Flat file to A34

[Andrew Deters]

I need to convert a pipe delimited file to an A34 formatted message.  I don’t have a clue where to start looking.  What is the best approach to convert a pipe delimited file into multiple A34’s?  tclproc?

Topic

[Robert Kersemakers]

Hi Andrew,

I would try to do it by using a VRL (or HRL; depends on the pipe delimited message) as inbound and then write a translation from this VRL into a HL7 A34.

If you receive one file with several lines, where each line has to be translated into one A34 message, then this would be pretty straight forward. Define a VRL to represent a line and then build the xlate from VRL to A34.

Everything is possible with tclproc, but I try not to build complete messages with it from one format to another. That’s what these Cloverleaf tools are for.

Zuyderland Medisch Centrum; Heerlen/Sittard; The Netherlands

[Andrew Deters]

I need a little more guidance on this task…I am completely lost.

I have created (what i think is an acceptable vrl) for this flat file.  Attached is the vrl definition screen shot.  I think i may be having an issue learning the xlate tools.  COPY command is pretty self explanatory.  I’m having issues getting the PI and assigning authority fields to concat into a single element.

Here is the format of the flat file pipe delimited sub separator of semi-colon.  the T columns represent the survivor and the c columns represent the non-survivor.

TEPN – Person number

TLNAME – Last name

TFNAME – first name

TMNAME – Middle Name

TSTREET – street address

TCITY – City

TSTATE

TZIP

TCOUNTRY

TSSN

TDOB

THPHONE

TWPHONE

TSEX

TRACE

TMRNAA1 –  the PI # and Assigning authority separated by semicolon

TMRNAA2 –  the PI # and Assigning authority separated by semicolon

TMRNAA3 –  the PI # and Assigning authority separated by semicolon

TMRNAA4 –  the PI # and Assigning authority separated by semicolon

TMRNAA5 –  the PI # and Assigning authority separated by semicolon

TMRNAA6 –  the PI # and Assigning authority separated by semicolon

TMRNAA7 –  the PI # and Assigning authority separated by semicolon

TMRNAA8 –  the PI # and Assigning authority separated by semicolon

TMRNAA9 –  the PI # and Assigning authority separated by semicolon

TMRNAA10 –  the PI # and Assigning authority separated by semicolon

TMRNAA11 –  the PI # and Assigning authority separated by semicolon

TMRNAA12 –  the PI # and Assigning authority separated by semicolon

TMRNAA13 –  the PI # and Assigning authority separated by semicolon

TPIAA1 – PI # , Assigning authority separated by semicolon

TPIAA2 – PI # , Assigning authority separated by semicolon

SEP – this is 5 stars to separate the survivor and non- survivor

CEPN

CLNAME

CFNAME

CMNAME

CSTREET1

CCITY

CSTATE

CZIP

CCOUNTRY

CSSN

CDOB

CHPHONE

CWPHONE

CSEX

CRACE

CMRNAA1 –  the mrn # and Assigning authority separated by semicolon

CMRNAA2 –  the mrn # and Assigning authority separated by semicolon

CMRNAA3 –  the mrn # and Assigning authority separated by semicolon

CMRNAA4 –  the mrn # and Assigning authority separated by semicolon

CMRNAA5 –  the mrn # and Assigning authority separated by semicolon

CMRNAA6 –  the mrn # and Assigning authority separated by semicolon

CMRNAA7 –  the mrn # and Assigning authority separated by semicolon

CMRNAA8 –  the mrn # and Assigning authority separated by semicolon

CMRNAA9 –  the mrn # and Assigning authority separated by semicolon

CMRNAA10 –  the mrn # and Assigning authority separated by semicolon

CMRNAA11 –  the mrn # and Assigning authority separated by semicolon

CMRNAA12 –  the mrn # and Assigning authority separated by semicolon

CMRNAA13 –  the mrn # and Assigning authority separated by semicolon

CPIAA1 – same as above

CPIAA2

[Anonymous]

Do you have a test message. That would be the first step.

Take the test message and run it through the test tool.

From what I can tell you VRL looks correct. But I always miss some field or some field so the testing tool has shown me many times the error of my ways.

If that works the next step would be to create an xlate that simples has your VRL as the inbound and the A34 as your outbound. Then grow it from there to what you need.

[Andrew Deters]

What would i do to combine all of the “mrn” fields together into one field in the destination field?  I tried using concat but couldn’t get the field to combine.

[Author]

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