OBR — Observation Request
Appears in ORM (orders) and ORU (results) messages. One OBR per ordered test or study. Follows ORC in order messages.
The OBR segment defines what test, procedure, or study is being ordered or reported. It carries the universal service identifier, requesting provider, specimen details, and result status. OBR is the primary segment in lab, radiology, and diagnostic order and result messages.
Real-World Context
OBR.4 (universal service identifier) is the procedure code that drives everything downstream — lab analyte routing, radiology work order creation, billing code assignment. If an order is going to the wrong department or the wrong procedure is being performed, OBR.4 is where you look first. The result status in OBR.25 tells you whether results are preliminary, final, or corrected — missing or incorrect status codes cause EHR result displays to show stale data.
Field Reference
Click any row to see the full description, common values, and troubleshooting tip.
| # | Field Name | Type | Req | Max Len | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Set ID - OBR | SI | O | 4 | ▶ |
| 2 | Placer Order Number | EI | O | 427 | ▶ |
| 3 | Filler Order Number | EI | O | 427 | ▶ |
| 4 | Universal Service Identifier | CE | R | 250 | ▶ |
| 5 | Priority | ID | O | 2 | ▶ |
| 6 | Requested Date/Time | TS | O | 26 | ▶ |
| 7 | Observation Date/Time | TS | O | 26 | ▶ |
| 8 | Observation End Date/Time | TS | O | 26 | ▶ |
| 9 | Collection Volume | CQ | O | 20 | ▶ |
| 10 | Collector Identifier | XCN | O | 250 | ▶ |
| 11 | Specimen Action Code | ID | O | 1 | ▶ |
| 12 | Danger Code | CE | O | 250 | ▶ |
| 13 | Relevant Clinical Information | ST | O | 300 | ▶ |
| 14 | Specimen Received Date/Time | TS | O | 26 | ▶ |
| 15 | Specimen Source | SPS | O | 300 | ▶ |
| 16 | Ordering Provider | XCN | O | 250 | ▶ |
| 17 | Order Callback Phone Number | XTN | O | 250 | ▶ |
| 18 | Placer Field 1 | ST | O | 60 | ▶ |
| 19 | Placer Field 2 | ST | O | 60 | ▶ |
| 20 | Filler Field 1 | ST | O | 60 | ▶ |
| 21 | Filler Field 2 | ST | O | 60 | ▶ |
| 22 | Results Rpt/Status Chng - Date/Time | TS | O | 26 | ▶ |
| 23 | Charge to Practice | MOC | O | 40 | ▶ |
| 24 | Diagnostic Service Section ID | ID | O | 10 | ▶ |
| 25 | Result Status | ID | O | 1 | ▶ |
| 26 | Parent Result | PRL | O | 400 | ▶ |
| 27 | Quantity/Timing | TQ | O | 200 | ▶ |
| 28 | Result Copies To | XCN | O | 250 | ▶ |
| 29 | Parent | EIP | O | 200 | ▶ |
| 30 | Transportation Mode | ID | O | 20 | ▶ |
| 31 | Reason for Study | CE | O | 250 | ▶ |
| 32 | Principal Result Interpreter | NDL | O | 200 | ▶ |
| 33 | Assistant Result Interpreter | NDL | O | 200 | ▶ |
| 34 | Technician | NDL | O | 200 | ▶ |
| 35 | Transcriptionist | NDL | O | 200 | ▶ |
| 36 | Scheduled Date/Time | TS | O | 26 | ▶ |
| 37 | Number of Sample Containers | NM | O | 4 | ▶ |
| 38 | Transport Logistics of Collected Sample | CE | O | 250 | ▶ |
| 39 | Collector's Comment | CE | O | 250 | ▶ |
| 40 | Transport Arrangement Responsibility | CE | O | 250 | ▶ |
| 41 | Transport Arranged | ID | O | 30 | ▶ |
| 42 | Escort Required | ID | O | 1 | ▶ |
| 43 | Planned Patient Transport Comment | CE | O | 250 | ▶ |
| 44 | Procedure Code | CE | O | 250 | ▶ |
| 45 | Procedure Code Modifier | CE | O | 250 | ▶ |
| 46 | Placer Supplemental Service Information | CE | O | 250 | ▶ |
| 47 | Filler Supplemental Service Information | CE | O | 250 | ▶ |
| 48 | Medically Necessary Duplicate Procedure Reason | CWE | O | 705 | ▶ |
| 49 | Result Handling | IS | O | 2 | ▶ |
| 50 | Parent Universal Service Identifier | CWE | O | 705 | ▶ |
Example Segment
1OBR||1|20260310-001^EPIC|LAB20260310-001^LIS|85025^Complete blood count^CPT4|R|20260310143205|20260310150000|||6789012345^WILLIAMS^SARAH^^^RN^NPI|||BLDV^Blood venous^HL70070|Suspected anemia||20260310151500||LAB|F|||1234567890^JONES^ROBERT^^^MD^NPI|(217)555-1234
Related Segments
Used In Message Types
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