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observation key

obs_key
general
Updated 3/30/2026

Definition

The lookup reference value for a clinical finding or measurement. Used in healthcare data management and clinical workflows. This field is commonly used in electronic health records (EHR), healthcare information systems (HIS), and clinical data warehouses for observation management and reporting.

Standard Abbreviation

obs_key

Category

general

Database Usage

-- Example column naming
CREATE TABLE claims (
  claim_id VARCHAR(50),
  obs_key VARCHAR(100),  -- observation key
  ...
);

-- Example in SELECT
SELECT 
  claim_id,
  obs_key as observation_key
FROM claims;

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