^A12
ADT^A12 — Cancel Transfer
Sent to cancel a previously transmitted ADT^A02 (Transfer) message. It instructs downstream systems to revert the patient's location to the pre-transfer location, effectively undoing the transfer event.
When Is This Sent?
When a patient transfer was entered in error or the transfer was cancelled before the patient actually moved. The patient remains at the original location.
Real-World Usage
Transfer cancellations happen when a bed assignment is retracted or a patient's condition changes before they can be moved. Downstream systems that do not handle A12 will show the patient at the wrong (transferred) location indefinitely. Test A12 handling explicitly — it is less commonly implemented than A11 or A13.
Message Structure
Segment names link to their field-level reference pages.
Example Message
Realistic example with fake patient data. Paste into the HL7 Message Viewer to explore interactively.
1MSH||^~\&|EPIC|HOSPITAL_A|MIRTH_PROD|PACS|20260310163000||ADT^A12^ADT_A12|MSG00055|P|2.5.1 2EVN||A12|20260310163000 3PID||1||123456^^^HOSP_A^MR||Smith^John^M^^Mr.||19850315|M 4PV1||1|I|4A^201^1^^^HOSP_A||||1234^Ahmed^Dr.^Khalid|||MED|||||||||IP||||||||||||||||||||||||||20260310143000
Troubleshooting Scenarios
Patient location not restored after transfer cancellation
Cause
A12 is not being distributed to downstream systems, or downstream systems do not process A12 and keep the incorrect post-transfer location.
Fix
Add A12 to all downstream interface event subscriptions. The PV1.3 in the A12 should contain the original location. Verify that downstream systems update the location on A12 rather than ignoring it.
Common Confusions
ADT^A12 (Cancel Transfer) vs ADT^A11 (Cancel Admit) vs ADT^A13 (Cancel Discharge). Each cancel reverses a specific event: A11 reverses A01, A12 reverses A02, A13 reverses A03. Always match the cancel event to the specific original event being reversed.
Related Message Types
Segment Reference
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