HL7 LOC Location Identification
HL7 field reference LOC 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
| Field | Name | Required | Repeatable | Type | Table |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LOC.1 | Primary Key Value - LOC | Yes | No | PL | |
| LOC.2 | Location Description | No | No | ST | |
| LOC.3 | Location Type - LOC | Yes | Yes | IS | 0260 |
| LOC.4 | Organization Name - LOC | No | Yes | XON | |
| LOC.5 | Location Address | No | Yes | XAD | |
| LOC.6 | Location Phone | No | Yes | XTN | |
| LOC.7 | License Number | No | Yes | CE | 0461 |
| LOC.8 | Location Equipment | No | Yes | IS | 0261 |
| LOC.9 | Location Service Code | No | No | IS | 0442 |
LOC identifies a location master record such as a facility, unit, clinic, room, or department location.
The standard describes LOC this way: The LOC segment can identify any patient location referenced by information systems. This segment gives physical set up information about the location. This is not intended to include any current occupant or current use information. There should be one LOC segment for each patient location. If desired, there can also be one LOC segment for each nursing unit and room.
Master-file segments update reference data rather than describing a single patient event. They define locations, staff, providers, test catalogs, charge items, inventory items, languages, certificates, and other shared records.
Because many downstream messages depend on this data, small changes here can have large effects. Use stable identifiers, effective dates, action codes, and clear ownership rules instead of treating a master-file feed like a loose spreadsheet export.
The v2.5.1 structures show LOC in MFN_M05 - Patient location master file, MFR_M05 - Patient location master file, and RSP_Q11 - QBP - Query by parameter requesting an RSP segment pattern response. 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.
LOC-1 carries a measured, counted, priced, or dosed value. A number without the expected unit, currency, or companion qualifier is much easier to misread than an empty field.
LOC-2 is human-readable context. Keep it useful for display and troubleshooting, but do not hide required workflow logic here unless the implementation guide explicitly says the receiver parses it.
LOC-3 qualifies the master-file record rather than identifying it. This is the sort of field receivers often use for branching, filtering, or display grouping.
Use the agreed value set, starting from HL7 table 0260. A local code without an agreed coding system is a small ambiguity that becomes a mapping problem later.
LOC-4 identifies an organization, clinic, facility, department, or company involved in this master-file record. Keep the organization identifier and display name separate when the datatype supports it.
Repeats should represent genuinely separate organizations or aliases, not several fragments of the same name.
LOC-5 carries contact details. Use the datatype components for use code, equipment type, address type, country, and other qualifiers rather than squeezing everything into one formatted string.
This field can repeat. Use repetitions for separate real-world values, not as a workaround for putting several unrelated ideas in one field.
LOC-6 carries contact details. Use the datatype components for use code, equipment type, address type, country, and other qualifiers rather than squeezing everything into one formatted string.
This field can repeat. Use repetitions for separate real-world values, not as a workaround for putting several unrelated ideas in one field.
LOC-7 identifies the License Number for this master-file record. Send the identifier that the receiving system actually keys on, and keep the assigning authority or coding system visible when the datatype supports it.
If there are several identifiers, use repetitions deliberately and make each repeat self-explanatory rather than relying on position alone.
LOC-8 helps identify the product, software, device, or equipment involved. It is particularly useful when support needs to trace behaviour back to a specific build, lot, instrument, or manufacturer.
If more than one identifier is sent, each repetition should stay attached to the product or device context it belongs to.
LOC-9 identifies the Location Service Code for this master-file record. Send the identifier that the receiving system actually keys on, and keep the assigning authority or coding system visible when the datatype supports it.
The generated panel links this to HL7 table 0442; many real interfaces narrow that list further, so follow the receiver's implementation guide.
Related links
- MFI - Master File Identification
- MFE - Master File Entry
- MFA - Master File Acknowledgment
- STF - Staff Identification
- PRA - Practitioner Detail
- OM1 - General Segment
- CDM - Charge Description Master
- MFN_M05 - Patient location master file
- MFR_M05 - Patient location master file
- RSP_Q11 - QBP - Query by parameter requesting an RSP segment pattern response