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2.24.1 MSH - message header segment

The MSH segment defines the intent, source, destination, and some specifics of the syntax of a message.

Figure 2-8. MSH attributes

SEQ

LEN

DT

OPT

RP/#

TBL#

ITEM #

ELEMENT NAME

1

1

ST

R



00001

Field Separator

2

4

ST

R



00002

Encoding Characters

3

180

HD

O



00003

Sending Application

4

180

HD

O



00004

Sending Facility

5

180

HD

O



00005

Receiving Application

6

180

HD

O



00006

Receiving Facility

7

26

TS

O



00007

Date/Time Of Message

8

40

ST

O



00008

Security

9

7

CM

R



00009

Message Type

10

20

ST

R



00010

Message Control ID

11

3

PT

R



00011

Processing ID

12

8

ID

R


0104

00012

Version ID

13

15

NM

O



00013

Sequence Number

14

180

ST

O



00014

Continuation Pointer

15

2

ID

O


0155

00015

Accept Acknowledgment Type

16

2

ID

O


0155

00016

Application Acknowledgment Type

17

2

ID

O



00017

Country Code

18

6

ID

O

Y/3

0211

00692

Character Set

19

60

CE

O



00693

Principal Language Of Message

2.24.1.0 MSH field definitions

2.24.1.1 Field separator (ST) 00001

Definition: This field contains the separator between the segment ID and the first real field, MSH-2-encoding characters. As such it serves as the separator and defines the character to be used as a separator for the rest of the message. Recommended value is |, (ASCII 124).

2.24.1.2 Encoding characters (ST) 00002

Definition: This field contains the four characters in the following order: the component separator, repetition separator, escape character, and subcomponent separator. Recommended values are ^~\&, (ASCII 94, 126, 92, and 38, respectively). See Section 2.7, "MESSAGE DELIMITERS."

2.24.1.3 Sending application (HD) 00003

Components: <namespace ID (IS)> ^ <universal ID (ST)> ^ <universal ID type (ID)>

Definition: This field uniquely identifies the sending application among all other applications within the network enterprise. The network enterprise consists of all those applications that participate in the exchange of HL7 messages within the enterprise. Entirely site-defined.

2.24.1.4 Sending facility (HD) 00004

Components: <namespace ID (IS)> ^ <universal ID (ST)> ^ <universal ID type (ID)>

Definition: This field contains the address of one of several occurrences of the same application within the sending system. Absent other considerations, the Medicare Provider ID might be used with an appropriate sub-identifier in the second component. Entirely user-defined.

2.24.1.5 Receiving application (HD) 00005

Components: <namespace ID (IS)> ^ <universal ID (ST)> ^ <universal ID type (ID)>

Definition: This field uniquely identifies the receiving application among all other applications within the network enterprise. The network enterprise consists of all those applications that participate in the exchange of HL7 messages within the enterprise. Entirely site-defined.

2.24.1.6 Receiving facility (HD) 00006

Components: <namespace ID (IS)> ^ <universal ID (ST)> ^ <universal ID type (ID)>

Definition: This field identifies the receiving application among multiple identical instances of the application running on behalf of different organizations. See comments: MSH-4-sending facility. Entirely site-defined.

2.24.1.7 Date/time of message (TS) 00007

Definition: This field contains the date/time that the sending system created the message. If the time zone is specified, it will be used throughout the message as the default time zone.

2.24.1.8 Security (ST) 00008

Definition: In some applications of HL7, this field is used to implement security features. Its use is not yet further specified.

2.24.1.9 Message type (CM) 00009

Components: <message type (ID)> ^ <trigger event (ID)>

Definition: This field contains the message type and trigger event for the message. The first component is the message type edited by HL7 table 0076 - Message type; second is the trigger event code edited by HL7 table 0003 - Event type.

The receiving system uses this field to know the data segments to recognize, and possibly, the application to which to route this message. For certain queries, which may have more than a single response event type, the second component may, in the response message, vary to indicate the response event type. See the discussion of the display query variants in Section 2.17.1.1, "Original mode display query variants." The second component is not required on response or acknowledgment messages.

