HL7.TERMINOLOGY\NullFlavor

This page is part of the HL7 Terminology (v2.0.0: Release) based on FHIR R4. The current version which supercedes this version is 5.2.0. For a full list of available versions, see the Directory of published versions

CodeSystem: NullFlavor

Summary

Defining URL:

http://terminology.hl7.org/CodeSystem/v3-NullFlavor

Version:

2.0.0

Name:

NullFlavor

Status:

Active as of 2019-03-20

Definition:

A collection of codes specifying why a valid value is not present.

Publisher:

Health Level 7

Content:

Complete: All the concepts defined by the code system are included in the code system resource

OID:

2.16.840.1.113883.5.1008 (for OID based terminology systems)

Source Resource:

XML / JSON / Turtle

This Code system is referenced in the content logical definition of the following value sets:

Properties

Code

URL

Description

Type

Specializes

The child code is a more narrow version of the concept represented by the parent code. I.e. Every child concept is also a valid parent concept. Used to allow determination of subsumption. Must be transitive, irreflexive, antisymmetric.

Coding

Generalizes

Inverse of Specializes. Only included as a derived relationship.

Coding

internalId

http://terminology.hl7.org/CodeSystem/utg-concept-properties#v3-internal-id

The internal identifier for the concept in the HL7 Access database repository.

code

status

http://hl7.org/fhir/concept-properties#status

Designation of a concept's state. Normally is not populated unless the state is retired..

code

HL7usageNotes

http://terminology.hl7.org/CodeSystem/utg-concept-properties#HL7usageNotes

HL7 Concept Usage Notes

string

subsumedBy

http://hl7.org/fhir/concept-properties#parent

The concept code of a parent concept

code

This code system http://terminology.hl7.org/CodeSystem/v3-NullFlavor defines the following codes:

Lvl	Code	Display	Definition	internalId	status	HL7 Concept Usage Notes	Parent
1	NI	NoInformation	Description:The value is exceptional (missing, omitted, incomplete, improper). No information as to the reason for being an exceptional value is provided. This is the most general exceptional value. It is also the default exceptional value.	10610	active
2	INV	invalid	Description:The value as represented in the instance is not a member of the set of permitted data values in the constrained value domain of a variable.	22656	active		NI
3	DER	derived	Description:An actual value may exist, but it must be derived from the provided information (usually an EXPR generic data type extension will be used to convey the derivation expressionexpression .	22657	active		INV
3	OTH	other	Description:The actual value is not a member of the set of permitted data values in the constrained value domain of a variable. (e.g., concept not provided by required code system). Usage Notes: This flavor and its specializations are most commonly used with the CD datatype and its flavors. However, it may apply to \any\ datatype where the constraints of the type are tighter than can be conveyed. For example, a PQ that is for a true measured amount whose units are not supported in UCUM, a need to convey a REAL when the type has been constrained to INT, etc. With coded datatypes, this null flavor may only be used if the vocabulary binding has a coding strength of CNE. By definition, all local codes and original text are part of the value set if the coding strength is CWE.	10616	active	This flavor and its specializations are most commonly used with the CD datatype and its flavors. However, it may apply to any datatype where the constraints of the type are tighter than can be conveyed. For example, a PQ that is for a true measured amount whose units are not supported in UCUM, a need to convey a REAL when the type has been constrained to INT, etc. With coded datatypes, this null flavor may only be used if the vocabulary binding has a coding strength of CNE. By definition, all local codes and original text are part of the value set if the coding strength is CWE.	INV
4	NINF	negative infinity	Negative infinity of numbers.	10618	active		OTH
4	PINF	positive infinity	Positive infinity of numbers.	10617	active		OTH
3	UNC	un-encoded	Description: The actual value has not yet been encoded within the approved value domain. Example: Original text or a local code has been specified but translation or encoding to the approved value set has not yet occurred due to limitations of the sending system. Original text has been captured for a PQ, but not attempt has been made to split the value and unit or to encode the unit in UCUM. Usage Notes: If it is known that it is not possible to encode the concept, OTH should be used instead. However, use of UNC does not necessarily guarantee the concept will be encodable, only that encoding has not been attempted. Data type properties such as original text and translations may be present when this null flavor is included.	22185	active	If it is known that it is not possible to encode the concept, OTH should be used instead. However, use of UNC does not necessarily guarantee the concept will be encodable, only that encoding has not been attempted. Data type properties such as original text and translations may be present when this null flavor is included.	INV
2	MSK	masked	There is information on this item available but it has not been provided by the sender due to security, privacy or other reasons. There may be an alternate mechanism for gaining access to this information. Note: using this null flavor does provide information that may be a breach of confidentiality, even though no detail data is provided. Its primary purpose is for those circumstances where it is necessary to inform the receiver that the information does exist without providing any detail.	17932	active		NI
2	NA	not applicable	Known to have no proper value (e.g., last menstrual period for a male).	10611	active		NI
2	UNK	unknown	Description:A proper value is applicable, but not known. Usage Notes: This means the actual value is not known. If the only thing that is unknown is how to properly express the value in the necessary constraints (value set, datatype, etc.), then the OTH or UNC flavor should be used. No properties should be included for a datatype with this property unless: 1. Those properties themselves directly translate to a semantic of "unknown". (E.g. a local code sent as a translation that conveys 'unknown') 2. Those properties further qualify the nature of what is unknown. (E.g. specifying a use code of "H" and a URL prefix of "tel:" to convey that it is the home phone number that is unknown.)	10612	active	This means the actual value is not known. If the only thing that is unknown is how to properly express the value in the necessary constraints (value set, datatype, etc.), then the OTH or UNC flavor should be used. No properties should be included for a datatype with this property unless: Those properties themselves directly translate to a semantic of "unknown". (E.g. a local code sent as a translation that conveys 'unknown') Those properties further qualify the nature of what is unknown. (E.g. specifying a use code of "H" and a URL prefix of "tel:" to convey that it is the home phone number that is unknown.)	NI
3	ASKU	asked but unknown	Information was sought but not found (e.g., patient was asked but didn't know)	10614	active		UNK
4	NAV	temporarily unavailable	Information is not available at this time but it is expected that it will be available later.	10615	active		ASKU, NAVU
3	NASK	not asked	This information has not been sought (e.g., patient was not asked)	10613	active		UNK
3	NAVU	Not available	Information is not available at this time (with no expectation regarding whether it will or will not be available in the future).	23731	active		UNK
4	NAV	temporarily unavailable
3	QS	Sufficient Quantity	Description:The specific quantity is not known, but is known to be non-zero and is not specified because it makes up the bulk of the material. e.g. 'Add 10mg of ingredient X, 50mg of ingredient Y, and sufficient quantity of water to 100mL.' The null flavor would be used to express the quantity of water.	21436	active		UNK
3	TRC	trace	The content is greater than zero, but too small to be quantified.	21386	active		UNK
1	NP	not present	Value is not present in a message. This is only defined in messages, never in application data! All values not present in the message must be replaced by the applicable default, or no-information (NI) as the default of all defaults.	10619	retired

History

Date

Action

Custodian

Author

Comment

2020-05-06

revise

Vocabulary WG

Ted Klein

Migrated to the UTG maintenance environment and publishing tooling.