Encoding characters

[Chris Williams]

Has anyone working on Electronic Laboratory Reporting to Public Health (based on 2.5.1) noticed that a 5th encoding character has been introduced? MSH-2 now looks like |^~&#|.

The documentation isn’t all that clear, but the new character, when used as the last character in a field, indicates that field contains truncated data, except, of course, when you see it in MSH-2.

Cheers.

Topic

[Jim Kosloskey]

Chris – thanks for the heads up.

One more thing the vendor’s can screw up  🙄

email: jim.kosloskey@jim-kosloskey.com 29+ years Cloverleaf, 59 years IT - old fart.

[Jim Kosloskey]

Chris,

I just took a look at my copy of the 2.6 (I have 2.5 and 2.6 – no 2.5.1) HL/7 doc figuring if it is in 2.5.1 it is in 2.6 and I am having difficulty locating any reference to an additiona encoding character.

email: jim.kosloskey@jim-kosloskey.com 29+ years Cloverleaf, 59 years IT - old fart.

[Chris Williams]

It actually shows up in HL7 2.7 (see section 2.5.5.2), but didn’t make it into any of the spec’s examples/tables. The ELR spec is based on HL7 2.5.1 but apparently the working group “borrowed” some stuff like this from 2.7.

We’re still running Cloverleaf 5.6. Has HL7 2.7 made it into any of the newer versions?

[Keith McLeod]

If they are adding the additional character, one can only assume an additional escape sequence to go along with it.  I have not seen this yet, but will keep my eye open for it.

[Chris Williams]

Don’t assume :D.  It does not involve an escape “sequence” like the other characters. It’s only use is as the last character of a field indicating that its data has been truncated.

[Jim Kosloskey]

Even though there are very few systems out there that know what the escape sequence in HL/7 is and even fewer that deploy it I agree with Keith there will need to be a value for escaping that character.

What if someone enters #1 in a text field?

Without escaping, a system sensitive to the meaning of the # as an indication of truncation would probably react improperly.

email: jim.kosloskey@jim-kosloskey.com 29+ years Cloverleaf, 59 years IT - old fart.

[Chris Williams]

If the # is not in the last position of the field, it is treated as a regular character.

Before you jump to conclusions, read the HL7 2.7 specification, section 2.5.5.2 “Trunction Pattern” (Ch 2, Pg 11), and try not to shoot the messenger. I’m only bringing this up because of it’s inclusion in the Electronic Laboratory Reporting to Public Health requirements that so many of us must follow to be able to attest for Meaningful Use.

[Jim Kosloskey]

Chris,

Just a discussion going on. Since I do not currently have access to the 2.7 doc (working on getting it) I am just bandying about thoughts.

We do appreciate you bringing it to our attention.

email: jim.kosloskey@jim-kosloskey.com 29+ years Cloverleaf, 59 years IT - old fart.

[Jim Kosloskey]

There is an excellent summary of 2.6/2.7 differences including th escape sequence (L) for the new # delimiter here:

http://www.ringholm.com/docs/00750_en_HL7_27_features.htm

email: jim.kosloskey@jim-kosloskey.com 29+ years Cloverleaf, 59 years IT - old fart.

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