Question: v2 network device information

Jul 27, 2018

Question:

I am looking for HL7 messages by which I can identify the vendor and type of devices I have in my network (e.g. Medlink - Xray, Alaris - IV pump). Are there specific messages I should be looking at to achieve this? Are the PRT segment and OBX-18 the relevant sources of information?

Answer: HL7 V2 does not have a specific message to just identify which devices are on the network.  All messages where devices are referenced are about something else where the device plays a role.

Now, if you want to stretch HL7 V2, one could consider an ORU message with an OBR reflecting the “network device connection” report and then one or OBX segments with one or more PRT segments where OBX describes the observed device at a particular address with status.  Or however the report needs to be structured.

But aren’t there other standards/structures that can help discover connected devices on a network and report on them?  Depends on the use case probably what makes most sense, but HL7 V2 seems a stretch.

h/t Hans Buitendijk (co-chair, OO) for the answer