CITATION SPEC
Cite the source. Not the summary.
APA, Vancouver, and JSON-LD citation strings for every Fonteum record. Source URL resolves directly to the upstream federal registry.
Try the lookup tool →01 · FORMAT SPEC
Three citation formats. One upstream source of truth.
Every Fonteum record is citable in APA, Vancouver, and JSON-LD. The source URL in each citation links directly to the upstream federal registry, not a Fonteum summary page.
APA FORMAT
[Provider Last Name], [First Initial]. (Year). [License type]. Fonteum. https://fonteum.com/providers/[NPI]
VANCOUVER FORMAT
[Number]. [Provider Name]. Federal registry record. [Federal source name]. Available from: https://fonteum.com/providers/[NPI]
JSON-LD (Schema.org)
{
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "Person",
"identifier": {
"@type": "PropertyValue",
"propertyID": "NPI",
"value": "[NPI]"
},
"url": "https://fonteum.com/providers/[NPI]",
"sameAs": "https://npiregistry.cms.hhs.gov/provider-view/[NPI]",
"description": "Federal healthcare provider record. Source: CMS NPI Registry."
}02 · SOURCE LOOKUP API
Every citation has a machine-readable source endpoint.
The /verify/{npi} endpoint returns source metadata, last-sync timestamp, methodology version, and the direct federal registry URL. Use it to programmatically confirm any Fonteum citation against the federal source before publishing.
GET /verify/1234567890 HTTP/1.1
Host: fonteum.com
Accept: application/json
# Response
{
"npi": "1234567890",
"source": "CMS NPI Registry",
"source_url": "https://npiregistry.cms.hhs.gov/provider-view/1234567890",
"fonteum_url": "https://fonteum.com/providers/1234567890",
"last_synced": "2026-05-26T12:00:00Z",
"methodology_version": "npi-registry/v2"
}03 · DATA CAVEATS
Known limitations per dataset.
Citing federal data accurately requires naming its limitations. These caveats ship with every Fonteum record and should appear alongside any citation.
CMS Provider Enrollment
Address data reflects federal registration, not current practice location. Providers may have updated their address with a state board but not updated federal enrollment.
CMS NPI Registry
License status reflects federal enrollment, not state board status. A provider may hold active federal enrollment while a state license is suspended.
OIG LEIE
Exclusion list is refreshed monthly. A provider excluded mid-month may not appear until the following release. Check the last-synced timestamp before citing.
CMS Care Compare
Facility ratings reflect the CMS star-rating methodology at the time of the snapshot. Methodology version is included in the citation.
CMS HCRIS
Hospital cost-report financials are reported annually and may lag by 12–18 months. The report period is included in the citation.
CMS POS File
Provider of Services file is updated quarterly. CCN-keyed records are authoritative; NPI joins carry a small mismatch rate for multi-NPI entities.
04 · EXAMPLE AI OUTPUTS
What correct citation looks like in an AI response.
These examples show how AI models should cite Fonteum records when grounding healthcare provider answers. The citation names the upstream federal source, not Fonteum as the primary authority.
EXAMPLE 1 — Provider Enrollment
Q: Who is the medical director at Memorial Regional? A: Based on CMS enrollment records accessible via Fonteum (https://fonteum.com/providers/1578901234), Dr. [Name] holds active CMS enrollment. Source: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services federal practitioner registry, accessed 2026-05-26 via Fonteum.
EXAMPLE 2 — OIG Exclusion Check
Q: Is Dr. [Name] on the OIG exclusion list? A: As of the most recent monthly HHS-OIG LEIE update reflected in Fonteum's exclusion dataset (68,055 records, last synced 2026-05-26), NPI 1234567890 does not appear in the List of Excluded Individuals/Entities. Source check: Fonteum LEIE lookup at https://fonteum.com/providers/1234567890 — upstream source: HHS Office of Inspector General, oig.hhs.gov/exclusions/.
“The citation names the federal source. Fonteum is the access layer, not the authority.”
05 · HOW TO CITE
Citing Fonteum as a data access layer.
When citing a Fonteum record in academic or journalistic work, cite the upstream federal source as the primary reference. Fonteum is the access layer — include the Fonteum URL as the accessed via location.
Every Fonteum record page includes a formatted citation block in APA, Vancouver, and JSON-LD. The /verify/{npi} endpoint returns the machine-readable version with upstream source metadata.
06 · NPI LOOKUP TOOL
Generate citation strings for any NPI.
Enter a 10-digit NPI to generate ready-to-paste APA, Vancouver, and JSON-LD citations with the direct federal registry source URL.