Table 0076 - Message type

Value

Description

Chapter

ACK

General acknowledgment message

2

ADR

ADT response

3

ADT

ADT message

3

ARD

Ancillary RPT (display)

7

BAR

Add/change billing account

6

CSU

Unsolicited clinical study data

7

DFT

Detail financial transaction

6

DSR

Display response

2

EDR

Enhanced display response

2

ERP

Event replay response

2

ERQ

Event replay query

2

EQQ

Embedded query language query

2

MCF

Delayed acknowledgment

2

MDM

Documentation message

9

MFN

Master files notification

8

MFK

Master files application acknowledgement

8

MFD

Master files delayed application acknowledgement

8

MFQ

Master files query

8

MFR

Master files query response

8

ORF

Observ. result/record response

7

ORM

Order message

4

ORR

Order acknowledgement message

4

ORU

Observ result/unsolicited

7

OSQ

Order status query

4

OSR

Order status response

4

QRY

Query, original Mode

2

PEX

Product experience

7

PGL

Patient goal

12

PGR

Patient goal response

12

PGQ

Patient goal query

12

PIN

Patient Insurance Information

12

PPG

Patient pathway (goal-oriented)

12

PPP

Patient pathway (problem-oriented)

12

PPR

Patient problem

12

PPT

Patient pathway (goal oriented)

12

PPV

Patient goal response

12

PRQ

Patient care problem query

12

PRR

Patient problem response

12

PTQ

Patient pathway (problem-oriented) query

12

PTR

Patient pathway (problem-oriented) response

12

PTU

Patient pathway (goal-oriented) query

12

PTV

Patient pathway (goal-oriented) response

12

PIN

Patient information

11

RAR

Pharmacy administration information

4

RAS

Pharmacy administration message

4

RCI

Return clinical information

11

RCL

Return clinical list

11

RDE

Pharmacy encoded order message

4

RDR

Pharmacy dispense information

4

RDS

Pharmacy dispense message

4

RGV

Pharmacy give message

4

RGR

Pharmacy dose information

4

REF

Patient referral

11

RER

Pharmacy encoded order information

4

ROD

Request patient demographics

11

ROR

Pharmacy prescription order response

4

RPA

Return patient authorization

11

RPI

Return patient information

11

RPL

Return patient display list

11

RPR

Return patient list

11

RQA

Request patient authorization

11

RQC

Request clinical information

11

RQI

Request patient information

11

RQP

Request patient demographics

11

RRA

Pharmacy administration acknowledgment

4

RRD

Pharmacy dispense acknowledgment

4

RRE

Pharmacy encoded order acknowledgment

4

RRG

Pharmacy give acknowledgment

4

RRI

Return patient referral

11

SIU

Schedule information unsolicited

10

SPQ

Stored procedure request

2

SQM

Schedule query

10

SQR

Schedule query response

10

CRM

Clinical study registration

7

SRM

Schedule request

10

SRR

Scheduled request response

10

SUR

Summary product experience report

7

TBR

Tabular data response

2

UDM

Unsolicited display message

2

VQQ

Virtual table query

2

VXQ

Query for vaccination record

4

VXX

Vaccination query response with multiple PID matches

4

VXR

Vaccination query record response

4

VXU

Unsolicited vaccination record update

4




Table 0003 - Event type

Value

Description

A01

ADT/ACK - Admit / visit notification

A02

ADT/ACK - Transfer a patient

A03

ADT/ACK - Discharge/end visit

A04

ADT/ACK - Register a patient

A05

ADT/ACK - Pre-admit a patient

A06

ADT/ACK - Change an outpatient to an inpatient

A07

ADT/ACK - Change an inpatient to an outpatient

A08

ADT/ACK - Update patient information

A09

ADT/ACK - Patient departing - tracking

A10

ADT/ACK - Patient arriving - tracking

A11

ADT/ACK - Cancel admit/visit notification

A12

ADT/ACK - Cancel transfer

A13

ADT/ACK - Cancel discharge/end visit

A14

ADT/ACK - Pending admit

A15

ADT/ACK - Pending transfer

A16

ADT/ACK - Pending discharge

A17

ADT/ACK - Swap patients

A18

ADT/ACK - Merge patient information

A19

QRY/ADR - Patient query

A20

ADT/ACK - Bed status update

A21

ADT/ACK - Patient goes on a "leave of absence"

A22

ADT/ACK - Patient returns from a "leave of absence"

