https://confluence.hl7.org/spaces/FHIR/pages/35718826/Guide+to+Designing+Resources

🔹 1. Clarity and Audience Awareness

• Write descriptions with your primary audience in mind—typically implementers, developers, and domain experts.
• Use clear, concise language and avoid unnecessary jargon.
• Provide context for why a profile, extension, or resource is included and how it should be used.

🔹 2. Consistency Across the IG

• Maintain consistent terminology, formatting, and structure throughout the guide.
• Use templates or follow established patterns from other well-regarded IGs to ensure uniformity 1(https://build.fhir.org/ig/FHIR/ig-guidance/best-practice.html)(https://build.fhir.org/ig/FHIR/ig-guidance/best-practice.html).

🔹 3. Use of Markdown and Narrative

• Leverage Markdown for formatting (headings, lists, links) to improve readability.
• Include narrative sections that explain the purpose and usage of profiles, extensions, and value sets in plain language.

🔹 4. Descriptive Metadata

• Populate the description, purpose, and usage fields in FHIR resources like StructureDefinition, ValueSet, and CodeSystem with meaningful content.
• These fields should explain the intent, scope, and any constraints or assumptions.

🔹 5. Examples and Use Cases

• Provide real-world examples and use cases to illustrate how the IG should be applied.
• Include example resources with narrative to help implementers understand the expected structure and content.

🔹 6. Validation and Review

• Use the FHIR IG Publisher to validate your IG and ensure it renders correctly.
• Peer review by domain experts and potential implementers is highly recommended.

🔹 7. Referencing Existing Standards

• Where possible, align with existing profiles (e.g., US Core, AU Base) to promote interoperability and reduce duplication 2(https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nvss/modernization/pdf/fhir-implimentation-guidance-checklist.pdf)(https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nvss/modernization/pdf/fhir-implimentation-guidance-checklist.pdf).

You can find a detailed guide on best practices for IG creation here: FHIR IG Best Practices](https://build.fhir.org/ig/FHIR/ig-guidance/best-practice.html) [1(https://build.fhir.org/ig/FHIR/ig-guidance/best-practice.html)(https://build.fhir.org/ig/FHIR/ig-guidance/best-practice.html).