication required - this is a publicly accessible endpoint

Step 1: Create a Postman Environment​

Environments in Postman store variables that can be reused across requests, making it easy to switch between different environments.

Creating the Environment​

  1. Open Postman
  2. Click the Environments tab in the left sidebar
  3. Click Create Environment
  4. Name your environment (e.g., "FHIR Service Base URLs - Preview")

Adding Environment Variables​

Add the following variable to your environment:

Variable NameTypeInitial ValueCurrent Value
domaindefaultfhirtest.netsmartcloud.comfhirtest.netsmartcloud.com

Save and Select Environment​

  1. Select Save
  2. Select your environment from the dropdown in the top-right corner
Environment Reuse

If you're working with multiple CareConnect API tutorials, consider creating a shared environment with standardized variable names. This allows you to reuse the same environment across different API collections. See our Shared Environment Setup Guide for standardized variable naming conventions.

Step 2: Create New Request​

  1. Open Postman
  2. Click New → HTTP Request
  3. Set method to GET

Step 3: Configure Request URL​

Set the request URL using environment variables:

https://{{domain}}/brand/brands.json

Note: The double curly braces {{domain}} tell Postman to use the value from your environment variable.

Step 4: Set Headers​

Add the following header:

  • Key: Accept
  • Value: application/fhir+json

Step 5: Send Request​

Click Send to execute the request.

Expected Response​

You should receive a 200 OK response with an HL7 FHIR R4 Bundle containing:

  • Organization Resources - Healthcare organizations with branding information
  • Endpoint Resources - FHIR API endpoints with connection details
  • fullUrl References - URN-based identifiers for bundle entries

Sample Response Structure​

{
  "resourceType": "Bundle",
  "id": "brands.json",
  "meta": {
    "lastUpdated": "2025-01-15T15:00:53.636620392Z"
  },
  "type": "collection",
  "timestamp": "2025-01-15T15:00:53.636620392Z",
  "entry": [
    {
      "fullUrl": "urn:uuid:example-org-123",
      "resource": {
        "resourceType": "Organization",
        "id": "example-org-123",
        "meta": {
          "lastUpdated": "2024-12-23T22:49:32.277634175Z"
        },
        "active": true,
        "name": "Example Healthcare Organization",
        "telecom": [
          {
            "system": "url",
            "value": "https://www.example-healthcare.org/"
          }
        ],
        "endpoint": [
          {
            "reference": "Endpoint/example-endpoint-456"
          }
        ]
      }
    },
    {
      "fullUrl": "urn:uuid:example-endpoint-456",
      "resource": {
        "resourceType": "Endpoint",
        "id": "example-endpoint-456",
        "meta": {
          "lastUpdated": "2024-12-23T22:49:26.693903971Z"
        },
        "extension": [
          {
            "url": "http://hl7.org/fhir/StructureDefinition/endpoint-fhir-version",
            "valueCode": "4.0.1"
          }
        ],
        "status": "active",
        "connectionType": {
          "system": "http://terminology.hl7.org/CodeSystem/endpoint-connection-type",
          "code": "hl7-fhir-rest"
        },
        "name": "Netsmart CareConnect Certified Provider Patient Access FHIR v2",
        "contact": [
          {
            "system": "url",
            "value": "https://www.example-healthcare.org"
          }
        ],
        "payloadType": [
          {
            "coding": [
              {
                "system": "http://terminology.hl7.org/CodeSystem/endpoint-payload-type",
                "code": "none"
              }
            ]
          }
        ],
        "address": "https://fhir.netsmartcloud.com/provider/patient-access/v2/example-tenant-id"
      }
    }
  ]
}

Troubleshooting​

Request fails or times out:

  • Verify the URL is correct for your target environment
  • Check your internet connection
  • Ensure Postman can access external URLs

Unexpected response format:

  • Confirm the Accept header is set to application/fhir+json
  • Verify you're using the correct endpoint URL

Next Steps​

  • Extract endpoint addresses from the Endpoint.address field to configure your FHIR client applications
  • Test the discovered endpoints by calling their /metadata endpoint to retrieve CapabilityStatements
  • Review the Service Base URLs documentation for additional details
  • Explore other Postman tutorials for FHIR API testing