A23

ADT/ACK - Delete a patient record

A24

ADT/ACK - Link patient information

A25

ADT/ACK - Cancel pending discharge

A26

ADT/ACK - Cancel pending transfer

A27

ADT/ACK - Cancel pending admit

A28

ADT/ACK - Add person information

A29

ADT/ACK - Delete person information

A30

ADT/ACK - Merge person information

A31

ADT/ACK - Update person information

A32

ADT/ACK - Cancel patient arriving - tracking

A33

ADT/ACK - Cancel patient departing - tracking

A34

ADT/ACK - Merge patient information - patient ID only

A35

ADT/ACK - Merge patient information - account number only

A36

ADT/ACK - Merge patient information - patient ID and account number

A37

ADT/ACK - Unlink patient information

A38

ADT/ACK - Cancel pre-admit

A39

ADT/ACK - Merge person - external ID

A40

ADT/ACK - Merge patient - internal ID

A41

ADT/ACK - Merge account - patient account number

A42

ADT/ACK - Merge visit - visit number

A43

ADT/ACK - Move patient information - internal ID

A44

ADT/ACK - Move account information - patient account number

A45

ADT/ACK - Move visit information - visit number

A46

ADT/ACK - Change external ID

A47

ADT/ACK - Change internal ID

A48

ADT/ACK - Change alternate patient ID

A49

ADT/ACK - Change patient account number

A50

ADT/ACK - Change visit number

A51

ADT/ACK - Change alternate visit ID

C01

CRM - Register a patient on a clinical trial

C02

CRM - Cancel a patient registration on clinical trial (for clerical mistakes only)

C03

CRM - Correct/update registration information

C04

CRM - Patient has gone off a clinical trial

C05

CRM - Patient enters phase of clinical trial

C06

CRM - Cancel patient entering a phase (clerical mistake)

C07

CRM - Correct/update phase information

C08

CRM - Patient has gone off phase of clinical trial

C09

CSU - Automated time intervals for reporting, like monthly

C10

CSU - Patient completes the clinical trial

C11

CSU - Patient completes a phase of the clinical trial

C12

CSU - Update/correction of patient order/result information

CNQ

QRY/EQQ/SPQ/VQQ/RQQ - Cancel query

G01

PGL/ACK - Patient goal

I01

RQI/RPI - Request for insurance information

I02

RQI/RPL - Request/receipt of patient selection display list

I03

RQI/RPR - Request/receipt of patient selection list

I04

RQD/RPI - Request for patient demographic data

I05

RQC/RCI - Request for patient clinical information

I06

RQC/RCL - Request/receipt of clinical data listing

I07

PIN/ACK - Unsolicited insurance information

I08

RQA/RPA - Request for treatment authorization information

I09

RQA/RPA - Request for modification to an authorization

I10

RQA/RPA - Request for resubmission of an authorization

I11

RQA/RPA - Request for cancellation of an authorization

I12

REF/RRI - Patient referral

I13

REF/RRI - Modify patient referral

I14

REF/RRI - Cancel patient referral

I15

REF/RRI - Request patient referral status

M01

MFN/MFK - Master file not otherwise specified (for backward compatibility only)

M02

MFN/MFK - Master file - Staff Practioner

M03

MFN/MFK - Master file - Test/Observation (for backward compatibility only)

varies

MFQ/MFR - Master files query (use event same as asking for e.g., M05 - location)

M04

MFN/MFK - Master files charge description

M05

MFN/MFK - Patient location master file

M06

MFN/MFK - Clinical study with phases and schedules master file

M07

MFN/MFK - Clinical study without phases but with schedules master file

M08

MFN/MFK - Test/observation (Numeric) master file

M09

MFN/MFK - Test/Observation (Categorical) master file

M10

MFN/MFK - Test /observation batteries master file

M11

MFN/MFK - Test/calculated observations master file

O01

ORM - Order message (also RDE, RDS, RGV, RAS)

O02

ORR - Order response (also RRE, RRD, RRG, RRA)

