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--- title: Access Azure Health Data Services using REST Client description: This article explains how to access the Healthcare APIs using the REST Client extension in VS Code services: healthcare-apis author: expekesheth ms.service: azure-health-data-services ms.topic: tutorial ms.date: 10/10/2025 ms.author: kesheth ms.custom: sfi-image-nochange --- # Accessing Azure Health Data Services using the REST Client Extension in Visual Studio Code In this article, you learn how to access Azure Health Data Services using [REST Client extension in Visual Studio Code](https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=humao.rest-client). ## Install REST Client extension Select the Extensions icon on the left side panel of your Visual Studio Code, and search for "REST Client". Find the [REST Client extension](https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=humao.rest-client) and install. [](media/rest-install.png#lightbox) ## Create a `.http` file and define variables Create a new file in Visual Studio Code. Enter a `GET` request command line in the file, and save it as `test.http`. The file suffix `.http` automatically activates the REST Client environment. Select `Send Request` to get the metadata. [](media/rest-send-request.png#lightbox) ## Get client application values > [!Important] > Before calling the FHIR&reg; server REST API (other than getting the metadata), you must complete [application registration](../register-application.md). Make a note of your Azure **tenant ID**, **client ID**, **client secret** and the **service URL**. While you can use values such as the client ID directly in calls to the REST API, it's a good practice that you define a few variables for these values and use the variables instead. In your `test.http` file, include the following information obtained from registering your application. ``` ### REST Client @fhirurl =https://xxx.azurehealthcareapis.com @clientid =xxx.... @clientsecret =xxx.... @tenantid =xxx.... ``` <a name='get-azure-ad-access-token'></a> ## Get Microsoft Entra access token After including the following information in your `test.http` file, hit `Send Request`. You'll see an HTTP response that contains your access token. The line starting with `@name` contains a variable that captures the HTTP response containing the access token. The variable, `@token`, is used to store the access token. >[!Note] >The `grant_type` of `client_credentials` is used to obtain an access token. ``` ### Get access token # @name getAADToken POST https://login.microsoftonline.com/{{tenantid}}/oauth2/token Content-Type: application/x-www-form-urlencoded grant_type=client_credentials &resource={{fhirurl}} &client_id={{clientid}} &client_secret={{clientsecret}} &scope={{fhirurl}}/.default ### Extract access token from getAADToken request @token = {{getAADToken.response.body.access_token}} ``` [](media/rest-config.png#lightbox) > [!NOTE] > When the FHIR service audience parameter is not mapped to the FHIR service endpoint url, the resource parameter value should be mapped to the Audience value under the FHIR Service Authentication blade. ## Get FHIR Patient data You can now get a list of patients or a specific patient with the `GET` request. The line with `Authorization` is the header info for the `GET` request. You can also send `PUT` or `POST` requests to create and update FHIR resources. ``` ### GET Patient GET {{fhirurl}}/Patient/<patientid> Authorization: Bearer {{token}} ``` [](media/rest-patient.png#lightbox) ## Run PowerShell or CLI You can run PowerShell or CLI scripts within Visual Studio Code. Press `CTRL` and the `~` key and select PowerShell or Bash. You can find more details on [Integrated Terminal](https://code.visualstudio.com/docs/editor/integrated-terminal). ### PowerShell in Visual Studio Code [](media/rest-powershell.png#lightbox) ### CLI in Visual Studio Code [](media/rest-cli.png#lightbox) ## Troubleshooting If you're unable to get the metadata (which doesn't require access token based on the HL7 specification) check that your FHIR server is running properly. If you're unable to get an access token, make sure that the client application is registered properly and you're using the correct values from the application registration step. If you're unable to get data from the FHIR server, make sure that the client application (or the service principal) has been granted access permissions such as "FHIR Data Contributor" to the FHIR server. ## Next steps In this article, you learned how to access Azure Health Data Services data using the REST Client extension in Visual Studio Code. To learn about how to validate FHIR resources against profiles in Azure Health Data Services, see >[!div class="nextstepaction"] >[Validate FHIR resources against profiles in Azure Health Data Services](validation-against-profiles.md) [!INCLUDE [FHIR trademark statement](../includes/healthcare-apis-fhir-trademark.md)]