ADT
Admit, Discharge, Transfer — an HL7v2 message type that tracks patient movement through a healthcare facility.
ADT messages are the backbone of patient tracking in hospitals. An ADT^A01 fires on admission, ADT^A03 on discharge, and ADT^A02 on transfer. Downstream systems (pharmacy, lab, billing) subscribe to these events to keep their patient census current. A single patient visit can generate dozens of ADT messages. Getting the ADT feed right is usually the first integration milestone at any hospital.
FAQ
- What triggers an ADT message?
- Patient registration, admission, discharge, transfer between units, or demographic updates in the EHR. Each event type has its own trigger event code (A01, A02, A03, etc.).