# RM Mappings - DV_CODED_TEXT preferred_term missing

**Category:** [ITS](https://discourse.openehr.org/c/its/41)
**Created:** 2026-02-25 07:30 UTC
**Views:** 46
**Replies:** 7
**URL:** https://discourse.openehr.org/t/rm-mappings-dv-coded-text-preferred-term-missing/11780

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## Post #1 by @jbuch

When trying to POST a FLAT Composition on EHRBase, I noticed that I wasn’t able to save a DV_CODED_TEXT with a preferred_term, and neither is it retained after saving it using a RAW/JSON Composition and then loaded in FLAT Format.
I checked the spec ( https://specifications.openehr.org/releases/ITS-REST/development/simplified_formats.html#DV_CODED_TEXT ) and I noticed that it seems to be implemented partially (within /\_language → CODE_PHRASE), but not directly within DV_CODED_TEXT. I feel that it should be assigned as:
Flat Path = |preferred_term
RM Path = defining_code.preferred_term

It seems to work as I describe in Better’s FLAT format.

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## Post #2 by @ian.mcnicoll

Is it being saved in Canonical format or is this just a Canonical<>Flat issue.

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## Post #3 by @jbuch

It is saved, so it’s just a Canonical<>Flat issue.

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## Post #4 by @sebastian.iancu

Hi, 

Thanks for investigating this issue.
We will discuss how to fix this in the specification in the REST API Working Group.

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## Post #5 by @jbuch

Thank you Sebastian! Going forward, is there a better way to report small issues like this one?

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## Post #6 by @sebastian.iancu

If the problem is the specifications, the formally this is the place: https://openehr.atlassian.net/jira/software/c/projects/SPECPR/issues?jql=project%20%3D%20SPECPR%20ORDER%20BY%20created%20DESC. But if that is too complicated then a discussion here like this is also good - then one of us will make a formal SPECPR ticket, and solved it in the right SPECxx project - see on the middle of this page: https://specifications.openehr.org/governance/change_process for more official stuff. 

If the problem is the vendor implementation, then I guess posting here on discourse is also a good way to start a conversation, but ultimately the vendor may have a different process (github issue, support ticket, etc)

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## Post #7 by @ian.mcnicoll

I think I found the issue in the SDT specs.  PreferredTerm has been added to the SDT representation of CODE_PHRASE and is suuported by ehrbase but not to DV_CODEDTEXT. 

So we need to update SDT spec and submit a cr to ehrbase

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## Post #8 by @birger.haarbrandt

@vidi42 could you create an issue?

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**Canonical:** https://discourse.openehr.org/t/rm-mappings-dv-coded-text-preferred-term-missing/11780
**Original content:** https://discourse.openehr.org/t/rm-mappings-dv-coded-text-preferred-term-missing/11780