---
{
  "title": "SQL on FHIR in PostgreSQL",
  "description": "SQL on FHIR in PostgreSQL. Two types of SQL on FHIR View Runners - ETL (in-memory) & ELT (in-database) and demo the ELT implementation for PostgreSQL.",
  "date": "2024-11-08",
  "author": "Nikolai Ryzhikov",
  "reading-time": "5 min",
  "tags": [
    "SQL on FHIR",
    "Analytics"
  ]
}
---
# SQL on FHIR in PostgreSQL

{% embed url="https://youtu.be/Z6YvmE6opMY" %}

Two types of [SQL on FHIR](/blog/introducing-materialize-sql-interface-for-fhir-data) View Runners - ETL (in-memory) & ELT (in-database) and demo the ELT implementation for PostgreSQL using:
[**Aidbox**](https://www.health-samurai.io/aidbox?utm_source=Article&utm_medium=persNikolai&utm_campaign=conf)
Open-source [**ViewDefinition Builder**](https://sqlonfhir.aidbox.app/?utm_source=Article&utm_medium=persNikolaiview&utm_campaign=conf)
Grafana

[The slides](https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1XHjzNeooGogpo4quoRaf3KuCKdu7Q2eLT936lDzuA8o/edit?usp=sharing)
![](image-1.avif)***FHIR Database & FHIR Server for FHIR-first apps***![](image-2.avif)***[SQL on FHIR](/articles/sql-on-fhir-an-inside-look) Runners***![](image-3.avif)***ETL: in memory runner***![](image-4.avif)***ETL: in memory runner***![](image-5.avif)***ELT: in-database runners***![](image-6.avif)***Compare ETL and ELT***![](image-7.avif)***FHIR Server with SQL on FHIR***![](image-8.avif)***How to store & query FHIR in PostgreSQL***![](image-9.avif)***Translate ViewDefinition to SQL***![](image-10.avif)***How does translation works***![](image-11.avif)***What we can do with view def (query)***
**Run aidbox:**

> mkdir aidbox && cd aidbox 
curl -JO https://aidbox.app/runme && docker compose up

in aidbox sandbox - [https://aidbox.app](https://aidbox.app/?utm_source=article&utm_compaign=conf&utm_medium=persNiksql)

in viewbuilder - [https://sqlonfhir.aidbox.app](https://sqlonfhir.aidbox.app/?utm_source=article&utm_compaign=conf&utm_medium=persNiksql)

Related article - [SQL on FHIR: What is a ViewDefinition, and how does it work?](https://www.health-samurai.io/articles/what-is-a-viewdefinition?utm_source=article&utm_medium=persNiksql&utm_campaign=conf)

Author:
[Nikolai Ryzhikov](https://www.linkedin.com/in/nikolai-ryzhikov-586a6913/),
CTO at Health Samurai

See also: [SQL on FHIR: What is a ViewDefinition?](/blog/what-is-a-viewdefinition).