P01

BAR/ACK - Add patient accounts

P02

BAR/ACK - Purge patient accounts

P03

DFT/ACK - Post detail financial transaction

P04

QRY/DSP - Generate bill and A/R statements

P05

BAR/ACK - Update account

P06

BAR/ACK - End account

P07

PEX - Unsolicited initial individual product experience report

P08

PEX - Unsolicited update individual product experience report

P09

SUR - Summary product experience report

PC1

PPR - PC/ Problem Add

PC2

PPR - PC/ Problem Update

PC3

PPR - PC/ Problem Delete

PC4

PRQ - PC/ Problem Query

PC5

PRR - PC/ Problem Response

PC6

PGL - PC/ Goal Add

PC7

PGL - PC/ Goal Update

PC8

PGL - PC/ Goal Delete

PC9

PGQ - PC/ Goal Query

PCA

PGR - PC/ Goal Response

PCB

PPP - PC/ Pathway (Problem-Oriented) Add

PCC

PPP - PC/ Pathway (Problem-Oriented) Update

PCD

PPP - PC/ Pathway (Problem-Oriented) Delete

PCE

PTQ - PC/ Pathway (Problem-Oriented) Query

PCF

PTR - PC/ Pathway (Problem-Oriented) Query Response

PCG

PPG - PC/ Pathway (Goal-Oriented) Add

PCH

PPG - PC/ Pathway (Goal-Oriented) Update

PCJ

PPG - PC/ Pathway (Goal-Oriented) Delete

PCK

PTU - PC/ Pathway (Goal-Oriented) Query

PCL

PTV - PC/ Pathway (Goal-Oriented) Query Response

Q01

QRY/DSR - Query sent for immediate response

Q02

QRY/QCK - Query sent for deferred response

Q03

DSR/ACK - Deferred response to a query

Q05

UDM/ACK - Unsolicited display update message

Q06

OSQ/OSR - Query for order status

R01

ORU/ACK - Unsolicited transmission of an observation message

R02

QRY - Query for results of observation

R03

QRY/DSR Display-oriented results, query/unsol. update (for backward compatibility only)

R04

ORF - Response to query; transmission of requested observation

R05

QRY/DSR-query for display results

R06

UDM-unsolicited update/display results

RAR

RAR - Pharmacy administration information query response

RDR

RDR - Pharmacy dispense information query response

RER

RER - Pharmacy encoded order information query response

RGR

RGR - Pharmacy dose information query response

ROR

ROR - Pharmacy prescription order query response

S01

SRM/SRR - Request new appointment booking

S02

SRM/SRR - Request appointment rescheduling

S03

SRM/SRR - Request appointment modification

S04

SRM/SRR - Request appointment cancellation

S05

SRM/SRR - Request appointment discontinuation

S06

SRM/SRR - Request appointment deletion

S07

SRM/SRR - Request addition of service/resource on appointment

S08

SRM/SRR - Request modification of service/resource on appointment

S09

SRM/SRR - Request cancellation of service/resource on appointment

S10

SRM/SRR - Request discontinuation of service/resource on appointment

S11

SRM/SRR - Request deletion of service/resource on appointment

S12

SIU/ACK - Notification of new appointment booking

S13

SIU/ACK - Notification of appointment rescheduling

S14

SIU/ACK - Notification of appointment modification

S15

SIU/ACK - Notification of appointment cancellation

S16

SIU/ACK - Notification of appointment discontinuation

S17

SIU/ACK - Notification of appointment deletion

S18

SIU/ACK - Notification of addition of service/resource on appointment

S19

SIU/ACK - Notification of modification of service/resource on appointment

S20

SIU/ACK - Notification of cancellation of service/resource on appointment

S21

SIU/ACK - Notification of discontinuation of service/resource on appointment

S22

SIU/ACK - Notification of deletion of service/resource on appointment

S23

SIU/ACK - Notification of blocked schedule time slot(s)

S24

SIU/ACK - Notification of opened ("unblocked") schedule time slot(s)

S25

SQM/SQR - Schedule query message and response

S26

Notification that patient did not show up for schedule appointment

T01

MDM/ACK - Original document notification

T02

MDM/ACK - Original document notification and content

T03

MDM/ACK - Document status change notification

T04

MDM/ACK - Document status change notification and content

T05

MDM/ACK - Document addendum notification

T06

MDM/ACK - Document addendum notification and content

T07

MDM/ACK - Document edit notification

T08

MDM/ACK - Document edit notification and content

T09

MDM/ACK - Document replacement notification

T10

MDM/ACK - Document replacement notification and content

T11

MDM/ACK - Document cancel notification

T12

QRY/DOC - Document query

V01

VXQ - Query for vaccination record

V02

VXX - Response to vaccination query returning multiple PID matches

V03

VXR - Vaccination record response

V04

VXU - Unsolicited vaccination record update

W01

ORU - Waveform result, unsolicited transmission of requested information

W02

QRF - Waveform result, response to query

X01

PEX - Product experience

2.24.1.10 Message control ID (ST) 00010

Definition: This field contains a number or other identifier that uniquely identifies the message. The receiving system echoes this ID back to the sending system in the Message acknowledgment segment (MSA).

2.24.1.11 Processing ID (PT) 00011

Components: <processing ID (ID)> ^<processing mode (ID)>

Definition: This field is used to decide whether to process the message as defined in HL7 Application (level 7) Processing rules, above. The first component defines whether the message is part of a production, training, or debugging system (refer to HL7 table 0103 - Processing ID for valid values). The second component defines whether the message is part of an archival process or an initial load (refer to HL7 table 0207 - Processing mode for valid values). This allows different priorities to be given to different processing modes.

Table 0103 - Processing ID

Value

Description

D

Debugging

P

Production

T

Training

Table 0207 - Processing mode

Value

Description

A

Archive

R

Restore from archive

I

Initial load

not present

Not present (the default, meaning current processing)

2.24.1.12 Version ID (ID) 00012

Definition: This field is matched by the receiving system to its own version to be sure the message will be interpreted correctly.

