Project Information
Active
25 September, 2025
Project Introduction
Schedule of Activities (SoA)
The Vulcan Schedule of Activities (SoA) project defines how a clinical trial protocol’s schedule can be represented using HL7 FHIR. By enabling EHRs and Electronic Data Capture (EDC) systems to consume and exchange this information, the project helps care providers and researchers plan, execute, and track study activities in a consistent, computable way.
What is the Schedule of Activities?
The Schedule of Activities (SoA) is a standardized representation of a clinical trial’s planned visits, interventions, assessments, and administrative tasks, as defined in the study protocol. A digital SoA provides a clear, computable structure that can be shared across systems, supporting protocol compliance, participant management, and research data collection.
Traditionally, the SoA in a study protocol is interpreted manually and implemented separately across EHRs, EDC systems, and sites. This creates inefficiencies and inconsistencies. By representing the SoA in FHIR, this project enables:
- Executable workflows where care teams can plan and reschedule visits with aligned research activities and windows.
- Research–care alignment that links patients, research studies, and care plans directly.
- Regulatory and operational efficiency where consistent implementation of trial protocols across sites.
- Automation from creating EDC specifications to generating downstream research datasets.
Schedule of Activities (SoA)
Project Status
- Version 1.0.0 of the SoA Implementation Guide is published and available for adopters to begin using.
- Version 2 development is underway, with planned enhancements to expand coverage for more complex study designs. This version is targeted for ballot in 2026.
Vulcan projects, including SoA, are open to participation. Vulcan is a member-based initiative where anyone with an interest in advancing digital clinical research can join project teams, contribute expertise, and help shape future standards.
Schedule of Activities (SoA)
Project Resources
Confluence
Project workspace with meeting notes, documentation, and collaboration materials.
FHIR IG
The evolving technical specification that defines how FHIR is used for this project.
SharePoint Resources
Central repository for project artifacts, reference materials, and shared files.
Schedule of Activities (SoA)
Get Involved
The SoA project is advancing through community collaboration, and participation is open. You can contribute by:
- Reviewing and testing the Implementation Guide
- Joining HL7 Connectathons to evaluate real-world implementations
- Join the project team and actively participate in the development and adoption of the IG
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