Schedule a demo
Healthcare/HL7 v2/LCH
Segment

Location characteristic

Defines physical and operational characteristics of a location identified in the preceding LOC segment, such as smoking policy, isolation capability, gender restriction, level of care, and teaching status. It is used in MFN location master file messages and appears after LOC (for location-wide attributes) or after LDP (for department-specific attributes of a shared location).

5fields
3required
v2.9HL7 version
lch.py
from zato.hl7v2.v2_9 import LCH
from zato.hl7v2.v2_9 import CWE, PL

lch = LCH()
lch.primary_key_value_lch = PL(
    point_of_care='WELLCTR',
    room='GYM-2A',
)
lch.location_characteristic_id = CWE(
    identifier='ACCESS',
    text='Accessibility',
    name_of_coding_system='HL70324',
)
lch.location_characteristic_value_lch = CWE(
        identifier='Y',
        text='Yes',
        name_of_coding_system='HL70136',
    )
Python examples

Build LCH segments in Python

How to construct and work with real-world LCH segments.

1

Wheelchair accessible entrance

PL key, EI unique key, characteristic id and affirmative value CWE pair

from zato.hl7v2.v2_9 import LCH
from zato.hl7v2.v2_9 import CWE, EI, PL

lch = LCH()
lch.primary_key_value_lch = PL(
    point_of_care='WELLCTR',
    room='GYM-2A',
    location_status='A',
    building='Main',
    floor='2',
)
lch.segment_action_code = 'UPD'
lch.segment_unique_key = EI(
    entity_identifier='LCH-001',
    namespace_id='WELL',
    universal_id='NS',
    universal_id_type='DNS',
)
lch.location_characteristic_id = CWE(
    identifier='ACCESS',
    text='Wheelchair access',
    name_of_coding_system='HL70324',
)
lch.location_characteristic_value_lch = CWE(
    identifier='Y',
    text='Yes',
    name_of_coding_system='HL70136',
)
2

Private coaching room flag

MERGE action with compact EI and privacy characteristic

from zato.hl7v2.v2_9 import LCH
from zato.hl7v2.v2_9 import CWE, EI, PL

lch = LCH()
lch.primary_key_value_lch = PL(
    point_of_care='SUNRISE',
    room='COACH-4',
    location_status='O',
    building='East',
    floor='1',
)
lch.segment_action_code = 'MUP'
lch.segment_unique_key = EI(
    entity_identifier='LCH-014',
    namespace_id='SUN',
    universal_id='SID',
    universal_id_type='ISO',
)
lch.location_characteristic_id = CWE(
    identifier='PRIV',
    text='Private session room',
    name_of_coding_system='HL70324',
)
lch.location_characteristic_value_lch = CWE(
    identifier='Y',
    text='Yes',
    name_of_coding_system='HL70136',
)
3

Equipment available on site

Optional action and EI empty; coded value lists gear present

from zato.hl7v2.v2_9 import LCH
from zato.hl7v2.v2_9 import CWE, PL

lch = LCH()
lch.primary_key_value_lch = PL(
    point_of_care='COAST',
    room='GYM-OPEN',
    location_status='A',
    building='South',
    floor='G',
)
lch.location_characteristic_id = CWE(
    identifier='EQUIP',
    text='Fitness equipment',
    name_of_coding_system='HL70324',
)
lch.location_characteristic_value_lch = CWE(
    identifier='ROW',
    text='Rowing bay',
    name_of_coding_system='HL70136',
)
Tutorials

Learn by building

Step-by-step guides for working with HL7 v2 in Zato.

MLLP
Receive and parse HL7 v2 messages
Set up an MLLP channel, parse incoming messages, and respond with acknowledgments.
Start tutorial Build
Build and send HL7 v2 messages
Construct HL7 v2 messages from scratch using typed segment classes and send them over MLLP.
Start tutorial
Related segments

Commonly used with LCH

MFI Master file identification MFE Master file entry LOC Location identification LDP Location department LCC Location charge code LRL Location relationship
FAQ

Frequently asked questions

LOC describes the site, while LCH adds attribute facts such as accessibility or equipment so directory searches can filter wellness rooms precisely.

Populate EI when multiple LCH rows share one PL key so receivers can tell updates apart; omit it only when a single characteristic per site is enough.

Use EI with namespace and universal ids:

from zato.hl7v2.v2_9 import LCH
from zato.hl7v2.v2_9 import EI, PL

lch = LCH()
lch.primary_key_value_lch = PL(
    point_of_care='WELLCTR',
    room='GYM-2A',
)
lch.segment_unique_key = EI(
    entity_identifier='LCH-001',
    namespace_id='WELL',
    universal_id='NS',
    universal_id_type='DNS',
)

location_characteristic_id uses HL70324, while location_characteristic_value_lch uses HL70136 so coded questions pair with coded answers.

HL70206 includes insert, update, merge, and delete style codes; match your MFE-driven master file contract when syncing wellness site facts.

Zato connects to any system that speaks HL7v2 over MLLP or FHIR over REST. This includes Epic, Cerner, Meditech, Allscripts, and other EHR platforms.

Yes, Zato has built-in MLLP support for sending and receiving HL7v2 messages. MLLP channels handle the framing protocol automatically.

Zato supports HL7 v2.9, which is backward compatible with earlier versions including v2.3, v2.5, and v2.7. Standard segments and datatypes are available as typed Python classes.

Yes. Zato handles both HL7v2 and FHIR natively, so you can parse v2 messages and build FHIR resources with IG-specific extensions in the same service. Typed Python classes are available for both protocols, including extensions from US Core, UK Core, Da Vinci, and other Implementation Guides.

Reference

LCH field reference

Complete list of fields in the LCH segment, HL7 v2.9.

#Python nameDatatypeUsageRepeatableTable
1▶primary_key_value_lchPLRequiredNo-
2segment_action_codeIDOptionalNoHL70206
3▶segment_unique_keyEIOptionalNo-
4▶location_characteristic_idCWERequiredNoHL70324
5▶location_characteristic_value_lchCWERequiredNoHL70136

Ready to build integrations?

Get started with Zato and connect your systems in minutes.

Get started ▶Read the docs
Open source In Python