HL7 PGL_PC6 Patient Goal Message

A patient-care update that starts with the goal and brings the context with it.
HL7 message structure PGL_PC6 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
PID
 Patient Identification Yes No
PGL_PC6.PATIENT_VISIT
 Patient Visit group No No
PV1
 Patient Visit Yes No
PV2
 Patient Visit - Additional Information No No
PGL_PC6.GOAL
 Goal group Yes Yes
GOL
 Goal Detail Yes No
NTE
 Notes and Comments No Yes
VAR
 Variance No Yes
PGL_PC6.GOAL_ROLE
 Goal Role group No Yes
ROL
 Role Yes No
VAR
 Variance No Yes
PGL_PC6.PATHWAY
 Pathway group No Yes
PTH
 Pathway Yes No
VAR
 Variance No Yes
PGL_PC6.OBSERVATION
 Observation group No Yes
OBX
 Observation/Result Yes No
NTE
 Notes and Comments No Yes
PGL_PC6.PROBLEM
 Problem group No Yes
PRB
 Problem Details Yes No
NTE
 Notes and Comments No Yes
VAR
 Variance No Yes
PGL_PC6.PROBLEM_ROLE
 Problem Role group No Yes
ROL
 Role Yes No
VAR
 Variance No Yes
PGL_PC6.PROBLEM_OBSERVATION
 Problem Observation group No Yes
OBX
 Observation/Result Yes No
NTE
 Notes and Comments No Yes
PGL_PC6.ORDER
 Order group No Yes
ORC
 Common Order Yes No
PGL_PC6.ORDER_DETAIL
 Order Detail group No No
PGL_PC6.OBR_SUPPGRP
 Obr Suppgrp group Yes No
NTE
 Notes and Comments No Yes
VAR
 Variance No Yes
PGL_PC6.ORDER_OBSERVATION
 Order Observation group No Yes
OBX
 Observation/Result Yes No
NTE
 Notes and Comments No Yes
VAR
 Variance No Yes

PGL_PC6 sends a patient goal from one application to another. It is the goal-focused sibling of PPR_PC1: instead of leading with the problem and optionally carrying goals underneath it, this message leads with GOL.

Use it when the business event is, "we added this goal for the patient," and the receiver needs enough context to understand which patient, visit, pathway, problem, observation, role, or order the goal belongs to.

A small PGL PC6 example

MSH|^~\&|CAREPLAN|CITYHOSP|REPOSITORY|CITYHOSP|20260723142000||PGL^PC6^PGL_PC6|PGL00001|P|2.5.1 PID|1||123456^^^CITYHOSP^MR||Rivera^Maya^^^^^L||19750519|F PV1|1|O|CLINIC^2^A^CITYHOSP||||12345^Nguyen^Anita GOL|AD|20260723142000|MOBILITY^Improve mobility^L|GOL-20260723-002|EOC-771|1|20260723142000|20260815000000|THERAPY^Therapy goal^L ROL|1|AD|PT^Physical therapist^L|33445^Patel^Rina PTH|AD|FALLPREV^Falls prevention pathway^L|PTH-20260723-001|20260723142000|ACTIVE^Active^L OBX|1|NM|WALKDIST^Walk distance^L||25|m^meter^UCUM|||||F PRB|AD|20260723142000|FALLRISK^Risk for falls^L|PRB-20260723-002|EOC-771

What workflow it represents

A care-planning or clinical system has added a goal and needs another system to record it, show it to clinicians, connect it to a pathway, or trigger downstream work. The receiver may use it to populate a care-plan view, update a task list, or reconcile goals across systems.

The goal is not just a note. A useful PGL_PC6 interface keeps goal identifiers, target dates, review dates, status, and linked problems stable enough that the next update can land on the same object.

How to read the structure

The envelope starts with MSH, optional SFT, required PID, and optional visit detail in PV1 and PV2.

The required repeating GOAL group starts with GOL. GOL carries the action code, action date/time, goal ID, goal instance ID, episode, priority, established date, expected achievement date, classification, review information, evaluation, status, and targets.

Under the goal, optional NTE, VAR, and ROL add comments, variances, and participating roles. Optional PTH, OBX, PRB, and ORC groups attach pathway, observation, problem, and order context.

Implementation traps

Goal identity is easy to lose. Do not key only on the goal description, because "improve mobility" can appear several times across episodes, pathways, and care teams.

Separate goal status from problem status. A fall-risk problem can remain active while a mobility goal is met, revised, cancelled, or replaced.

When a receiver cannot support the nested context, keep the GOL core intact and document exactly which PTH, PRB, OBX, ORC, ROL, and VAR material is accepted.

Reference notes

HL7 v2 patient-care references describe PGL_PC6 as the goal add message for sending goals between applications, such as point-of-care systems and repositories. In v2.5.1 the message requires PID and one or more GOL-led GOAL groups, with optional patient visit, role, pathway, observation, problem, and order context.