Typically PractitionerRole is used only by systems supporting provider directory functionality.  For systems that do not support PractitionerRole, the Practitioner contact information is typically used to communication work related information, in contrast to the base specification definitions. See for example US Core Careteam Guidance here:   http://build.fhir.org/ig/HL7/US-Core/StructureDefinition-us-core-careteam.html .   1) Will override Practitioner.address Base FHIR description with   Address(es) of the practitioner    2) and remove the base FHIR requirements 3) and add guidance to Practitioner from US Core Careteam and from IPA Servers that support only US Core Practitioner Profile  SHALL  provide implementation specific guidance how to access a provider’s location and contact information using only the Practitioner resource. It is important to balance the privacy of healthcare workers with the patient’s access to information. Only information about the practitioners that relate to the patient is relevant (such as a work address or office telephone number) No changes to Practitioner.telecom