HL7 ADT_A15 Pending Transfer

The transfer is planned; the patient has not actually moved yet.
HL7 message structure ADT_A15 groups and segments from HL7 v2.5.1 Hide structure

These are the generated groups and segments for the version selected at the top of the page. The article explains the workflow, and this panel follows the chosen HL7 version.

Message Structure

SegmentNameRequiredRepeatable
MSH
 Message Header Yes No
SFT
 Software Segment No Yes
EVN
 Event Type Yes No
PID
 Patient Identification Yes No
PD1
 Patient Additional Demographic No No
ROL
 Role No Yes
PV1
 Patient Visit Yes No
PV2
 Patient Visit - Additional Information No No
ROL
 Role No Yes
DB1
 Disability No Yes
OBX
 Observation/Result No Yes
DG1
 Diagnosis No Yes

ADT_A15 is an advance notice message. It tells downstream systems that a transfer is planned, usually so staff, beds, meals, transport, pharmacy, and worklists can prepare before the patient physically leaves the current location.

It should not be treated as the transfer itself. The actual move is normally represented by A02 when the patient changes official location. A15 is useful precisely because it lets systems react before that final event arrives.

A small A15 example

MSH|^~\&|ADT|CITYHOSP|BEDBOARD|CITYHOSP|20260715123000||ADT^A15^ADT_A15|ADT150001|P|2.5.1 EVN|A15|20260715122900 PID|1||123456^^^CITYHOSP^MR||Smith^Jane^Anne^^Ms^^L||19800314|F PV1|1|I|WARD1^101^1^CITYHOSP^^BED|||WARD1^101^1^CITYHOSP^^BED|12345^Ng^Grace|||||||||||VN000345^^^CITYHOSP^VN

What systems do with it

The sender is usually the PAS/EHR or a bed management application. Receivers may reserve or prepare resources, route the next meal, stage transport, or warn a clinical application that the patient's worklist location is about to change.

A good receiver stores this as pending state. It should be ready to accept the later A02, cancel the pending transfer if a cancellation event arrives in that profile, or expire the pending state if the operational workflow never completes.

How to read the structure

The useful core is MSH, EVN, PID, and PV1. PV2 can carry extra visit timing or pending-location context in local profiles, while ROL, DB1, OBX, and DG1 are usually profile-specific.

Implementation traps

The big trap is applying A15 as though it were A02. If you update the official bed too early, the patient can disappear from the old ward before they physically move. Keep a clear status distinction between pending, completed, and cancelled transfer workflows.

Reference notes

The HL7 v2+ ADT_A15 page describes A15 as advance notification of a planned transfer before the patient has left the old location.