# Contacts in demographics

**Category:** [Ask IEB](https://discourse.openehr.org/c/ask-ieb/37)
**Created:** 2020-07-13 15:07 UTC
**Views:** 804
**Replies:** 7
**URL:** https://discourse.openehr.org/t/contacts-in-demographics/870

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## Post #1 by @nuno.abreu

Hi

 We had just embraced the difficult task of using OpenEhr demographics, and we are stuck at “contacts”. It seems that  “contact class” only allowed address to be referenced. I try specialized, using a slot inside the contact class , but the constrain by default doesn’t allowed to reference other archetype ( like “communication details” ). Any thoughts how to propeller handle this situation

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## Post #2 by @ian.mcnicoll

Hi Nuno,

There is very little practical experience with using the current demographics models in the clinical community - @sebastian.iancu from Code24 probably has most experience. We are having a look at the current demographic archetypes to see of/how we can maximise alignment with the the FHIR demographics resources.

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## Post #3 by @ian.mcnicoll

Are you trying to emulate the idea of 'contacts' in the FHIR Patient resource?

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## Post #4 by @nuno.abreu

Hi Ian
  We are to trying to mirror our legacy demographics data base (that we can´t discontinue), using openEHR to structure data. Reading RM specs , it seems that the original intent was to allowed put telecoms in the class “contact”, using “ Address” class  to reference it (wich is a little confuse). Archetype designer doesn’t allow cluster demographics to be built ( or I don’t know how to do it ), and the slot “Addresses”  defined in Person archetype only have address. 
In relation to FHIR Patient resource , I prefer the organization proposed by @thomas.beale , that seems more ontological robust. Looking forward to see OpenEHR demographics implementing that idea.

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## Post #5 by @ian.mcnicoll

Thanks Nuno,

I suggest you take a look at LinkEHR for editing demographics archetypes. I think AD can be extended to support the demographics archetype but it has only partial support for now.

You can easily hack a DEMOGRAPHIC-CLUSTER-archetype from an EHR-CLUSTER archetype quite easily as apart from the archetypeId they are identical. Suggest you build what you need as an EHR Cluster and I can do a wee video of how to hack it!!

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## Post #6 by @nuno.abreu

Thanks Ian, that would be fantastic.

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## Post #7 by @thomas.beale

[quote="nuno.abreu, post:4, topic:870"]
In relation to FHIR Patient resource , I prefer the organization proposed by @thomas.beale , that seems more ontological robust. Looking forward to see OpenEHR demographics implementing that idea.
[/quote]

Just out of interest, did you mean [this blog post on FHIR Admin resources](https://wolandscat.net/2019/09/11/fixes-for-fhir-the-admin-resources/), or something else?

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## Post #8 by @nuno.abreu

Hi Thomas

It's that one. Very enlightening.

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**Canonical:** https://discourse.openehr.org/t/contacts-in-demographics/870
**Original content:** https://discourse.openehr.org/t/contacts-in-demographics/870