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observation start time

obs_start_tm
general
Updated 3/30/2026

Definition

The beginning time value for a clinical finding or measurement. Used to track temporal information related to observation start time. 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_start_tm

Category

general

Database Usage

-- Example column naming
CREATE TABLE claims (
  claim_id VARCHAR(50),
  obs_start_tm VARCHAR(100),  -- observation start time
  ...
);

-- Example in SELECT
SELECT 
  claim_id,
  obs_start_tm as observation_start_time
FROM claims;

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