Table 0104 - Version ID

Value

Description


2.0

Release 2.0

September 1988

2.0D

Demo 2.0

October 1988

2.1

Release 2. 1

March 1990

2.2

Release 2.2

December 1994

2.3

Release 2.3

Ballot #1 February 1996, Ballot #2 July 1996, Final Ballot

2.24.1.13 Sequence number (NM) 00013

Definition: A non-null value in this field implies that the sequence number protocol is in use. This numeric field incremented by one for each subsequent value.

2.24.1.14 Continuation pointer (ST) 00014

Definition: This field is used to define continuations in application-specific ways.

2.24.1.15 Accept acknowledgment type (ID) 00015

Definition: This field identifies the conditions under which accept acknowledgements are required to be returned in response to this message. Required for enhanced acknowledgment mode. Refer to HL7 table 0155 - Accept/application acknowledgment conditions for valid values.

2.24.1.16 Application acknowledgment type (ID) 00016

Definition: This field contains the conditions under which application acknowledgements are required to be returned in response to this message. Required for enhanced acknowledgment mode.

The following table contains the possible values for MSH-15-accept acknowledgment type and MSH-16-application acknowledgment type:

Table 0155 - Accept/application acknowledgment conditions

Value

Description

AL

Always

NE

Never

ER

Error/reject conditions only

SU

Successful completion only

Note: If MSH-15-accept acknowledgment type and MSH-16-applictation acknowledgment type are omitted (or are both null), the original acknowledgment mode rules are used.

2.24.1.17 Country code (ID) 00017

Definition: This field contains the country of origin for the message. It will be used primarily to specify default elements, such as currency denominations. ISO 3166 provides a list of country codes that may be used [ Available from ISO 1 Rue de Varembe, Case Postale 56, CH 1211, Geneve, Switzerland] .

2.24.1.18 Character set (ID) 00692

Definition: This field contains the character set for the entire message. Refer to HL7 table 0211 - Alternate character sets for valid values.

Table 0211 - Alternate character sets

Value

Description

ASCII

The printable 7-bit ASCII character set . (This is the default if this field is omitted)

8859/1

The printable characters from the ISO 8859/1 Character set

8859/2

The printable characters from the ISO 8859/2 Character set

8859/3

The printable characters from the ISO 8859/3 Character set

8859/4

The printable characters from the ISO 8859/4 Character set

8859/5

The printable characters from the ISO 8859/5 Character set

8859/6

The printable characters from the ISO 8859/6 Character set

8859/7

The printable characters from the ISO 8859/7 Character set

8859/8

The printable characters from the ISO 8859/8 Character set

8859/9

The printable characters from the ISO 8859/9 Character set

JAS2020

A subset of ISO2020 used for most Kanjii transmissions

JIS X 0202

ISO 2022 with escape sequences for Kanjii

JIS X 0201-1976

Code for Information Exchange

JIS X 0208-1990

Code for the Japanese Graphic Character set for information interchange

JIS X 0212-1990

Code of the supplementary Japanese Graphic Character set for information interchange

Note: The field separator character must still be chosen from the printable 7-bit ASCII character set.

The repetitions of this field to specify different character sets apply only to fields of the PN and XPN data types.

The field MSH-18-character set is an optional, repeating field of data type ID, using IDs outlined in HL7 table 0211 - Alternate character sets (or equivalents from ISO 2375).

• if the field is not valued, the default single-byte character set (ASCII (ISO IR-6)) should be assumed. No other character sets are allowed in the message.

• if the field repeats, but the first element is NULL (i.e., present but unvalued), the single-byte ASCII (ISO IR-6) is assumed as the default character set.

• if the sequence is present and the first element is specified, this character set is regarded as the default character set for the message. This must be a single-byte character set (i.e., ISO-IR 6, ISO-IR 13, ISO-IR 14, ISO-IR 100, etc.)

• elements in the remainder of the sequence (i.e., elements 2..n) are alternate character sets that may be used. These may include multi-byte character sets (i.e., JIS X 0208)

• the default character set should always be a single-byte character set. It should always have ISO-IR 6 (ISO 646) or ISO-IR 14 (JIS X 0201-1976) in the G0 area.

2.24.1.19 Principal language of message (CE) 00693

Components: <identifier (ID)> ^ <text (ST)> ^ <name of coding system (ST)> ^ <alternate identifier (ID)> ^ <alternate text (ST)> ^ <name of alternate coding system (ST)>

Definition: This field contains the principal language of the message. Codes come from ISO 639.

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