Pathcopy for a segment

Hi Ruth,

Check your HL7 variant: most likely the OBX segment is not ‘optional’ and will therefore always be shown.

Making it optional should solve your problem.

If it is not the optional setting on you outbound variant, try shortening the path of the OBX from 2(%g1).1(%g2).1(0).0(%g3).OBX(%s1) to 2(%g1).1(%g2).1(0).0(%g3).OBX

The pathcopy statement will use as much of the path as you provide.  So if your goal is to eliminate all OBX segments based on an IF condition you might try this without the iterate for the OBX. Hope this helps….. One more thing if you want to eliniate both the OBX and NTE or AKA %g3, if you shorten the path to 2(%g1).1(%g2).1(0).0(%g3), this would eliminate all segments in %g3 group by pathcopying @null to it.

Typically the OBX segment repeats as part of a group.  In most cases this group would be your %g3 group or the third group iterate that you define.

If this is structured as an ORU type message, your groups will generally be constructed like:

MSH

…

{ # Opens repeating PID Group

    PID # %g1

    { # Opens repeating ORC Group

         ORC # %g2

         { # Opens repeating OBX Group

              OBX # %g3 Note OBX repeats as part of Group, not a segment.

             [{NTE}]

         } # Closes Repeating OBX Group

    } # Closes repeating ORC Group

} # Closes repeating PID Group

Notice above the OBX does not directly have the {} around it signifying that it repeats, but the Group does.  Also since [] are not present, this means it is required.

In this case, the segment OBX only repeats as part of a group.  Also as you develop each nested basis, the previous %g1, %g2, etc. must be included in the basis.  You may want to review the variant of your outbound, highlight in your HL7 variant tool the ‘{‘ where the OBX group begins and make it optional.  This would add Braces around both OBX and NTE. The result you are getting is very characteristic of the OBX segment  on th eoutbound variant being required.