HL7 DSP Display Data
HL7 field reference DSP fields from HL7 v2.5.1 Show fields
These are the generated fields for the version selected at the top of the page. The document stays the same, but the reference panel follows that version.
Fields
DSP is a display line in older query responses: it carries text meant to be shown to a user, not richly structured clinical data.
The standard describes DSP this way: The DSP segment is used to contain data that has been preformatted by the sender for display. The semantic content of the data is lost; the data is simply treated as lines of text.
Query segments define what the sender is asking for, how the receiver should format the answer, and how a multi-message response is continued or limited.
A query is an interface contract. The tag, parameters, row definitions, sort/filter rules, and continuation pointers must match exactly or the receiver may return technically valid data that is not what the requester expected.
The v2.5.1 structures show DSP in DSR_Q01 - Query sent for immediate response, DSR_Q03 - Deferred response to a query, EDR_R07 - EDR R07, and RCL_I06 - Request/receipt of clinical data listing, and 3 other message structures. That tells you where it can appear, but the implementation guide still decides which optional fields are meaningful.
For practical interface work, read the generated field panel for datatype, required, repeatable, and table details, then use the notes below to decide what the field should mean in the receiving workflow.
DSP-1 is the sequence number for this DSP segment within its repeating group. It keeps multiple DSP lines in order; it is not the business identifier for the query workflow.
DSP-2 qualifies the query workflow rather than identifying it. This is the sort of field receivers often use for branching, filtering, or display grouping.
DSP-3 carries Data Line for this query workflow. Populate it only when the receiver has a clear use for it, and keep the value in the datatype shape shown in the generated field panel.
DSP-4 carries Logical Break Point for this query workflow. Populate it only when the receiver has a clear use for it, and keep the value in the datatype shape shown in the generated field panel.
DSP-5 identifies the Result ID for this query workflow. Send the identifier that the receiving system actually keys on, and keep the assigning authority or coding system visible when the datatype supports it.