FHIR & Snowstorm comparison - Corti API Documentation

If you already know FHIR ValueSets or Snowstorm ECL, the tables below map the concepts you are familiar with to Corti’s filter model. For the full filter documentation, see Code filtering.

Comparison with FHIR

The filters field on /predict restricts which codes the model may return. It implements a subset of FHIR ValueSet compose semantics as inline, ephemeral constraints: you pass the constraint in the request body, and the model returns only codes that satisfy it. No stored ValueSet resource is needed.

FHIR R4 `ValueSet.compose`	Corti `filters`	Notes
`include` (1..*)	`include` (ConditionGroup, optional)	FHIR requires at least one include; Corti treats omitted include as “all codes eligible”
`exclude` (0..*)	`exclude` (ConditionGroup, optional)	Same semantics: subtract from include set
`include.filter.property`	`condition.property`	Direct mapping
`include.filter.op` (`FilterOperator`)	`condition.op`	Corti supports a subset: `=`, `is-a`, `descendent-of`, `exists`, `in`
`include.filter.value`	`condition.value`	Same: a code, boolean, or list depending on op
All filters in an include must be true	`match: "all"`	ANDs conditions within a group
(no FHIR equivalent)	`match: "any"`	Corti extension for OR logic across conditions
`include.concept` (enumerated code list)	code-string shorthand or `op: "in"`	Simpler for the common case
`ValueSet.url` (stored, versioned resource)	inline in request body	Ephemeral: no persistence, no expansion operation
`$expand` operation	automatic on every `/predict` call	The model returns only codes it can predict from the clinical text, already filtered

Comparison with Snowstorm ECL

Common Snowstorm ECL patterns and their Corti equivalents:

Snowstorm ECL	Corti filter
`<< 73211009` (Diabetes mellitus and descendants)	`{ "filters": [{ "system_id": "snomedctint", "include": { "conditions": [{ "property": "code", "op": "is-a", "value": "73211009" }] } }] }`
`<< 73211009 MINUS 73211009` (descendants only)	include `is-a` + exclude `=`
`*` (all codes)	omit `filters` entirely

Where Corti extends FHIR

match: "any" for OR within a single include or exclude (FHIR only ANDs within one include)
Nested groups up to depth 3 for mixed AND/OR logic

Where Corti is narrower

No ECL (Expression Constraint Language): use JSON conditions instead
No stored ValueSets, refsets, or map-based expansion
No regex operator
Properties are limited to the loaded coding system’s code model fields (not arbitrary FHIR concept properties)

Using Corti and Snowstorm together

Corti predicts codes from unstructured clinical text (which Snowstorm cannot do), and Snowstorm can validate or expand those codes as a post-step. A typical pipeline runs Corti first, then Snowstorm to validate the predictions against a full terminology server.