30-second summary
- Turn HL7 v2 messages into readable XML with labeled segments, fields, and components
- Reduce mapping friction with a human-readable HL7 tree inside the Data Mapper
- Help more team members understand HL7 payloads, even without deep HL7 expertise
- Build maintainable HL7 interfaces faster using eiConsole’s visual workflow
How the Friendly Names Option Works
1. Turn it on in the configuration
Enable the Friendly Name option in the configuration panel, then open test mode to validate the output.
2. Convert HL7 to XML and read it clearly
After conversion, the XML representation is far easier to interpret because labels are human-readable rather than cryptic HL7 identifiers.
3. Map faster in the HL7 data mapper
Friendly Names are also available in the Data Mapper via the HL7 v2 format builder. Load the HL7 version, enable Friendly Names, then map using a readable tree of segments, fields, and components.
4. Reduce build time and rework
Readable field names improve handoffs, cut mistakes, and speed ongoing enhancements for HL7 interfaces.
Deployment-ready for Production Teams
- Run interfaces reliably in production (eiPlatform), including containerized environments
- PilotFish works great in Docker containers
Security, Observability, Compliance
- Encryption in transit and at rest, least-privilege patterns for credentials
- Audit logging for message flow and configuration changes
- Metrics, alerts and dashboards for throughput, error rates, and SLAs
Why PilotFish?
- Time to first interface measured in days, not months
- Lower maintenance with visual tooling and reusable assets
- Vendor-neutral integrations that scale with volume and complexity
- Free 90-day trial of the eiConsole IDE available
FAQ
What are HL7 Friendly Names in the PilotFish eiConsole?
HL7 Friendly Names replace cryptic HL7 segment, field and component identifiers with human-readable labels. This makes HL7 v2 message structures easier to understand when configuring transformations, reviewing data and building interfaces.
How do HL7 Friendly Names make data mapping easier?
Friendly Names display readable field descriptions directly within the eiConsole Data Mapper. Developers can identify the data they need and create mappings without constantly looking up HL7 field identifiers and definitions.
Can HL7 Friendly Names be used with different versions of HL7 v2?
Yes. In the eiConsole HL7 v2 Format Builder, users select the appropriate HL7 version and enable Friendly Names. The resulting message structure displays readable names for the segments, fields and components defined for that version.
Do developers still need extensive HL7 expertise to build interfaces?
HL7 knowledge is helpful, but Friendly Names make HL7 structures much easier to navigate for developers who do not work with HL7 every day. Readable field labels help teams focus on the transformation and integration logic instead of deciphering HL7 identifiers.
Can Friendly Names be used directly when creating HL7 transformations?
Yes. Friendly Names are available within the eiConsole Data Mapper, where HL7 fields can be displayed as a readable tree and used in visual drag & drop mappings. This can speed interface development and make mappings easier to review and maintain.
Full Transcript
This is a demonstration of the eiConsole for Healthcare’s “Friendly Name” software feature. Mapping and manipulating the widely adopted HL7 2.x data standard is a common task for organizations in the healthcare ecosystem.
The complexity of reading and understanding an HL7 message can make this a challenging and time-consuming process. The “Friendly Name” feature of the eiConsole is available in the HL7 2.x transformation module. This module is used to bind an HL7 Message to XML or to generate an HL7 Message from XML representation.
HL7 Friendly Naming Option
To enable the “Friendly Name” feature, we simply ensure that the “Friendly Name” option is checked in the configuration panel. Now, we can see how this works in the eiConsole’s test mode. First, we can view our input, the HL7 message. As you can see, if you don’t have expert-level knowledge of HL7, this would be very difficult to understand or interpret.
However, after conversion to XML with the HL7 2.x transformation module with “Friendly Names” enabled, we can see a much more human-readable version of the message. For instance, the components, segments, and fields are all labeled in a way that most people would understand.
HL7 Data Mapper
The “Friendly Name” Feature of PilotFish’s Interface Engine is also available for drag & drop mapping within the Data Mapper component. Here, mapping with friendly names is made available through the HL7 version 2.x format builder. Again, we can select the HL7 version we’re working with and choose to use the “Friendly Names” option. Loading the HL7 standard this way will give us a human-readable tree of all the HL7 segments, fields, and components. Drag & drop mapping can now be completed using these friendly field names.
As a result of using the HL7 “Friendly Name” option in PilotFish’s Integration Interface Engine, the eiConsole, mapping logic and HL7 Interfaces are made much easier. You will be saving 100s, if not 1000s of hours, on your HL7 2.x interface development projects.
If you’re curious about the software features, free trial, or even a demo – we’re ready to answer any and all questions. Please call us at 813 864 8662 or click the button.
X12, chartered by the American National Standards Institute for more than 35 years, develops and maintains EDI standards and XML schemas.