Good afternoon, everybody. We’re going to go ahead and get started now. Thank you and welcome to today’s webinar on Best Practices for Successful EHR Data Conversion. My name is Monique Dev, and I’ll be the moderator for today’s session.
We have one hour blocked out, but the presentation won’t require the entire time. We’ll leave plenty of time at the end for Q&A.
Before we begin, let’s cover some housekeeping items. On your screen, on the right-hand side, you’ll see a communications box. All attendees will remain on mute throughout the presentation to reduce background noise.
If you have any questions during the session, please type them into the Questions box. The small red arrow next to it can expand or collapse the panel. Feel free to submit your questions at any time, and we’ll address all of them at the end of the presentation.
Today’s presenter is Don Sargent, Director of Customer Experience at Patagonia Health. Don has over 20 years of experience in healthcare IT and medical software. He leads the account management and implementation teams and has managed numerous migration processes for new clients. Today, he’ll share proven best practices for a successful data migration process.
Don Sargent:
Thanks, Monique. Good afternoon, everyone. I appreciate you joining us today for this presentation on best practices for successful data conversion—or data migration.
We’ll discuss the lessons we’ve learned through numerous migrations with our customers, along with key success factors and the process we follow. We’ll also review some data requirements toward the end.
Understanding the Data Migration Process
Nearly every data migration project reveals key factors that directly impact its success. Often, you don’t know these factors until you begin the process. We’ll go through the standard process we use at Patagonia Health and identify where these key factors typically emerge.
The complexity of moving data from a customer’s existing system to Patagonia Health depends on several factors, including:
- How much data is available
- Whether data elements are limited or extensive
- Whether existing data is structured or free text
Structured data includes dropdown selections or predefined options, while free text data is entered manually at the user’s discretion.
Consistency also matters. For example, users might enter the same information in different places, creating inconsistencies. We sometimes encounter databases populated from previous conversions, which can add complexity.
Collaboration is essential throughout the process. It often involves assistance from your existing vendor or IT representatives. Ultimately, you understand your data better than anyone else, so your participation is crucial.
Data migration requires ownership from multiple levels—content experts, IT staff, and project managers—all playing key roles.
The Five-Step Data Migration Process
To help reduce complexity, we follow a five-step process for every project:
- Data Discovery – Identify what data is available.
- Scoping – Define what data to use and how to migrate it.
- Conversion Programming – Develop the technical process for moving the data.
- Validation and Sign-Off – Confirm data accuracy and completeness.
- Final Migration – Transfer the validated data to the live system.
Step 1: Data Discovery
This first step involves reviewing data from the current system to determine what’s eligible for migration. Customers are responsible for extracting and providing data, but we provide guidance and formatting support.
During discovery, gaps in data or inconsistencies often emerge—for example, users storing similar information in different fields. While it can be challenging, this step is crucial to ensuring clean, usable data.
Step 2: Scope Definition
Once data is identified, the next step is defining which data to migrate and how. This includes:
- Data Mapping: Connecting old data fields to new ones (e.g., “Patient First Name” → “First Name”).
- Crosswalks: Translating values between systems (e.g., race code “01” becomes “NA” for Native American).
- Migration Strategy: Deciding how much data to bring over—such as limiting to active patients seen within the last three years.
Customers make final decisions, with our guidance throughout.
Step 3: Conversion Programming and Testing
This technical step is handled by Patagonia Health. We develop and test the conversion programs, following the defined scope. Testing often involves multiple cycles to ensure accuracy, and customers may be included for clarification or validation.
Step 4: Validation and Sign-Off
Once data is migrated to a test environment, customers review it to ensure accuracy and completeness. Corrections may be needed to the data or the conversion program. After successful validation, the customer signs off to approve the migration.
Step 5: Final Migration
The validated data is then migrated to the live Patagonia Health database, according to the implementation timeline. If all prior steps are done correctly, this step is usually seamless.
Data Migration Assumptions and Expectations
A common assumption is that all data can be migrated. That’s not always true. Data quality, integrity, and structure determine what can be moved. Structured, standardized data increases the likelihood of a comprehensive migration.
Customers are responsible for extracting and providing data, and we supply the necessary templates and guidance.
Standard Data Elements Migrated
Demographics typically include:
- MRN (preferred for continuity)
- First and last name
- Date of birth
- Gender
- Address, phone numbers, and contact details
- Social Security number, race, ethnicity, marital status, preferred language
- Primary practice location and Medicaid ID
We recommend including the MRN from your current system for consistency with registries and reporting.
Customers usually provide this data in Excel format, following a template we provide.
Data Elements Not Migrated
Some data isn’t migrated because it’s handled differently within Patagonia Health or better managed manually during setup. These include:
- Patient insurance information (system includes 2,500+ carriers)
- Patient balances (often entered manually before first statement run)
- Scheduled appointments (typically recreated manually in the new calendar)
Optional or Custom Data Migration
Some clients request additional data migrations, such as:
- Allergies – Type, severity, SNOMED code
- Medications – Drug name, code, dosage, prescribing provider
- Problems/Diagnoses – ICD codes, descriptions
- Immunizations – Vaccine details, manufacturer, lot number, VFC eligibility
These are custom services available by request and contract.
Q&A Session
Q: We’re a small health department. How long does the conversion take?
A: It depends on the data scope. For demographics-only migrations, it’s minimal. We provide templates for data extraction, review sample data together, and schedule final migration around training dates. Typically, it takes a few weeks of coordination.
Q: What’s the difference between structured data and free text?
A: Structured data comes from predefined lists or dropdowns—data entered consistently. Free text is entered manually, making it harder to migrate. Structured data is ideal for migration; free text is not.
Q: Have you converted from Insight before?
A: Yes, we’ve successfully migrated data from Insight many times. The duration depends on data scope and quality, but it’s typically completed within the overall implementation schedule.
Q: How do customers decide how much data to migrate?
A: We guide them through strategy discussions. For example, one client with over a million records chose to migrate only patients seen within the last three years. The decision depends on how the data will be used.
Q: How much historical data is usually migrated? What happens to old data?
A: It varies by customer. Some keep access to old systems temporarily; others export data to PDFs for archival. Patagonia Health’s document management system can also store these PDFs for reference.
Q: Are there immunization considerations during conversion?
A: Yes. If your state registry uses MRN as an identifier, we recommend migrating that MRN so records continue to match seamlessly.
Closing Remarks
Don Sargent:
If data migration is a key factor in your EHR decision, talk to us. We’ll help you understand your options and find the best solution for your specific situation.
Monique Dev:
Thank you for joining today’s webinar. We’ll be publishing our upcoming webinar schedule soon and hope you can join us again.
