HL7 ORF_R04 (Response to Query for Results) | Integration Soup HL7 Reference Guide

HL7 ORF_R04 Response to Query for Results

The solicited result set that comes back after an observation query.

HL7 message structure ORF_R04 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

Segment	Name	Required	Repeatable
MSH	Message Header	Yes	No
SFT	Software Segment	No	Yes
MSA	Message Acknowledgment	Yes	No
QRD	Original-Style Query Definition	Yes	No
QRF	Original style query filter	No	No
ORF_R04.PIDNTEORCOBRNTETQ1TQ2CTDOBXNTECTI_SUPPGRP	Pidnteorcobrntetq1tq2ctdobxntecti Suppgrp group	Yes	Yes
ORF_R04.PIDNTE_SUPPGRP	Pidnte Suppgrp group	No	No
PID	Patient Identification	Yes	No
NTE	Notes and Comments	No	Yes
ORF_R04.ORCOBRNTETQ1TQ2CTDOBXNTECTI_SUPPGRP	Orcobrntetq1tq2ctdobxntecti Suppgrp group	Yes	Yes
ORC	Common Order	No	No
OBR	Observation Request	Yes	No
NTE	Notes and Comments	No	Yes
ORF_R04.TQ1TQ2_SUPPGRP	Tq1tq2 Suppgrp group	No	Yes
TQ1	Timing/Quantity	Yes	No
TQ2	Timing/Quantity Relationship	No	Yes
CTD	Contact Data	No	No
ORF_R04.OBXNTE_SUPPGRP	Obxnte Suppgrp group	Yes	Yes
OBX	Observation/Result	No	No
NTE	Notes and Comments	No	Yes
CTI	Clinical Trial Identification	No	Yes
ERR	Error	No	Yes
QAK	Query Acknowledgment	No	No
DSC	Continuation Pointer	No	No

ORF_R04 is a response to a query for observation results, often from an older QRY_R02 workflow. It returns the status of the request and the matching patient/order/observation data. If ORU_R01 is the unsolicited result push, ORF_R04 is the "you asked, here are the existing results" answer.

The structure can carry familiar result segments: PID for patient identity, ORC for order control, OBR for the observation request/report header, OBX for values, and NTE for notes.

A small ORF R04 example

MSH|^~\&|LAB|CITYHOSP|EHR|CITYHOSP|20260717103003||ORF^R04^ORF_R04|ORF040001|P|2.5.1 MSA|AA|QRY020001 QRD|20260717103000|R|I|QRY020001|||10^RD|123456^^^CITYHOSP^MR|RES|LAB QRF|LAB|20260701000000|20260717235959|CBC^Complete blood count^L PID|1||123456^^^CITYHOSP^MR||Smith^Jane^Anne^^Ms^^L||19800314|F ORC|RE|LAB4488^EHR|LAB9988^LAB OBR|1|LAB4488^EHR|LAB9988^LAB|CBC^Complete blood count^L|||20260715100000 OBX|1|NM|WBC^White blood cells^LN||7.1|10*9/L|4.0-11.0|N|||F OBX|2|NM|HGB^Hemoglobin^LN||133|g/L|115-155|N|||F QAK|QRY020001|OK

What systems do with it

The requester uses ORF_R04 to reconcile or retrieve results. A clinical viewer might display historical lab values. An integration engine might backfill missing results. A receiving app might compare the solicited response to what it already filed from unsolicited ORU messages.

Because the message is a response, status matters. MSA acknowledges the query message, and QAK reports the query outcome. ERR can explain why a query failed or why the receiver could not return data.

How to read the structure

QRD and QRF echo or describe the original query. After that, the result groups look familiar to anyone who works with ORU_R01: patient context, order/report headers, observations, and notes.

Do not assume the response is a complete clinical record. It is the result set for the specific query. If the query filtered by date, department, service, or result status, the absence of an observation may only mean it was outside the request.

Implementation traps

One trap is filing solicited results as if they are new unsolicited results. If the same OBX values already arrived by ORU_R01, blindly importing ORF_R04 can duplicate results. Match on patient, order, filler accession, OBR identity, OBX identity, and observation status.

Another trap is losing corrected or cancelled result meaning. A query response can return final, corrected, amended, or cancelled observations depending on the receiver and filter. Preserve the OBX and OBR status semantics instead of treating every returned value as a fresh final.

Reference notes

HL7 observation-query material describes ORF-style responses for solicited observation results, and reference definitions describe ORF_R04 as the response to query/transmission of requested observation. See HL7 Europe Chapter 7 and Caristix ORF_R04.