diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 72fb038..cc5b865 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -4,6 +4,9 @@ A Go library for parsing, transforming, and validating HL7 version 2.x messages
 
 Zero external dependencies. Requires Go 1.23+.
 
+> [!WARNING]
+> The code in this project is mostly generated by an AI tool (Claude Code). This project is intended as a personal experiment to observe the efficacy of generative AI tools in software development. All code has been reviewed by a human, and the implemented algorithms were developed using instruction from a human.
+
 ```go
 msg, _ := hl7.ParseMessage(rawBytes)
 
diff --git a/accessor.go b/accessor.go
index cb8e8bf..58b8dbc 100644
--- a/accessor.go
+++ b/accessor.go
@@ -14,7 +14,10 @@
 
 package hl7
 
-import "strconv"
+import (
+	"strconv"
+	"unsafe"
+)
 
 // Location represents a specific position in an HL7 message hierarchy.
 // All indices are 0-based internally. The string representation uses
@@ -38,21 +41,29 @@ type Location struct {
 //	Location{Segment: "OBX", SegmentIndex: 1, Field: 5}.String()         // "OBX(1)-5"
 //	Location{Segment: "PID", Field: 3, Repetition: 1}.String()           // "PID-3[1]"
 func (loc Location) String() string {
-	s := loc.Segment
+	b := make([]byte, len(loc.Segment), 110)
+	copy(b, []byte(loc.Segment))
 	if loc.SegmentIndex > 0 {
-		s += "(" + strconv.Itoa(loc.SegmentIndex) + ")"
+		b = append(b, '(')
+		b = strconv.AppendInt(b, int64(loc.SegmentIndex), 10)
+		b = append(b, ')')
 	}
-	s += "-" + strconv.Itoa(loc.Field)
+	b = append(b, '-')
+	b = strconv.AppendInt(b, int64(loc.Field), 10)
 	if loc.Repetition > 0 {
-		s += "[" + strconv.Itoa(loc.Repetition) + "]"
+		b = append(b, '[')
+		b = strconv.AppendInt(b, int64(loc.Repetition), 10)
+		b = append(b, ']')
 	}
 	if loc.Component > 0 {
-		s += "." + strconv.Itoa(loc.Component)
+		b = append(b, '.')
+		b = strconv.AppendInt(b, int64(loc.Component), 10)
 	}
 	if loc.SubComponent > 0 {
-		s += "." + strconv.Itoa(loc.SubComponent)
+		b = append(b, '.')
+		b = strconv.AppendInt(b, int64(loc.SubComponent), 10)
 	}
-	return s
+	return unsafe.String(unsafe.SliceData(b), len(b))
 }
 
 // ParseLocation parses a terser-style location string into a Location.
diff --git a/accessor_test.go b/accessor_test.go
index 8167346..8198f10 100644
--- a/accessor_test.go
+++ b/accessor_test.go
@@ -424,6 +424,21 @@ func TestMessageGetPresentButEmptyField(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func BenchmarkLocationString(b *testing.B) {
+	l := Location{
+		Segment:      "PID",
+		SegmentIndex: 123,
+		Field:        123,
+		Repetition:   123,
+		Component:    123,
+		SubComponent: 123,
+	}
+
+	for b.Loop() {
+		_ = l.String()
+	}
+}
+
 func BenchmarkParseLocation(b *testing.B) {
 	inputs := []struct {
 		name  string